# SMDP
> Award-winning local journalism covering Santa Monica, Venice, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Marina del Rey. Trusted by Westside readers since 2001.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### About this site
URL: https://www.smdp.com/about/
Last updated: 2026-06-15T23:31:32.000Z
Founded in 2001 by Ross Furukawa, Dave Danforth, and Carolyn Sackariason—journalists with deep experience shaping the Aspen Daily News, Palo Alto Daily News, San Mateo Daily News, Burlingame Daily News, Redwood City Daily News, Conway Daily Sun and the Aspen Times, the Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP) was created to serve a vibrant, complex city facing challenges and opportunities much like Aspen, Silicon Valley and the ski towns of New Hampshire. With housing issues, a deep divide over the city’s future, reliance on tourism, and an engaged, educated community, Santa Monica needed a dedicated, thoughtful news outlet. The SMDP rose to the occasion, becoming the go-to source for independent, balanced, and accurate reporting.
In 2019, Todd James joined as a partner, marking a new era of transformation. Carolyn Sackariason exited, and Todd and Ross set the sails toward an innovative future. Committed to meeting readers where they are, the SMDP rebuilt its technology stack, partnered with the Google News Initiative, and participated in multiple accelerators to future-proof the publication. By embracing digital tools and expanding platforms, SMDP remains at the forefront of local journalism in an ever-changing media landscape.
The Santa Monica Daily Press isn’t just the city’s primary source of news—it’s also the most effective advertising platform for local businesses to reach their best customers: those who live, work, and visit in Santa Monica. We believe deeply in the power of community and the idea that people care most about what’s happening close to home. Through this hyper-local focus, SMDP captures the attention of residents, workers, and visitors alike, making it an unparalleled resource for businesses that understand that local customers are the most valuable.
We offer a robust suite of advertising solutions, including:
**Print**: Trusted and widely distributed, our print edition reaches 12,500 key decision-makers daily.**Digital**: Our website generates over 600,000 page views monthly.**Email**: A 6x-weekly newsletter connects 19,000 engaged subscribers to local news and ads.
**Social Media & Podcasts:** Dynamic platforms to engage audiences and extend your reach.
**Building a Community of Readers and Supporters**
SMDP’s success is rooted in community support. Through our membership programs, we deepen connections with local residents who care about quality journalism. Members enjoy exclusive benefits, special offers, and opportunities to engage more meaningfully in the life of our unique city. This strong local support ensures that SMDP continues to thrive as both a trusted news source and a champion of the Santa Monica community.
As Santa Monica grows and evolves, the Santa Monica Daily Press remains steadfast in its mission: to deliver fair, accurate, and balanced reporting while providing a middle ground for thoughtful discourse. Today, we are proud to serve as Santa Monica’s primary source of news and as a bridge between the community’s stories and the local businesses that make this city special. **News That Connects. Advertising That Works. Community That Thrives.**
## Policies and Standards
The Daily Press strives to produce a newspaper that is fair, accurate and free from bias. We strenuously avoid the use of unnamed sources except in cases where personal safety is involved. We fact-check and seek out multiple sources in our reporting.
We promptly correct significant errors brought to the attention of the editor. Online stories are corrected immediately after an error has been found. Stories containing a material error will have a correction published in the next print edition and immediately in our digital platforms.
To submit a correction, please email [editor@smdp.com](mailto:editor@smdp.com)
## Submitting Your Opinion
Opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Santa Monica Daily Press staff. Letters will be published at the discretion of the paper and on a space-available basis. All letters and guest editorials are subject to editing for space and content. Preference will be given to those that are emailed to [letters@smdp.com](mailto:letters@smdp.com). All letters must include the author’s name, address and telephone number.
## Submitting News Tips
Some of our best stories come from you, our readers! If you have a great story idea or are curious about something happening in Santa Monica, please share it with us by filling out this form. Be sure to include any details, such as contacts, references, or other information that could help our reporters investigate and bring the story to life. We appreciate your input!
### Events
URL: https://www.smdp.com/events/
Last updated: 2025-11-17T21:13:55.000Z
_No content available._
### Topics
URL: https://www.smdp.com/topics/
Last updated: 2025-10-25T00:11:00.000Z
This page creates sections on the front page based on the tags added to this page.
### banner-header
URL: https://www.smdp.com/banner-header/
Last updated: 2025-10-25T00:09:37.000Z
_No content available._
### banner-sidebar
URL: https://www.smdp.com/banner-sidebar/
Last updated: 2025-10-25T00:10:10.000Z
_No content available._
### banner-footer
URL: https://www.smdp.com/banner-footer/
Last updated: 2025-10-25T00:10:34.000Z
_No content available._
### Legal Notices
URL: https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T19:46:11.000Z
## Legal Notices
Fill out the secure form below to submit your legal notice for publication in the Santa Monica Daily Press.
### Submit a Legal Notice
If a court or agency has ordered you to publish a notice, it has to run in an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation. Run it somewhere that isn't, and the notice doesn't count — which means republishing, paying twice, and wasting whatever time you had left.
The Santa Monica Daily Press is adjudicated in Los Angeles County under Case No. BS096783\. We've been Santa Monica's daily paper since 2001, and courts, agencies, and the attorneys who file here regularly recommend us to publish legal notices because we do it right the first time.
We publish name changes, fictitious business name statements, probate and estate notices, summonses, public hearing and bid notices, lien sales, and any other documents that are required for legal publishing in Los Angeles County. Each type has its own formatting and run-length rules, and we check yours against them before it goes to print — not after.
**Deadlines.** Standard turnaround is two business days. Rush publishes next day for a 25% surcharge; get it to us by noon the business day before.
**Lien sales** are priced individually. Email the notice and we'll quote it, usually within the hour.
Questions, or not sure which notice you need? Email [legal@smdp.com](mailto:legal@smdp.com) or call (310) 458-7737.
### Standard Publication Schedules
These are the run schedules California law sets for the most common notices. Your court order or the filing agency can require something different — send us the order and we'll build the run dates around it.
| Notice type | How often it runs | Timing | Authority |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Name change (Order to Show Cause) | Once a week for four successive weeks | Must finish before the hearing, which the court sets 6–12 weeks out from the order | CCP § 1277 |
| Fictitious business name (DBA) | Once a week for four successive weeks | First run within 45 days of filing with the county clerk. Affidavit goes back to the clerk within 45 days of the last run — we file it for you | B&P § 17917Gov. Code § 6064 |
| Probate (Notice of Petition to Administer Estate, DE-121) | Three times, with at least five days between the first and last run, not counting the run dates themselves | First run at least 15 days before the hearing | Prob. Code § 8121 |
| Summons by publication | Once a week for four successive weeks (28 days) | Starts after the court grants the order for publication; a judge can order a longer run | CCP § 415.50Gov. Code § 6064 |
| Storage lien sale | Once a week for two consecutive weeks — or once in print plus seven days on an online auction site | All runs complete before the sale date | B&P § 21707 |
| Public hearing and bid notices | Set by the agency or the statute behind the notice — commonly once, or once a week for two weeks | Varies. Send us the requirement and we'll schedule to it | Gov. Code §§ 6061, 6066 |
Schedules above are general information, not legal advice. If your order says something different, the order controls.
### Tip Jar
URL: https://www.smdp.com/tip-jar/
Last updated: 2025-11-03T20:19:18.000Z
_No content available._
### Advanced User Settings
URL: https://www.smdp.com/advanced-settings/
Last updated: 2025-11-03T20:19:19.000Z
_No content available._
### Group Subscriptions
URL: https://www.smdp.com/group-subscriptions/
Last updated: 2026-01-28T23:10:52.000Z
_No content available._
### Buy a Group Subscription
URL: https://www.smdp.com/buy-group-subscription/
Last updated: 2025-11-03T20:19:19.000Z
_No content available._
### Give a Gift Subscription
URL: https://www.smdp.com/gift-subscription/
Last updated: 2025-11-03T21:43:16.000Z
_No content available._
### actions
URL: https://www.smdp.com/actions/
Last updated: 2026-10-20T17:26:33.000Z
#### Listen to our Podcast
#### Most Loved '26
[READ](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/Most+Loved+2026+web+version.pdf?ref=smdp.com)
#### Read today's print edition
[READ](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102026.pdf?ref=smdp.com)
### Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP.com) Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.smdp.com/privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2026-01-14T23:03:09.000Z
**Last Updated:** January 2026
Santa Monica Daily Press is owned and operated by **Newlon Rouge LLC**, doing business as **Santa Monica Daily Press** (“SMDP,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information through smdp.com and associated products including newsletters, memberships, advertising services, and events.
Our mailing address is:
**PO Box 1380, Santa Monica, CA 90406-1380**
---
## **1\. Information We Collect**
### **A. Information You Provide**
We collect information when you:
- Subscribe to newsletters or membership
- Create an account
- Submit advertising or contact forms
- Purchase services
- Comment or participate in surveys or site interactions
This can include:
- Name
- Email address
- Postal mailing address
- Phone number
- Payment information (processed securely through third-party processors)
### **B. Information Collected Automatically**
When you access our website, we automatically collect:
- IP address
- Browser and device information
- Pages visited and referring URLs
- Time spent and engagement activity
- Cookie identifiers and similar technologies
### **C. Information From Service Providers**
To operate our business, we receive or process information through platforms such as:
- **Ghost** (publishing + membership)
- **Outpost** (email + engagement)
- Analytics tools
- Payment providers
- Advertising and data vendors acting on our behalf
- Customer support systems
---
## **2\. Cookies and Similar Technologies**
We use cookies, pixels, and similar tools to:
- Operate the site
- Support login and account features
- Measure readership patterns
- Customize content and email newsletters
- Provide marketing and advertising
When you visit or log in to our website, cookies and similar technologies may be used by our online data partners or vendors to associate these activities with other personal information they or others have about you, including by association with your email or home address. We (or service providers on our behalf) may then send communications and marketing to these email or home addresses. You may opt out of receiving this advertising by visiting [https://app.retention.com/optout](https://app.retention.com/optout?ref=smdp.com).
You may restrict, clear, or disable cookies through your browser settings.
---
## **3\. How We Use Ghost and Outpost**
### **Ghost**
Supports:
- Website hosting and publishing
- Member login and authentication
- Secure storage of user and member records
Ghost processes data under our direction.
All data remains controlled by **Newlon Rouge LLC, DBA Santa Monica Daily Press**.
### **Outpost**
Supports:
- Email newsletters and transactional messages
- Subscriber segmentation
- Performance analytics (opens, clicks)
- Account and list management
Outpost uses data only to provide contracted services.
---
## **4\. How We Use Personal Information**
We use collected information to:
- Provide news, products, and services
- Manage accounts, subscriptions, and memberships
- Send newsletters, alerts, and service notices
- Respond to questions and support requests
- Process advertising and billing
- Improve site performance and user experience
- Personalize marketing and promotions
- Monitor site security and prevent abuse
### **No Sale of Personal Data**
We do not sell personal information to data brokers, marketing buyers, list aggregators, or outside firms for independent use.
---
## **5\. How We Share Information**
We share information only as needed to operate our business, including with:
- Ghost and Outpost platform tools
- Web hosting and technical service providers
- Payment processing vendors
- Analytics and advertising platforms
- Customer support and CRM partners
- Legal authorities when required
- Purchasers or inheritors of our business assets
Partners must protect data and may use it only to perform services for SMDP.
We do not sell, rent, or exchange personal data for unrelated commercial purposes.
---
## **6\. Your Choices and Rights**
You may:
- Unsubscribe from newsletters via included links
- Opt out of cookie-based advertising at [**https://app.retention.com/optout**](https://app.retention.com/optout?ref=smdp.com)
- Block cookies in your browser
- Request access to, correction of, or deletion of stored personal data
- Ask us to limit certain uses of your data
To make a request, email **editor@smdp.com**.
---
## **7\. EU/UK Users – GDPR & UK-GDPR Notice**
If you access our services from the European Union or the United Kingdom, the following additional terms apply.
### **Legal Basis**
We process data based on:
- Consent (newsletters, cookies, marketing)
- Legitimate interests (operating and improving our services)
- Contract fulfillment (when you purchase or sign up for services)
- Compliance with legal obligations
### **Your Rights**
EU/UK users may:
- Request access to personal data
- Correct inaccurate information
- Request deletion
- Object to processing or marketing
- Request a portable copy of data
- Withdraw consent at any time
### **How to Exercise Rights**
Email **editor@smdp.com** with **“GDPR Request”** in the subject line.
Identity verification may be required.
### **International Transfers**
Data may be stored or processed in the United States.
We rely on contractual and vendor safeguards for compliant transfer and protection of that data.
### **Retention**
We retain personal information only as long as needed to provide services or meet legal requirements.
---
## **8\. Data Protection and Security**
We employ reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, including:
- HTTPS encryption
- User access controls
- Secure vendor systems
- Routine maintenance and updates
We take commercially reasonable steps to protect personal information.
---
## **9\. Children’s Privacy**
Our services are intended for individuals age 13 and older.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
---
## **10\. External Links**
Our site may include links to third-party sites.
We are not responsible for their practices or content.
---
## **11\. Changes to This Policy**
We may revise this Privacy Policy as business practices or legal requirements evolve.
Updates will be posted with a revised effective date.
---
## **12\. Contact Information**
**Newlon Rouge LLC, DBA Santa Monica Daily Press**
PO Box 1380
Santa Monica, CA 90406-1380
Email: **editor@smdp.com**
Website: **smdp.com**
### Terms of Service and Membership Terms
URL: https://www.smdp.com/terms-conditions/
Last updated: 2026-01-28T23:11:20.000Z
**Santa Monica Daily Press / Newlon Rouge LLC**
**2219 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405**
**Last updated: November 12, 2025**
**Contact:** **members@smdp.com**
These Terms govern your use of smdp.com, our newsletters, memberships, subscriptions, and all related digital services operated by Santa Monica Daily Press (“SMDP,” “we,” “our,” “us”).
By accessing or using our services, including free and paid memberships, you agree to these Terms.
---
## **ELIGIBILITY**
You must be at least 13 years old to use our services.
Paid subscriptions require that you are 18 years old or legally able to enter into a contract.
---
## **ACCOUNTS**
You may create an account to access certain features.
You agree to:
- Provide accurate information
- Keep your login secure
- Notify us of unauthorized access
We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.
---
## **USE OF THE SERVICES**
You agree not to:
- Interfere with service operations
- Attempt unauthorized access
- Scrape or extract content beyond publicly available feeds
- Upload malicious code
- Use the services in unlawful ways
We may block or restrict use for misuse.
---
## **CONTENT OWNERSHIP**
All articles, images, videos, graphics, newsletters, logos, and trademarks are owned by SMDP or our licensors.
You may access content for **personal use only**.
Republishing or redistributing content requires **written permission**.
### **User Content**
If you submit content:
- You retain ownership
- You grant SMDP a non-exclusive license to use, display, distribute, modify, and archive your content
- You are solely responsible for what you submit
We may moderate or remove content at our discretion.
---
## **PAYMENTS AND PURCHASES**
Some features require payment.
By making a purchase, you agree to:
- Provide accurate billing information
- Authorize us and our processor to charge your payment method
- Pay taxes if applicable
All sales are subject to these Terms.
---
## **EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS**
By providing your email, you agree to receive:
- Service communications
- Newsletters if you opt in
You may unsubscribe from marketing messages at any time.
---
## **THIRD-PARTY TOOLS**
Our services may use third-party integrations, including:
- Analytics tools
- Payment processors
- Commenting systems
- Social media plugins
- Email platforms
- Advertising technologies
Their terms and privacy practices apply in addition to ours.
---
## **DISCLAIMERS**
Our services are provided **“as is.”**
We do not guarantee:
- Continuous access
- Error-free operation
- Availability of content
- Protection from offensive user content
- Accuracy or completeness of published information
Use the services at your own risk.
---
## **LIMITATION OF LIABILITY**
To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for:
- Indirect
- Incidental
- Consequential
- Punitive
- Special damages
Our total liability for any claim is limited to:
- The amount you paid to us in the past 12 months, **or**
- **$50 if no payments were made**
---
## **INDEMNIFICATION**
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SMDP from:
- Claims
- Losses
- Liabilities
- Expenses
Arising from:
- Your use of the services
- Your content
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your violation of any laws or third-party rights
---
## **TERMINATION**
We may suspend or terminate access if:
- You violate these Terms
- Fraudulent or abusive activity occurs
- Legal or regulatory requirements apply
- Operational needs require it
You may request account deletion at any time by emailing **members@smdp.com**.
---
## **GOVERNING LAW**
These Terms are governed by the **laws of the State of California**.
Any disputes must be resolved in the **state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California**.
---
## **CHANGES TO TERMS**
We may update these Terms.
Updated terms will include a new “Last updated” date.
Continued use of the services constitutes acceptance.
---
# **MEMBERSHIP TERMS**
These Membership Terms apply to all free and paid SMDP accounts, including **Ghost-based logins**.
---
## **TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP**
### **Free Membership**
Includes:
- Free articles
- Newsletters
- Commenting if enabled
- Basic features
### **Paid Membership**
Includes:
- Members-only content
- Premium newsletters
- Exclusive features
- Special events
Benefits may change over time.
---
## **BILLING AND RECURRING PAYMENTS**
Paid memberships may be billed monthly, annually, or one-time.
By subscribing, you authorize recurring charges until you cancel.
Payments are processed by **Stripe** or another provider.
Taxes may apply.
---
## **FREE TRIALS**
If offered, trial duration will be shown at signup.
Regular billing begins at the end of the trial unless you cancel beforehand.
---
## **CANCELLATIONS**
You may cancel anytime:
- In account settings, or
- By emailing **members@smdp.com**
Cancellation stops **future** charges.
We do not refund **past** payments unless required by law.
Access continues until the end of the billing period.
---
## **REFUNDS**
Refunds may be issued only for:
- Billing errors
- Duplicate charges
- Legal obligations
Requests must be submitted within **30 days** of the charge.
No prorated refunds.
---
## **ACCOUNT SHARING**
Memberships are for **individual use**.
You may not share login credentials.
We may restrict or suspend accounts showing suspicious simultaneous logins.
---
## **MEMBER CONTENT**
If you post comments or submit content:
- You grant SMDP a license to use, display, and moderate it
- We may remove content at any time
---
## **CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIPS**
We may modify or discontinue:
- Features
- Pricing
- Benefits
- Membership tiers
If pricing changes, we will notify you in advance.
Continued membership equals acceptance.
---
## **MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION**
We may suspend or terminate memberships for:
- Policy violations
- Abuse
- Fraud
- Chargebacks
- Legal reasons
You may request deletion of your personal data under our Privacy Policy.
---
## **DISCLAIMERS SPECIFIC TO MEMBERSHIPS**
Membership access and content are provided **“as is.”**
We do not guarantee:
- Availability
- Uninterrupted access
- Error-free performance
Our liability is limited to the amount you paid in the **past 12 months**.
---
## **CONTACT**
Questions about these Terms or Membership:
**members@smdp.com**
© 2025 Newlon Rouge LLC
### calendar
URL: https://www.smdp.com/calendar/
Last updated: 2025-11-17T21:50:38.000Z
_No content available._
### Advertise
URL: https://www.smdp.com/advertise/
Last updated: 2026-10-17T01:02:01.000Z
[  ](https://www.smdp.com/) **The Power of Local News Advertising**
[Offerings](#offerings) [Audience](#audience) [Pricing](#pricing) [FAQ](#faq) [Contact](#contact)
# Reach the people who live, work, and buy here.
Flexible advertising with local credibility. Choose Print for impact, Digital for scale, and Newsletter for inbox engagement — or bundle all three for best results.
[Start a Campaign ](#contact) [See Pricing](#pricing)
Brand-safe
Local expertise
Transparent reporting
PRINT
High-impact pages
Premium placements, inserts, and special sections.
DIGITAL
Viewable reach
Display ads, sponsorships, and branded content.
NEWSLETTER
Own the inbox
Daily sponsorships and native placements.
BUNDLES
Better together
Save 15% — 25% with cross-channel bundles.
Print Digital Newsletter
## Print Advertising
High-impact placements in our trusted print edition. Perfect for brand building.
Full, half, quarter pages or custom sizes
Premium inserts up to 64 pages
Print ads have highest trust rate: >70%
Higher reader retention
Tactile, emotional connection
**Great for:** Retail openings, seasonal promotions, professional services, events, and overall brand lift.
### Channel Metrics
12,500
Avg. Print Readers/Issue
600+
Distribution Points
6
Issues per Week
### Recommended Packages
- **Launch:** 4-week flight; 2x/wk in-print + website leaderboard + 2 newsletter sponsorships
- **Always-On:** Monthly run-of-site + weekly newsletter + 4 print ads/mo
- **Event Push:** 2-week burst; homepage sponsorship + 3 newsletter sends + 2 print ads
82% household reach
Across print, site, and email within our primary ZIPs each month (surveyed).
Hyper-local coverage
Neighborhood-level reporting that keeps our audience returning and engaged.
High reader trust
Independent, community-focused journalism that advertisers benefit from.
## Simple pricing, flexible packages
Select a channel below to see rates. Frequency discounts of up to 20%.
Print Digital Newsletter
## How it works
Step 1
Plan
Define goals, audience, and flight dates; pick channels.
Step 2
Create
Provide assets or use our studio for ad builds and copy.
Step 3
Launch
We place, proof, and push live across selected channels.
Step 4
Report
Receive a clean summary with reach, clicks, and next steps.
## Frequently asked questions
Can you help me build my ad?
Absolutely! Our in-house design studio creates print and digital ads and builds native content for not only our clients, but dozens of publications throughout the country.
Do you publish obituaries?
Yes. And our studio can handle design work. More details [here](https://www.smdp.com/obituary-3/).
What file formats do you accept for ad submissions?
PDFs for print and JPGs/PNGs for web and newsletter.
Do you handle legal/public notices?
Yes. We are legally adjudicated for public notices and our [online form](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) makes the process quick and easy.
## Let's plan your campaign
Tell us your goals and timeline. We'll recommend a package across Print, Digital, and Newsletter.
(310) 458-7737
ads@smdp.com
2219 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
© Santa Monica Daily Press. All rights reserved.
[Advertising Terms](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tgC1vubwpGyPsA7bAt4q07YPCjGlJoJHT952rrhFgmU/edit?usp=sharing&ref=smdp.com) [Ad Specs](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZKx3hE2R7s-ixeQWtugixfHGTze8uY2o/view?usp=sharing&ref=smdp.com)
### Obituary
URL: https://www.smdp.com/obituary-3/
Last updated: 2025-12-19T00:45:39.000Z
## Obituary
Celebrate and honor the lives that touched our hearts. Every life is unique and deserves to be celebrated. Obituaries run regularly in the Santa Monica Daily Press and we make it easy for you to share your obituary to loves ones that are out of town. Our graphic department will create heartfelt and personalized obituaries that pay tribute to your loved ones in a meaningful way. Please fill out the form below and attach a picture of your loved one. For more information please contact dina@smdp.com/ 310-573-8342.
  
### Latest
URL: https://www.smdp.com/latest/
Last updated: 2025-12-18T12:24:00.000Z
_No content available._
### Event
URL: https://www.smdp.com/event-3/
Last updated: 2026-01-28T23:11:46.000Z
_No content available._
## Posts
### Bryson Fire evacuation orders lifted as Malibu schools reopen
URL: https://www.smdp.com/bryson-fire-evacuation-orders-lifted-as-malibu-schools-reopen/
Last updated: 2026-10-20T16:00:00.000Z
All evacuation orders and warnings tied to the Bryson Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains have been lifted, and four Malibu schools reopen Monday after crews held the 146-acre blaze without the loss of a single structure, officials said.
Two evacuation zones were downgraded to advisories, according to Los Angeles County, meaning residents there should remain alert and be ready to leave if conditions change. Firefighters continued working across the fire’s footprint to extinguish hot spots and bring the blaze to full containment.
The fire started at about 4:41 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, near Encinal Canyon Road, and fire personnel suffered only minor injuries, county officials said. More than 414 emergency personnel were assigned to the fire at the height of the response.
The National Weather Service’s red flag warning expired over the weekend. because of improved conditions, signaling a lower immediate fire risk, according to the county.
All roads closed because of the fire, including Topanga Canyon Boulevard, have reopened to the public. Planned power outages have been canceled, and utilities are working to restore electricity to sites that were shut off to reduce the risk of fire. Residents can monitor road closures countywide at pw.lacounty.gov/roadclosures.
Several emergency services set up during the fire have wound down. The evacuation shelter at Agoura High School, which served Malibu residents, has closed, as has the large animal shelter at Pierce College. The Agoura Animal Care Center has returned to regular hours.
The Los Angeles County Probation Department determined it is safe for 38 female and gender-expansive youth who had been temporarily relocated to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall to return to Campus Vernon Kilpatrick. Staff members are coordinating the return, and the department said it will notify parents and stakeholders once the move is complete.
## Schools reopen
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is reopening Malibu High, Malibu Middle, Malibu Elementary and Webster Elementary schools Monday, Oct. 19, with school buses running their regular routes.
The district closed the four campuses Friday, Oct. 16, out of what it called an abundance of caution. Malibu High, Malibu Middle and Malibu Elementary were under an evacuation warning at the time. The district offered continuity of learning resources to students and said there would be no negative academic impact on those unable to access them.
In announcing the reopening, the district said Malibu is no longer under a red flag warning or within an evacuation zone and that power has been restored. The decision followed continued monitoring of the fire and communication with the city of Malibu’s Emergency Operations Center.
“Our thoughts are with everyone in the Malibu community during this time,” Thomas Piland, the district’s chief communications officer, wrote in a message to media and community partners. “The safety and well-being of our students, families and staff remain our top priority.”
## Wind-driven start
The Bryson Fire was one of several brush fires fueled by Santa Ana winds that swept Southern California on Thursday, prompting utilities to cut power to tens of thousands of customers statewide.
The fast-moving Malibu blaze triggered evacuation orders and warnings across a large area of the Santa Monica Mountains, including Zuma and Trancas canyons and areas south and west of the fire. It grew to more than 100 acres and threatened a county juvenile detention and rehabilitation facility, and the weather service warned that overnight gusts could intensify fire activity.
Crews also fought a fire in Azusa, where forward progress was stopped after more than 40 acres burned, and another at Camp Pendleton that grew to more than 1.5 square miles and briefly closed part of Interstate 5.
## Staying prepared
County officials urge residents to register for emergency alerts through Alert LA County and their city’s notification system, and to look up their evacuation zone at protect.genasys.com or in the Genasys mobile app. Preparedness information is available at ready.lacounty.gov and through the Fire Department’s Ready! Set! Go! program.
Residents can call 211 for preparedness resources and referrals, including information for people with disabilities and other access and functional needs. For an immediate threat to life or safety, call 911.
### Santa Monica Pier sign coming down Tuesday for restoration during bridge rebuild
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-pier-sign-coming-down-tuesday-for-restoration-during-bridge-rebuild/
Last updated: 2026-10-20T10:00:00.000Z
Crews will begin removing the Santa Monica Pier's iconic sign Tuesday, Oct. 20, sending the 1941 landmark to Las Vegas for a full restoration while the aging Pier Bridge beneath it is replaced.
The removal is temporary, city officials said. The sign is being refurbished, not replaced, and will return to its place at the top of the bridge once construction wraps up, which is expected in late 2027.
The work will be handled in stages using a crane and temporary support structures. Crews will first disconnect electrical power and remove the neon tubes, which will be crated for safekeeping. The Crown Sign will then be unbolted and lifted off by crane while the historic sign cage is temporarily supported.
Next, crews will take down the arched support truss and columns, lowering the pieces into protective steel shipping frames. The sign, truss and Crown Sign will be secured, braced and wrapped before being loaded onto separate flatbed trailers for the trip to Las Vegas.
The restoration will be led by YESCO, a sign company founded in 1920 that is known for its award-winning neon work and its restoration of historic signs. The company's past projects include the 105-year-old Sweet Candy Company sign and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign.
YESCO's work on the Pier sign will include restoring the neon tubing, removing rust, repainting and making structural repairs. The sign will be kept at a secure YESCO facility while bridge construction continues.
When it returns, the sign will be reinstalled at a higher elevation to make it more visible and to give vehicles more clearance underneath.
The city has installed a temporary half-scale replica of the sign on the Pier. Visitors can find it by walking down the bridge toward the Pier; it sits on the left just before Pier Burger, with the Pacific Park roller coaster and the shoreline in the background. The replica lights up at night and provides an opportunity for photos while the main Pier is being refurbished.
The original sign was designed by the Pan Pacific Neon Sign Company and unveiled June 17, 1941\. It is listed on the California Register of Historical Resources and is considered a classic example of neon-era signage. It is also one of the most photographed spots in the city for tourists and residents alike.
The sign's removal is part of the larger Santa Monica Pier Bridge Project. The bridge, originally built in 1939, no longer meets modern structural or seismic standards, according to the city. The federally funded replacement will be seismically sound and will include a 15-foot-wide sidewalk meant to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists. The new bridge is scheduled to reopen in time for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Construction is already underway. Crews are building the bridge's underground foundation, starting at the base of the Pier and working toward Ocean Avenue. A two-month closure of the Moomat Ahiko Way on- and off-ramps began Sept. 28 so the contractor can finish demolishing the bridge over the roadway and start foundation work. Detour signs direct drivers to and from Pacific Coast Highway and Ocean Avenue.
Intermittent closures of Ocean Front Walk under the Pier bridge will continue on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. throughout construction. Flaggers will be on site to guide pedestrians around the work.
The Pier remains open during construction, including its restaurants, shops and attractions. Vehicle access is available from Pacific Coast Highway. City officials recommend Beach Lot 4 South, Beach Lot 3 North and Parking Structure 8 for parking.
More information about the project is available at www.santamonica.gov/pierbridge.
### Santa Monica approves license plate readers for parking enforcement
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-approves-license-plate-readers-for-parking-enforcement/
Last updated: 2026-10-20T10:00:00.000Z
Santa Monica parking officers will soon trade their chalk sticks for cameras after the City Council voted 7-0 to equip the city’s parking enforcement vehicles with automated license plate readers.
The council on Oct. 13 authorized the city manager to negotiate and sign a five-year agreement with ComSonics Inc. worth up to $700,000 for equipment, installation, software, maintenance and data storage. The cameras will be mounted on nearly all of the three-wheeled vehicles used by the Police Department’s Traffic Services Unit.
“This is probably the largest improvement in technology that we’ve seen for parking enforcement over the last 20 years,” said Alex Mendoza, a public services administrator with the unit.
The city’s 30 municipal lots hold 6,212 paid spaces. Drivers there now buy a receipt and leave it on the dashboard, and officers must walk the lots to check each one. Under the new system, drivers would register their license plate when they pay. Cameras would then alert an officer driving through the lot to any vehicle that has not paid.
Mendoza said the faster checks would “very likely heavily increase payment compliance” and could reduce the use of paper receipts.
The cameras will also replace tire chalking in time-limit zones. The system photographs a vehicle’s plate and the valve stem on its rear wheel, then tells an officer on a later pass whether the car has moved. Mendoza said a lack of time-limit enforcement is probably one of the most common complaints he hears from residents.
“It’s really about efficiency,” he said.
A staff report from Police Chief Darrick Jacob said the time saved would let officers focus on hazards in support of the city’s Vision Zero goals. Those hazards include vehicles blocking bike lanes and crosswalks, double parking and overstaying in loading zones.
The city also hopes to make [residential parking permits](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-moves-toward-deal-to-park-zoox-robotaxis-at-main-library/) virtual, ending the thousands of hang tags and stickers it now issues. Nearly 70% of the city’s residential districts are permit-regulated. Mendoza said that change is not part of the initial rollout.
Much of Mendoza’s presentation addressed privacy. He said he wanted “to get ahead of” concerns in the community.
“The city of Santa Monica will own the data,” he said. He added that ComSonics will only provide cloud storage and “will not have access to the data.”
Under existing Police Department policy, plate scans not tied to a citation will be purged after 30 days unless they are preserved for law enforcement purposes. Parking officers will see only real-time alerts in the field. They cannot search for plates, browse past records or write citations after leaving a scene.
“They have to make the citation in that moment,” Mendoza said.
He said even he, as unit manager, would not have access to the stored data. Turning to data sharing with federal agencies, including ICE, he said, “That’s not going to occur.” Only other local law enforcement agencies in California could request the data, and each request would require department review and approval, he said.
Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya sought assurances about how the system would be used, asking Mendoza to confirm that it “will solely be used for parking enforcement.”
Mendoza agreed. He said the system would give the department another source of data, but that its “purpose is for parking enforcement.”
The staff report also lists “additional investigative tools and continuous data” for the [Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/04/21/santa-monica-police-department-launches-smart-center-to-strengthen-public-safety-and-coordination?ref=smdp.com) among the system’s benefits. The presentation to the council said any future investigative access would require separate authorization. Department Policy 429 governs use of the system. Mendoza said the policy is posted on the department’s website.
Zernitskaya said the presentation “answered all” of her questions before the council voted.
The city chose ComSonics without competitive bidding. Its procurement policy allows it to use contracts that other government agencies have competitively bid. Seal Beach requested bids in October 2024 and, after bids from three distributors, established its contract with ComSonics in February 2025\. That contract’s initial term runs through February 2030.
ComSonics is a certified partner of Genetec, a company founded in Montreal in 1997\. Genetec makes the camera system and the video management platform the Police Department already uses. Staff said the new system will integrate with Trellint, the city’s existing citation management vendor.
The agreement calls for $600,000 in the 2026-27 fiscal year and $100,000 in later years. The later funding is subject to council budget approval. The council also found the project exempt from state environmental review.
### Measure RR: No evictions over rent debts smaller than one month's rent
URL: https://www.smdp.com/measure-rr-no-evictions-over-rent-debts-smaller-than-one-months-rent/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T22:21:54.000Z
Measure RR would limit when Santa Monica landlords can evict tenants for unpaid rent.
**What it does**
Currently, a landlord may evict over any amount owed. Under RR, a tenant would have to owe more than one month’s **federally estimated fair market rent** before a landlord could seek eviction for nonpayment.
That threshold would be calculated each year by averaging federal rent estimates for similarly sized units across Santa Monica’s five ZIP codes. Right now those levels are:
- **Studio:** $2,708
- **One bedroom:** $3,034
- **Two bedrooms:** $3,782
- **Three bedrooms:** $4,796
Here’s how it would work for a tenant in a two-bedroom who:
- **Owes $100:** No eviction for unpaid rent. The landlord could still try to collect the $100.
- **Owes $1,500:** Still no eviction, because it’s below the $3,782 limit.
- **Owes $6,000:** The landlord could move forward with an eviction, just like today.
The net effect would be that someone paying very low rent could go well beyond a month in arrears before facing eviction. Someone in a luxury unit could be evicted in less than a month. The measure's text does not address that gap, and no analysis of how often it would arise has been published.
The city attorney's analysis says RR would not affect a landlord's right to collect unpaid rent by means other than eviction. The measure would apply to rent-controlled apartments and other rentals covered by the city’s eviction protections.
**The core debate**
The open questions about RR are practical: how many cases it would reach, and what it would change for those it does?
Its reach appears limited. About 75% of eviction lawsuits reported to the city since 2024 were for nonpayment, with a median of about $6,000 owed. That is well above one month's fair market rent, so most nonpayment cases would proceed as they do now.
**The case for:** Supporters call the threshold “reasonable, common-sense,” citing city records of eviction notices over debts as low as $73.87 and arguing that evictions often push tenants into homelessness.
**The case against:** No ballot argument or organized opposition was filed against RR. A regional landlord group criticized the limit in a letter to the City Council, saying it could let tenants fall too far behind to catch up.
### Measure TT: Hotel tax on corporate room blocks during major events
URL: https://www.smdp.com/measure-tt-hotel-tax-on-corporate-room-blocks-during-major-events/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T22:21:05.000Z
Measure TT would let the city collect its hotel tax on long corporate room bookings during council-declared "Major Event Periods," such as the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It would not raise the tax rate.
What it does
The transient occupancy tax, or bed tax, is currently set at 15% for hotels and 17% for home-shares. The tax is now refunded once a guest stays 31 consecutive days. TT would let the council declare a Major Event Period. During one, hotels would not refund the tax on rooms booked by corporations or other legal entities, regardless of the length of stay.
The council could also temporarily set the hotel rate for corporate bookings anywhere from 0% to 15%. The home-share rate could not be reduced. Individuals booking their own rooms would see no change.
The measure also requires the same person to occupy a room for 31 days before any refund, and it authorizes rules for exemptions in "catastrophic circumstances."
## The core debate
TT's impact is narrow by design. It applies only during periods the council declares, only to rooms booked by corporations or other entities, and only to stays that would otherwise pass the 31-day refund mark. Residents and individual travelers would not pay more.
The potential revenue increase is real but of an uncertain size as there’s no prediction on how many corporate bookings or how many events may occur in a given year.
The measure's main tension is between its two levers. Ending refunds for corporate blocks raises money, while the council's power to cut the corporate rate as low as 0% exists to protect hotels' competitiveness. If the council uses that power heavily, it could reduce or erase the gain. Voters are, in effect, approving a tool whose fiscal result depends on future council choices.
The competitive risk is plausible. Corporate planners booking large blocks can compare neighboring cities, and if Santa Monica's effective rate is higher, some bookings could shift. The rate-cut authority is the city's answer to that, at the cost of revenue certainty.
The same-occupant rule closes a related path, preventing a rotating set of guests from earning the refund on a single room.
TT is unrelated to Los Angeles' Proposition TT, a June 2 measure that would have raised that city's hotel tax to 16%.
## The case for
The argument in favor says TT "does not create a new hotel tax." Instead, it says the measure ensures large corporations booking room blocks of more than 30 days pay the same hotel tax other visitors already pay.
## The case against
No ballot argument against TT was filed. Hoteliers raised concerns before the council vote that the change could put Santa Monica at a competitive disadvantage. Nearby destinations, including Beverly Hills, Marina del Rey, Long Beach and Huntington Beach, have bed-tax refund rules that mirror Santa Monica's current ones. The council responded by adding its authority to cut the corporate rate.
### Measure VV: Just-cause eviction protections for houses and condos
URL: https://www.smdp.com/measure-vv-just-cause-eviction-protections-for-houses-and-condos/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T22:20:21.000Z
Measure VV would make it harder to evict tenants in homes and condos. It would also tighten owner move-in rules for units not under rent control.
What it does
- VV amends the city charter to end its exclusion of single-unit dwellings and condos. Tenants in those homes could then be evicted only for one of the listed just causes.
- For owner move-in evictions from units not under rent control, the owner or a relative would have to intend in good faith to move in within 60 days of the tenant leaving and live there at least two years, rather than one. According to the city attorney's analysis, that matches the rules for rent-controlled units.
**The core debate**
The "rent control" label overstates what VV does. The measure governs when a tenant can be evicted, not how much rent can be charged, and state law already exempts single-family homes and condos from local rent caps, so owners would keep full control over pricing.
The real dispute is relocation costs. Opponents' figures track the city's current relocation schedule, which runs from $20,500 to $41,900 depending on unit size and household. Supporters say those payments already apply to qualifying single-family tenants. What VV changes is that an owner would need a listed just cause, such as an owner move-in, to end the tenancy at all. Whether that newly triggers payments in cases where owners now avoid them is the measure's most important unanswered question, and the two sides' arguments do not resolve it.
Owners would not lose the ability to reclaim their homes. Owner move-in remains a just cause, and it covers relatives as well as owners, which addresses much of the multigenerational concern. The tradeoff is a firmer commitment: moving in within 60 days and staying at least two years.
The supply argument is plausible but unmeasured. Some small owners who rent a home between their own uses could stop renting rather than accept just-cause rules, but no data in the public record estimates how many.
**The case for**
Supporters say "no family should be evicted from their home for arbitrary reasons." They say VV sets no new price controls and adds no new relocation payments.
**The case against**
Critics say VV is a stealth expansion of rent control. They argue that owners who temporarily rent out a home would have to pay "$20,000 to over $40,000 in mandatory relocation fees" to move back in. They also say the measure would push houses and condos off the rental market and hurt families with multigenerational plans.
### Measure GG: Mostly housekeeping for rent control, with one contested eviction change
URL: https://www.smdp.com/measure-gg-mostly-housekeeping-for-rent-control-with-one-contested-eviction-change/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T22:19:24.000Z
Measure GG would make a series of administrative changes to how the Rent Control Board operates with the most controversial being **a new requirement that tenants in affordable housing prove they qualify for those reduced cost units**.
**What it does**
- GG would let Rent Control Board commissioners serve three four-year terms instead of two, with appointed terms counting toward the limit.
- Starting in 2028, the $288-per-unit cap on annual registration fees would rise with inflation, by no more than 5% a year. The board, which now charges $240 per unit, would not have to charge the maximum. The board could also extend its 120-day deadline for deciding rent-adjustment petitions "for good cause."
- The contested section adds two grounds for evicting tenants from units that are deed restricted based on income: when a tenant no longer qualifies, or when a tenant refuses to provide proof of income after written notice. Landlords would have to serve a warning first and comply with "all applicable regulations and guidelines."
- GG also declares that the city's eviction laws are more protective than the state Tenant Protection Act, keeping local rules in force.
**The core debate**
GG's practical stakes rest almost entirely on its two deed-restriction eviction grounds, and their impact turns on longtime "grandfathered" tenants whose incomes have risen above program limits. There are thousands of such units in the city with many located in the Pico neighborhood.
The case that GG is narrow rests on its text. It applies only to deed-restricted units, requires a written warning before any termination notice and is conditioned on the landlord following "all applicable regulations and guidelines."
The case that it puts tenants at risk rests on what the text leaves out. GG writes the eviction ground into the charter, which only voters can change, while protections for over-income tenants sit in city guidelines that officials can revise. Those guidelines now let a tenant stay until income passes 140% of the limit, then require an offer of another unit or a one-year notice.
Neither side's strongest claim is settled. A current operator's intent not to evict does not bind future owners, and existing leases protect tenants only as far as their terms and each property's deed restriction allow. How much protection grandfathered tenants keep depends on guidelines and agreements GG does not freeze.
The rent-increase argument is weaker. The fee cap cannot rise until 2028, and then by at most 5% a year. Any actual increase requires a separate board vote, and tenants pay at most half: $10 a month at today's $240 fee.
**The case for**
Supporters describe GG as a good-government measure that gives the board the stability to serve more than 27,500 controlled rental units. They say GG "does NOT make it easier for developers to evict" and only ensures deed-restricted units go to income-qualified tenants.
**The case against**
Critics say the council inserted language "to make it easier for DEVELOPERS to evict tenants from affordable housing." Opponents also argue that because landlords may pass half the registration fee on to tenants, a yes vote means higher rents. At the current fee, that pass-through is $10 a month, and any increase would still require a separate board decision.
### Measure ES: A permanent parcel tax to replace the city's school payments
URL: https://www.smdp.com/measure-es-a-permanent-parcel-tax-to-replace-the-citys-school-payments/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T22:18:28.000Z
Measure ES would impose a permanent $495 annual tax on most Santa Monica parcels to fund local public schools. It would replace money the city now pays the school district under an agreement that expires next year. Even though it’s a new tax, because it qualified by petition, the initiative needs only a simple majority to pass instead of two-thirds.
What it does
The tax would rise each year with inflation and has no expiration date. It is estimated to raise $12 million a year, all of it for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District or a successor Santa Monica district. A new Malibu district would receive nothing.
The money is unrestricted and could pay for any cost at the district’s discretion.
Owner-occupant seniors 65 and older, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, fully affordable housing, and tax-exempt religious organizations and schools would be exempt.
The revenue is meant to replace city payments under the Master Facilities Use Agreement, which expires June 30, 2027\.
The core debate
The central question is whether ES is new school money or a shift in who pays. Its stated purpose is to replace an existing city payment, so the main effect would be to move a roughly $12 million annual cost from the city's general fund to individual property owners.
That gives the "no new money" argument some weight, but the alternative to ES is not the status quo. The city agreement expires in 2027, and the council has ordered contingency plans in case ES fails, so a no vote leaves the district's funding unsettled rather than unchanged.
The reserves argument cuts both ways. Reserves and past surpluses are a cushion, but they are largely one-time money. Covering a recurring $12 million gap from $84 million in reserves alone would exhaust them in about seven years.
The measure's design also matters. A flat per-parcel rate means a condo owner and a large commercial property pay the same amount, and inflation indexing with no expiration date means voters would need a new measure to revisit it. The exemptions narrow the base further.
The Malibu objection is time-limited. The revenue goes to the current joint district, but a new Malibu district would receive none of it once the districts separate.
The case for
Supporters say permanent funding would protect schools from the city’s financial difficulties.
The case against
Critics call ES "a back-door City tax increase" that brings schools no new money. They say the school district ran a $9 million surplus last year, has averaged $14 million annual surpluses, and holds $84 million in reserves. They also object that Malibu schools would benefit without Malibu property owners paying.
### Costumed canines take over Main Street for Day of the Dog
URL: https://www.smdp.com/costumed-canines-take-over-main-street-for-day-of-the-dog/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T19:07:47.000Z
The Day of the Dog, billed by the organizers as "North America’s Largest Dog Festival", returned to Santa Monica on Sunday, October 18\.
The afternoon was hot and the street was packed. Dogs cooled off in a snow play area and lapped up ice-cold [Pawp Water](https://www.chewy.com/pawp-water-electrolyte-water-lickable/dp/4256350?utm%5Fsource=google-product&utm%5Fmedium=cpc&utm%5Fcampaign=20647600289&utm%5Fcontent=&gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=20647600988&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V16MleVkB8GhOE-eugxl9Ncz&gclid=CjwKCAjw%5F9bWBhBGEiwAomyTIqZLumKiF8%5F9FqAH%5FObRXdGGT6f823FXJa2ILFnTwJ-1uKY1H1p5ThoC1YMQAvD%5FBwE) from the can (a hydration drink for dogs), while vendors sold treats, clothing and accessories to canines and humans alike.
This year,[ doggie crocs](https://wagwear.com/collections/wagwellies/products/wagwellies-mojave?%5Fgl=1%2A1epy6ru%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjw%5F9bWBhBGEiwAomyTIvfWqCPzYwfD42Ww66VcP9oLC4SyPeULUqtOhHwGnUp8xZb%5F7ynKYBoCIi0QAvD%5FBwE&gbraid=0AAAAADC5RFGTCq9NZFliGN35HuwDoh0Ws&ref=smdp.com) and elaborate custom flotillas (or dog strollers) were in.
Scroll through the photos below and decide for yourself: who was top dog?
## The *paw*stumes
**No. 1:* A dog dressed as "Dogzilla" reigns terror on an intricate flotilla model of Los Angeles. (Photo by Gabe Kaplan)*
**Nos. 2-4:* (from left to right) A dog in fairy wings and a pink tutu; a dog in a pink cowboy hat and gingham shirt; and a dog in pink ski goggles, a ghost-print bandana and pink doggie crocs. (Photos by Gabe Kaplan)*
**No. 5:* A dog dressed as an ear of corn rides in an elote cart labeled "Ramon's" (Photo by Gabe Kaplan)*
**Nos. 6-8:* (from left to right) A poodle-giraffe; a Chihuahua in a Superman costume; and a "Beauty and the Beast" pair. (Photos by Gabe Kaplan)*
**No. 9:* The head of "Dino Fusilli" operates a rusted robot dog, beside a human in a matching robot suit. (Photo by Gabe Kaplan)*
**No. 10:* Two terriers dressed as woodland fairies ride in a stroller adorned with ferns, white flowers, and grass shoots. (Photo by Gabe Kaplan)*
**No. 11:* A white shepherd dressed as Chucky, lies beside* **No. 12:* a brown labradoodle dressed as a peeled banana and wearing pink crocs. (Photo by Gabe Kaplan)*
Beyond the costume contest, festival-goers could participate in events including competitive dog races, a pool party with lifeguards and a DJ, a snow play area, dog yoga, and a beer garden raising money for the Santa Monica Animal Shelter Foundation.
The block also hosted more than 100 pet exhibitors, a farmers market, live music, and a collection of classic cars.
The free festival ran from noon to 5 p.m. on Main Street and is a fundraiser for the Just Love Animals Society, a nonprofit animal welfare group.
Day of the Dog shared the street with the Main Street Block Party, which the Main Street Business Improvement Association billed as the city's last street festival of 2026.
### TNT's Council Candidate Questionnaire -- Housing in our City
URL: https://www.smdp.com/tnts-council-candidate-questionnaire-housing-in-our-city/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T18:59:59.000Z
Neighbor!
In the spring of 2021, the Southern California Association of Governments (“SCAG”) published a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (“RHNA”), which directed Santa Monica to plan and zone for the potential construction of nearly 9,000 new dwelling units during an eight year period ending in the fall of 2029\. Our city is largely built out, so if it intends to actually build any meaningful amount toward that goal, significant redevelopment is required.
Over the last several years, the California state legislature has passed a series of laws that strip municipalities of much of their local control, and double the density previously allowed in the very same areas. That means height and massing will double too. Recently enacted state law also requires greatly increased density, massing and height around major transit stops, and allows single-family lots in our low-density neighborhoods to be subdivided (in some cases permitting up to 10 dwelling units per lot). All of this means existential change is coming to Santa Monica’s built environment. Our electeds, appointeds, city staff and we, the citizenry, are all drinking from this firehose of change.
The Neighborhood Taskforce recognizes change as life’s only material constant, the enforceability of these statutes, and the need to cope with them in ways that honor the growth they call for, while respecting and protecting our built environment and our existing residents as much as we possibly can.
We at The Neighborhood Taskforce are supportive of increased housing supply for people of all income levels currently being excluded from the Santa Monica marketplace. While state and local progress dashboards suggest we’ll realize our RHNA goals for market-rate housing, we are woefully underdelivering deed-restricted housing for lower-income families. Additionally, we believe the City should redistribute some of the increased housing currently slotted for our secondary “Neighborhood Commercial” boulevards (Ocean Park Blvd., Main St., Montana Ave., and Pico Blvd.) to our downtown core, and correspondingly reduce what are now rapidly approaching 6 – 8 story profiles along those streets.
With this in mind, **we recently issued a questionnaire to the twelve City Council candidates who’ve qualified for the ballot. Ten of them responded, and we encourage you to click this link to read their concise responses to the seven questions we posed around the housing issue. (https://www.theneighborhoodtaskforce.org/city-council-questionairre)**
Santa Monica is **your** city. We trust you to digest their unedited answers, exercise your right to vote, and protect the community you live in and care about.
Loren Bloch, President
The Neighborhood Taskforce
### Dirty Latte Co. opens first brick-and-mortar cafe at Water Garden
URL: https://www.smdp.com/dirty-latte-co-opens-first-brick-and-mortar-cafe-at-water-garden/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T18:58:59.000Z
Los Angeles-based specialty coffee brand Dirty Latte Co. has opened its first brick-and-mortar location. The 800-square-foot cafe is in the 26th Street lobby of the Water Garden office campus.
Founder Guy Blanco launched Dirty Latte Co. in 2022 with a coffee cart. He wanted a coffee experience that felt fun, approachable and different from a traditional coffee shop, with flavors and drinks inspired by his culture and upbringing. About a month after launching, he set up the cart at Water Garden, where he built a loyal customer base.
“Water Garden has always felt like home to us,” Blanco said. “We started here with just a coffee cart, built relationships with tenants and regular customers, and were able to grow alongside the community.”
The company’s signature drink, Ube Leche, is a customer favorite. Matcha drinks such as the Matcha Mami, Strawberry Matcha and Banana Matcha have also become a large part of the brand.
“A brick & mortar location gives us the opportunity to offer the complete Dirty Latte experience every day,” Blanco said.
Dirty Latte Co. arrived at Water Garden during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the campus marketing team was looking for ways to bring energy and convenience back to the property. The business grew from a cart to a truck and now to a permanent storefront.
“There’s a real warmth and spirit to the experience that people connect with at Dirty Latte,” said Bess Wyrick, marketing director at CBRE. “It also filled an important need as the only dedicated coffee concept at Water Garden.”
Wyrick said the goal is a retail mix that is useful, distinctive and relevant to people who work at Water Garden and live nearby.
“Ultimately, we want the retail experience to elevate Water Garden from a traditional office campus to a vibrant neighborhood destination,” she said.
Water Garden is a 17-acre commercial office park in the Silicon Beach area. Its tenants include Amazon and Sony. More information is available at[ ](https://www.wg-la.com/?ref=smdp.com)[wg-la.com](https://www.wg-la.com/?ref=smdp.com).
Dirty Latte Co. is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1620 26th St. The full menu and online ordering are available at[ ](https://www.dirtylatteco.square.site/?ref=smdp.com)[dirtylatteco.square.site](https://www.dirtylatteco.square.site/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMMUSD superintendent outlines priorities at State of Our Schools event
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-superintendent-outlines-priorities-at-state-of-our-schools-event/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District welcomed families, staff, community members and education partners to its State of Our Schools event at Santa Monica High School. The evening focused on the district’s progress, priorities and future.
Superintendent Antonio Shelton delivered an address. He shared his vision for the 2026-27 school year and highlighted work across the district to support students and strengthen schools.
Shelton gave updates on key district priorities, including teaching and learning, student success and facilities improvements. He also discussed efforts to create learning environments that meet students’ changing needs.
“State of Our Schools is an opportunity to reflect on our progress and look ahead to what our students and communities need from us next,” Shelton said. “Together, we are focused on creating strong learning experiences, investing in our schools and moving SMMUSD forward.”
The event brought together members of the Santa Monica and Malibu communities to hear directly about the initiatives, investments and goals shaping the district’s future.
After the address, attendees were invited to tour Samohi’s new Exploration Building, one of the district’s newest learning facilities. The building’s spaces are designed to support collaboration, creativity and new approaches to learning.
The event also highlighted the partnerships that support district schools. Community organizations, education partners, civic leaders, families and staff from both Santa Monica and Malibu attended.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMC Celebrates Fall 2026 Santa Monica Review With Launch Party and Readings Oct. 25
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-celebrates-fall-2026-santa-monica-review-with-launch-party-and-readings-oct-25/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica College will celebrate the release of the fall 2026 Santa Monica Review with a launch party and readings by recent contributors Oct. 25.
The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. in The Edye at the SMC Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St. Tickets are a suggested $10 donation at smc.edu/tickets. Refreshments will be served, copies of the Review will be sold and free parking is available. Seating is first come, first served.
Review editor Andrew Tonkovich, whose work includes “Keeping Tahoe Blue,” will emcee. Dylan Landis, author of “List of All Possible Desires” and an alum of SMC’s fiction workshop, will offer a welcome. Contributors Mary Ore, Kareem Tayyar, Richard Wirick and Monona Wali will read.
Published twice a year, the Review features established and emerging writers with a focus on West Coast narratives. It is the only nationally distributed literary magazine published by a U.S. community college.
The fall issue includes 14 new short stories, most by West Coast writers, and cover art by elin o’Hara slavick, whose work includes “Holding History in Our Hand.”
“I’m once again especially pleased to offer writing by first-time-in-print writers,” Tonkovich said.
Newcomers include Ore, an SMC creative writing workshop alum, and established fiction writers Brian Conlon and Joshua Brorby. Conlon’s “Dead Rat” turns a trip to the dentist into torturously funny urban misadventures, while Brorby’s “Eastern Churches” is a ghostly family reunion tale told by a dying narrator about his father, Mr. Harms.
Returning contributors include Wali, Wirick, Jeffrey Moskowitz and San Diego poet Bryan D. Price. Other contributors include Tayyar, Ashley Farmer, San Francisco writer Olga Zilberbourg, Pushcart Prize winner Gregory Tower and Shane Castle, an editor at the Alaska Quarterly Review.
Jim Krusoe founded the Review in fall 1988 with encouragement from then-SMC President Richard Moore. Work from the journal has appeared in the Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and PEN/O. Henry anthologies.
The Review is sold at smc.edu/sm\_review, the SMC Campus Store at 1900 Pico Blvd., Beyond Baroque and Small World Books in Venice, and other area booksellers. Issues cost $14 each or $25 for both issues of the year. More information is available at smc.edu/sm\_review or by calling 949-235-8193\. Events are subject to change or cancellation.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### St. Aidan's Harvest of Hope marks 20 years of helping others
URL: https://www.smdp.com/st-aidans-harvest-of-hope-marks-20-years-of-helping-others/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T18:58:59.000Z
St. Aidan's Episcopal Church will hold its 20th annual Harvest of Hope Charity Fundraiser on Oct. 24 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the church, 28211 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
Organizers said the event has persevered through COVID lockdowns, devastating fires and road closures. This year it reaches 20 years of helping those most in need in Malibu and beyond.
Set against the backdrop of Paradise Cove, the afternoon will feature live music, dancing, wine, local food and a silent auction of one-of-a-kind items. Guests can sample premium wines and dance to live music from Old Dawgs, New Tricks.
Families are welcome, with kids' activities and child care provided.
All money raised goes to charities helping people in need locally, nationally and internationally.
"Harvest of Hope is about coming together to celebrate the abundance in our lives and sharing that abundance with people who need a helping hand," said Ayahlushim Getachew, chair of this year's Harvest of Hope.
The suggested donation is $50 per person or $100 per family, payable online or at the door. For more information or to donate, visit[ ](http://staidanschurch.org/hoh?ref=smdp.com)[staidanschurch.org/hoh](http://staidanschurch.org/hoh?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### The Venice Whaler temporarily pauses alcohol sales
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-venice-whaler-temporarily-pauses-alcohol-sales/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T18:00:42.000Z
The Venice Whaler, the beachfront bar and grill at the foot of Washington Boulevard, has temporarily stopped serving alcohol because of a paperwork error, owner Mike Dobson told SMDP on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Dobson said the pause was caused by a technical error involving paperwork that was not submitted on time. He said the bar did not lose its liquor license and is not going out of business.
The Venice location remains open with its full food menu. In a statement shared with SMDP on Sunday, the bar said it is offering $3 pizza slices and a $10 burger and fries combo in Venice while alcohol service is paused. Guests who dine there now will receive a 50% off coupon for a future visit once alcohol service resumes, according to the statement.
“Every visit helps support our team, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for the celebration,” the statement said.
The bar’s sister location, the Santa Monica Whaler at 101 Broadway in downtown Santa Monica, remains open with full food and bar service.
The Venice Whaler has operated at 10 Washington Blvd., near the Venice Fishing Pier, since 1944.
### Malibu council rejects PCH undercrossing, seeks signal at Malibu Seafood
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-council-rejects-pch-undercrossing-seeks-signal-at-malibu-seafood/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T15:59:59.000Z
The Malibu City Council on Monday rejected plans to tunnel pedestrians under Pacific Coast Highway [near Malibu](https://www.smdp.com/santa-ana-winds-heat-prompt-possible-power-shutoffs-in-malibu/) Seafood and directed staff instead to pursue a full traffic signal and crosswalk at street level.
On a unanimous voice vote, the council told staff to ask the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for approval to use the project's Measure M funding for a study of a signalized, at-grade pedestrian crossing. The study could include flashing "signal ahead" warnings for drivers coming downhill and a center median barrier to stop people from crossing elsewhere.
"We're never going to be in support of spending $22 million for what's going to be a blocked underpass," Council member Doug Stewart said. "It's on the beach, and it's going to get full of sand and water."
Staff had asked the council to approve a $260,000 cooperative agreement with the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, to oversee a project initiation document, the first formal phase of the work. That phase, expected to take 10 to 12 months, would have evaluated three options identified in a 2025 feasibility study by MNS Engineers Inc.
A standalone concrete tunnel under the highway was estimated at $10.9 million. A new road bridge over Corral Creek with a pedestrian passage beneath it was estimated at $22.8 million. A street-level crossing with a pedestrian-activated beacon or other signal was estimated at $2.36 million.
The engineers' scoring matrix ranked the street-level crossing first, with 90 of 100 points. The tunnel options scored highest on safety but lost points for cost and complexity.
Pedestrians at the site cross four lanes of 50 mph traffic to reach Dan Blocker County Beach, Malibu Seafood, the Malibu RV Park and the Sara Wan Trailhead. The 3-mile stretch between Latigo Canyon Road and Malibu Canyon Road has only three marked crossings, project manager Nathaniel McLean told the council. The nearest, at Corral Canyon Road, is more than a half-mile away.
State crash records show 126 crashes involving pedestrians across Malibu from January 2014 through June 2025, in which 28 people were killed.
"It's now 11 years since this was brought up, and we're lucky nobody's been killed there," Stewart said.
Council member Haylynn Conrad proposed a traffic light with a crosswalk instead.
"I personally don't like the overpass idea. I don't like the underpass idea," Conrad said. She said underpasses are known to clog with sand. Stewart recalled being told that the underpass at Zuma Beach fills with sand as soon as the sand washes back in.
Mayor Bruce Silverstein said an underpass would be the safest way across and would not block views, but he doubted it could stay dry. He also said he was concerned that anything short of a full traffic light would be less safe.
"If it's only lit every now and then, people won't be used to stopping, and someone's going to get hit by being lulled into a false sense of safety," Silverstein said.
Mayor Pro Tem Steve Uhring pressed for an independent safety review rather than relying on Caltrans alone. "Public safety is our most important job. Period," he said.
Council member Marianne Riggins said people already cross the road there, including small children, and stand on the median. "I can't imagine that putting in a traffic signal with a pedestrian crosswalk is going to make it more dangerous," she said.
The undercrossing has a long history. A 2015 PCH safety study recommended a pedestrian undercrossing at the site. In 2019, [Caltrans](https://dot.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com) proposed a pedestrian hybrid beacon there, but residents, city commissioners and elected officials pushed for an undercrossing instead. Caltrans dropped the beacon project in 2022, and in February 2024 the council authorized a funding agreement for $2.25 million in Measure M money for the undercrossing.
A 2019 Caltrans review also recommended against routing pedestrians through the creek channel under the existing bridge. The site lies in a federally designated 100-year floodplain.
The new direction may not be simple to carry out. Tatiana Holden, the city's assistant public works director, said the Metro funding agreement names a specific scope of work and would need to be modified. She said the city would likely still have to analyze other alternatives to justify its choice to Metro.
City Manager Joseph Irvin said the city would have to consult Metro before it could say for certain whether the money could be spent on the signal study alone. Measure M funds from fiscal year 2023-24 were set to lapse June 30, 2026; a proposed amendment would extend that deadline to June 30, 2027.
If Metro refuses the change, Silverstein said, "We'll have another decision to make."
Irvin said the discussion gave staff clear direction. He said future councils and staff "will be grateful that this conversation was had."
### Santa Monica council authorizes Brew Works lease for former Rusty’s Pier site
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-authorizes-brew-works-lease-for-former-rustys-pier-site/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T15:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday authorized a lease with Santa Monica Brew Works for the former Rusty’s Surf Ranch space on the Santa Monica Pier, moving to fill a site that has sat empty for nearly two years after an earlier deal collapsed over worker protections.
The 7-0 vote allows City Manager Oliver Chi to negotiate and sign a lease with the local craft brewery, which plans a surf-themed, fast-casual restaurant with live music at 256 Santa Monica Pier.
The vote came less than four months after the city ended talks with California Roadhouse, the operator the council chose in April from nine proposals. Chi said California Roadhouse asked the city to remove the labor peace provisions that have been in every Pier lease for decades and sought several substantive changes to protections for former Rusty’s employees, “none of which comported with the [council direction](https://www.smdp.com/a-year-into-realignment-plan-santa-monica-beats-budget-forecast-and-turns-to-revitalization/).” Talks ended in late June, he said.
The Brew Works lease keeps the standard labor peace clause, which bars tenants from impeding union organizing, harassing or wrongfully firing workers who seek to unionize, or violating labor law.
“This is immutable; it’s not proposed to be changed. It’s proposed to remain,” Chi said.
The lease also requires Brew Works to give former Rusty’s workers a path back. Eligible former employees, excluding managers, supervisors and confidential employees, would receive notice of a 30-day hiring window before the restaurant opens and an interview if they apply. Qualified applicants would get written job offers based on the company’s operational needs, followed by an introductory period of at least 90 days.
Councilmember Ellis Raskin asked whether those terms match the Pier worker recall and retention ordinances the council adopted in February. Chi said the provisions were modified slightly because the building is vacant but otherwise follow the ordinance language. A staff report says the ordinances themselves do not apply because Rusty’s closed before they took effect.
Raskin made the motion “with the understanding that the lease terms are substantively equivalent to the requirements in Chapters 4.66 and 4.69,” while noting the council takes no position on the staff report’s view of whether they apply. Mayor Caroline Torosis seconded.
Councilmember Dan Hall asked whether Brew Works was comfortable with the rules. Chi said the company had raised concerns but already operates at LA Live and is “familiar with how unionized environments operate.”
“We do believe, based on all the communication from Brew Works, this won’t be a problem moving ahead,” Chi said.
The financial terms are more generous than those offered to California Roadhouse. Brew Works would pay $5 per square foot in base rent on about 3,039 square feet of interior space, with 3% annual increases, bringing roughly $215,000 to the Pier Fund in the first rent-paying year. Roadhouse had agreed to $6.50 per square foot with $100,000 waived the first year, which Chi said would have produced about $225,000 that year and $325,000 annually after.
The city will also provide up to $750,000 for tenant improvements, up from $625,000 for Roadhouse; repair or replace the building’s base systems, including the roof, plumbing, electrical and HVAC; and waive city permit and plan check fees. Roadhouse would have taken the building as is. The lease runs five years with two five-year extension options, one more than the earlier deal.
Chi acknowledged the deal is “a little bit more advantageous for the potential operator” but called it appropriate “given all of the dialog and controversy that’s happened over the course of the last two years.” He said the city is shifting to industry-standard leases in which it maintains building systems, a model it is working to extend across the Pier.
Asked by Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya about the cost of rejecting the deal, Chi said the space would remain shuttered.
“The building will continue to deteriorate,” he said, adding that the opportunity cost “becomes harder and more expensive the longer we wait.”
Brew Works was selected through a flexible process in the city’s Pier Leasing Guidelines that allows a direct proposal after notice to the [Santa Monica Pier Corp.](https://www.santamonicapier.org/?ref=smdp.com) Councilmember Lana Negrete said she had heard from local businesses asking why they could not compete.
“I’m happy to fill the space. I just want to be clear that there’s some changes that have happened,” Negrete said. “I think a lot of people are under the assumption that we always do an RFQ.”
Brew Works, which opened in 2014 and which Chi called the city’s only craft brewery, also runs two Emmy Squared Pizza restaurants. Its co-founder and CEO, Scott Francis, is a former music publishing executive. The proposed restaurant, tentatively named “Surf Shack by Santa Monica Brew Works,” would be the only dedicated live music venue on the Pier, according to city staff.
### Santa Monica moves toward deal to park Zoox robotaxis at Main Library
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-moves-toward-deal-to-park-zoox-robotaxis-at-main-library/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T10:00:03.000Z
Santa Monica is working toward an agreement that would let Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, stage and store up to 150 of its robotaxis in city-owned parking facilities, including the Main Library parking structure.
The City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to authorize staff to continue negotiations with Zoox and, if the two sides reach terms, enter into a license agreement. Councilmember Dan Hall recused himself from the vote.
City staff are working with Metropolis to facilitate the agreement. Primary consideration is being given to the first underground level of the Main Library structure and parts of the library's surface lot. The Kiss-and-Ride lot south of the Downtown Expo station is also being assessed, and City Manager Oliver Chi said it could serve as an interim site for Zoox in the short term.
According to the staff report, the arrangement would follow the Parking Division's standard license protocol and would indemnify the city for incidents involving Zoox vehicles. The city expects the deal to generate about $500,000 or more a year in new recurring revenue, which Chi said Zoox would pay on a per-space basis.
Chi told the council the library structure has plenty of unused capacity. It has three levels of parking, he said, but only one is regularly in use, and a third level has been closed entirely because of operational issues.
"We have plenty of capacity — unused parking capacity that's sitting vacant at the library," Chi said.
He said the city had previously spoken with another autonomous vehicle company about staging at the library, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Chi described the proposal as a pilot that could run for up to one year. He said Zoox is establishing a charging station elsewhere and would use the city sites only for parking. City staff are still determining Zoox's technical requirements and whether the facilities meet them.
Staff said the partnership would place Santa Monica in a leadership position on the future of mobility and give the robotaxis a city-supported staging location away from homes. Chi said keeping autonomous vehicles out of residential neighborhoods has been a city priority in recent months.
Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya noted that the library structure closes at night, unlike some other city garages, and asked how that would be handled. Chi said the structure would remain open while Zoox is using it and the city would need proper staffing to manage the vehicles on-site. He said staff are also considering whether some of the roughly 30 mostly unused spaces on the ground-level lot could be included.
Zernitskaya also asked what exactly the council was approving. Chi said the city already has administrative authority to sell parking reservations in its structures, but staff wanted to "daylight the issue" for the council and receive authorization before implementing the program.
In response to further questions from Zernitskaya, Chi said Zoox is running a pilot in San Francisco and is coordinating a broader rollout of robotaxi service, with Santa Monica included in a Los Angeles regional deployment. He confirmed the vehicles are fully electric.
Hall asked to split the agenda item so he could step away from the Zoox portion. He said he might hold between $2,000 and $100,000 in Amazon stock, which could constitute a financial interest because Zoox is an Amazon subsidiary.
"Even though I think I own less than 1/128-millionth of the company — I may have a financial interest in this matter," Hall said. "So out of an abundance of caution, I will recuse from this action."
Snell recused himself from a separate vote on the Metropolis portion of the item, citing an organizational conflict.
The Zoox proposal comes as the city remains locked in a legal fight with another robotaxi company, Waymo, over overnight operations at two charging lots in the city.
Waymo began using the lots at 1222 and 1310 Broadway in November 2024 to charge vehicles serving the greater Los Angeles area. The sites were operated by Voltera Power on property owned by SMF Property Holdings LLC. Residents complained of reverse beeping, humming, late-night worker noise, flashing lights and alley congestion.
In November 2025, the council voted 6-0 to declare the facilities a public nuisance and ordered overnight operations shut down. Waymo did not comply and sued the city Dec. 17, 2025, arguing its operations were lawful. The city filed a countersuit a week later.
On July 27, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted the city a preliminary injunction barring Waymo from operating the lots between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. while the nuisance case moves toward trial. The judge found the city was likely to prevail and that the harm to residents outweighed the harm to Waymo, which could still offer overnight rides using vehicles charged during the day. Waymo said it had taken steps to reduce noise and light and had invested heavily in the community.
Waymo petitioned for a writ of supersedeas Aug. 11\. The court granted the petition and stayed the injunction while the appeal is pending, allowing Waymo to keep operating at the sites.
### Deadlines, City Limits, and Democracy
URL: https://www.smdp.com/deadlines-city-limits-and-democracy/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T10:00:00.000Z
Election season is upon us. Campaign signs are sprouting from every available patch of dirt, political mailers are colonizing kitchen counters, and everyone, it seems, has seen a political ad pop up on their phone during one of many late-night doomscrolling sessions. I’ve spent nearly 20 years working in elections and local government. Different cities, different personalities, and different flavors of political theater. But the questions from voters remain remarkably familiar.
Two are worth clearing up before November 3.
**Tomorrow Isn’t the End of the Road**
October 19 is California’s voter registration deadline. Well, kind of…
,
It’s the deadline for regular registration. But California, in a moment of bureaucratic generosity, offers something called [Conditional Voter Registration](https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg?ref=smdp.com). Most people know it as Same Day Voter Registration.
Beginning October 20 and continuing through Election Day, eligible residents can still register and cast a ballot through Conditional Voter Registration. [Los Angeles County Vote Centers](https://locator.lavote.gov/locations/vc?culture=en&ref=smdp.com) begin opening October 24, with all locations open by October 31\. The County verifies eligibility before counting the ballot.
Maybe you moved. Maybe you forgot. Maybe life got in the way, as it has a habit of doing. No lecture from your friendly neighborhood City Clerk necessary. The point is simple. Missing October 19 doesn’t mean missing the election. Go to your local Vote Center and take care of business.
**Yes Virginia, You do Live in Santa Monica**
Now, a word about geography.
Santa Monica is a beautiful place. To outsiders, it’s the Pier, the beach, expensive coffee, and people exercising with a level of enthusiasm that is magnetic.
But head east, away from the postcards and ocean breezes, and you’ll find another Santa Monica. Neighborhoods, families, corner businesses, and people going about their lives without much interest in appearing on a tourism brochure. And occasionally, a little confusion about what exactly is on their ballot. Some residents near our eastern boundary wonder whether they’re actually voting for Mayor of Los Angeles.
Geography has rules, even when you're flooded with television and social media ads that suggest otherwise. And those rules matter at election time.
Santa Monica is its own incorporated city. Residents within its boundaries vote for Santa Monica’s municipal officials, not the Mayor of Los Angeles.
We share a county with Los Angeles. We do not share a city government. It’s a distinction worth remembering when looking at your ballot.
**One Last Thing**
Elections can be noisy and confusing. That’s democracy. It isn’t always pretty, but it’s ours.
So please check your registration. Look at your ballot. If something doesn’t make sense, ask.
The City Clerk’s Office is here to help residents understand how the election process works and where to find answers.
And if October 19 slips by, don’t panic. There’s still time. To quote The Clean, “Anything could happen and it could be right now / And the choice is yours, so make it worthwhile.”
Scan below to visit our [elections webpage](https://www.santamonica.gov/elections/2026-11-03?ref=smdp.com).
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ By Walfred Solorzano
Walfred Solorzano is Santa Monica’s City Clerk. He previously worked at the Los Angeles County Elections Operations Center and was a member of San Mateo County’s Elections Dream Team, which helped pioneer California’s Vote Center model under the Voter’s Choice Act. The model has since been adopted by counties throughout California.
### Santa Monica couple found dead in suspected murder-suicide, city's third this year
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-couple-found-dead-in-suspected-murder-suicide-citys-third-this-year/
Last updated: 2026-10-17T00:47:16.000Z
A married couple was found dead Wednesday morning inside their Santa Monica home in what police believe was a murder-suicide. It is the third suspected murder-suicide in the city this year.
The Santa Monica Police Department received a request for a welfare check at about 9:04 a.m. on Oct. 14 at a residence in the 2400 block of Fourth Street, police said. Officers found two adults dead inside. Both had apparent gunshot wounds.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner lists the death of Ryan Lewis, 44, as a suicide and the death of Elizabeth Lewis, 53, as a homicide on that date.
Detectives believe no one else was involved, police said. They described the deaths as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Lewis deaths are the latest in a series of suspected murder-suicides in Santa Monica and on the Westside in 2026\. Before Wednesday, Santa Monica had recorded two such cases this year, and two more had occurred in nearby Venice and Westwood. In each of those four cases, a man and a woman who knew each other died and a firearm was involved.
On Sept. 26, Hendrik Rabitzsch, 48, fatally shot his wife, Nicole Rabitzsch, 47, and then himself in their Pico Boulevard home. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and his a suicide. No prior domestic violence calls have been reported.
On July 10, Gul Erdogan, 45, was fatally shot in Westwood by her husband, Aytac Camdeviren, 43, who then killed himself.
On April 21, Jeremy Ferguson, director of operations for Downtown Santa Monica Inc., shot his wife, Mandy Zelinka, 49, and then himself at their Venice home.
On Feb. 7, officers conducting a welfare check in the 1900 block of Ocean Avenue found the bodies of a man and a woman, both 54\. Police described the pair as "known to one another" and called the case a suspected murder-suicide.
Nationally, murder-suicides claim an estimated 1,000-plus lives a year, according to the Violence Policy Center's ninth "American Roulette" study.
The study analyzed news reports of murder-suicides from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2025\. It found 237 murder-suicide events in that period, or about nine a week. Those incidents left 526 people dead: 289 homicide victims and 237 people who died by suicide. The VPC doubled that figure to estimate 1,052 murder-suicide deaths for all of 2025.
Firearms were involved in 207 of the 237 cases, or 87%. Of the people who died by suicide, 92% were male. Of the homicide victims, 76% were female.
Sixty-five percent of the cases involved an intimate partner. In those cases, 99% of the victims were women killed by their partners, and 88% involved a gun. Eighty percent of all the murder-suicides happened in the home.
Children were also affected. Forty-five of the homicide victims, or 16%, were younger than 18\. Another 27 children and teens survived after witnessing some part of a murder-suicide.
"The presence of a gun can escalate an argument to homicide and suicide in an instant," said Kristen Rand, the VPC's government affairs director. "The catalytic role played by firearms must be taken into account in any prevention strategy."
No publicly available comprehensive national database tracks murder-suicides, so the study relies on news reports, the VPC said. The group says its yearly estimate is consistent with other research.
The VPC recommends several measures:
\- stronger domestic violence prevention laws and state domestic violence task forces
\- restricting firearm access where the risk of murder-suicide is higher, such as when a person has a history of domestic violence or has threatened suicide
\- aggressive enforcement of laws barring people with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions or domestic violence protective orders from having guns
\- support for older caregivers dealing with depression
\- a public national database to track murder-suicides
Anyone in crisis can call or text 988\. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
### Malibu Moves Running Festival Adds More Medals and Rewards for October Event
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-moves-running-festival-adds-more-medals-and-rewards-for-october-event/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T18:59:00.000Z
[Malibu Moves](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/3/f6da23e00c8b88ee9e4438f2d2c3c307a64371446c02a00a789de8c665180d59?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com), the only running event featuring a course within the city of Malibu, will return for a two-day running festival that starts and ends at Zuma Beach on Oct. 24 and 25.
As the event marks its third year, organizers have announced three new ways for participants to bring home more medals: the[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/4/642039d943481fa38348fa03a1e8bb6de413787f67eafbd56852abbf15de7a1f?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com)[Coastal Quest Challenge](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/4/642039d943481fa38348fa03a1e8bb6de413787f67eafbd56852abbf15de7a1f?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com), the[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/5/a0d1dc4cbeeed94a2d07328ff629f55980ccdb805fe4693ecbca1d7e4d081721?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com)[California Double](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/5/a0d1dc4cbeeed94a2d07328ff629f55980ccdb805fe4693ecbca1d7e4d081721?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com) and the[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/6/3ade10216c090ef85e9eb7fb356b37d3bf0480a325af02bafcae1ab0d99fc822?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com)[Zuma Legacy Club](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/6/3ade10216c090ef85e9eb7fb356b37d3bf0480a325af02bafcae1ab0d99fc822?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com). Those interested in the half marathon, 10K, 5K, one-mile Zuma Dash or 1K Kids Run are encouraged to[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/7/8deed0579d7d90214e26568ee9217f5d251ed495f6baf4640fb4497965855bef?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com)[register soon](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/7/8deed0579d7d90214e26568ee9217f5d251ed495f6baf4640fb4497965855bef?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com), as the event is expected to sell out.
The Coastal Quest Challenge lets participants experience both days of the festival. Those who complete one distance on Saturday and one on Sunday will receive an additional medal on top of the two they earn for each day's event, along with two race shirts and unlimited access to the post-race beer garden on Sunday.
The California Double brings together two scenic Southern California runs in the spring and the fall. Participants who complete one distance at both the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon and Half and Malibu Moves in the same calendar year will be awarded an exclusive challenge medal at the Malibu Moves finish line, in addition to their finisher medals from each event.
Through the new Zuma Legacy Club, loyal runners who return in 2026 and in the years that follow can start a locally focused medal collection. With any distance counting toward club rewards and the ability to take a gap year between races, the medals will come together over six years of participation to spell "Malibu." Each medal holds a letter, with "M" available to those who participated in 2024 or 2025.
"These finisher medals are so much more than medallions and ribbons. They are the physical reminder of your accomplishments, your memories and the moments that brought you to the finish line," said Erica Segel, founder and race director of Malibu Moves. "Here, we care about those finish lines so much more than finish times."
Participation grew more than 60% from 2024 to 2025, and this year's 3,000-person field is expected to reach capacity across all distances. The event features five charity partners for 2026 and has donated more than $110,000 to local organizations in its first two years.
For more information, visit[ ](https://www.malibumoves.com/?ref=smdp.com)[www.malibumoves.com](https://www.malibumoves.com/?ref=smdp.com) and follow the event on[ ](http://instagram.com/malibumoves?ref=smdp.com)[Instagram](http://instagram.com/malibumoves?ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/8/ee13ee6714806711daaa281fc7c198f1c69dbd8272b290dee31956d9a5eab27f?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com)[Facebook](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/8/ee13ee6714806711daaa281fc7c198f1c69dbd8272b290dee31956d9a5eab27f?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/9/c2cd8cb983e2769e68246f2ac9f40ad4de2ef9dfb708636913e3f57847aad4a0?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com)[YouTube](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/706fce06fe6f4b4dbe48862d72627fb2/9/c2cd8cb983e2769e68246f2ac9f40ad4de2ef9dfb708636913e3f57847aad4a0?cache%5Fbuster=1788972250&ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Fire Department joins regional agencies in launching AwareCA app
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-fire-department-joins-regional-agencies-in-launching-awareca-app/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T18:59:00.000Z
The Santa Monica Fire Department has joined AwareCA, California’s statewide public safety information app, the department announced Oct. 14\. The app gives residents another direct source of information from fire departments and other public safety agencies.
The department is participating alongside fire agencies across the Los Angeles region. The effort is supported by the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association, which brings together leaders from 29 departments.
The free app provides incident information, wildfire activity, evacuation details and agency updates on a common statewide platform. It contains no advertising and does not solicit donations.
“Our community trusts us to provide accurate information when it matters most,” Fire Chief Matt Hallock said. He added that “emergencies don’t stop at city boundaries, and neither should access to trusted public safety information.”
Users can save up to 10 locations, such as a home, workplace, child’s school or relatives’ homes, and set notification areas around them. The app can also use a phone’s location to identify nearby incidents. Users choose what they are notified about and how often. Updates from participating agencies can reach them within seconds.
Each participating agency controls what it publishes through its established incident command and public information processes. AwareCA does not replace existing emergency communication systems. The department will continue to use its current notification systems, website and social media.
“We aren’t asking residents to rely on a single source during an emergency,” Hallock said. “We are asking them to make sure one of their sources is the agency responsible for managing the incident. AwareCA makes that easier.”
The regional approach is particularly important in Los Angeles County. Residents there often live, work and have family in different jurisdictions, and an emergency such as a wildfire can quickly move from one agency’s area into another’s. Users can follow the places that matter to them without knowing which fire department serves each address.
The department encourages residents to download AwareCA before the next emergency. Residents should add their home and other important locations, select the types of incidents to follow, set notification areas and enable notifications.
AwareCA was developed by Intterra with California fire service and public safety partners. It is available free for iPhone and Android at[ ](https://aware.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com)[aware.ca.gov](https://aware.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Parsing the Santa Monica parcel tax
URL: https://www.smdp.com/parsing-the-santa-monica-parcel-tax/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T18:59:00.000Z
A funny thing happened on the way to balancing the city’s budget. Twelve million dollars annually given to the schools disappeared. There’s no need to send out a search party, because the funds fortuitously turned up as found money on the city’s balance sheet. But that doesn’t help the pillaged Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD). So it’s up to the voters to pay the ransom, I mean pass Measure ES.
Let me rewind.
Almost exactly a year ago, the city initiated a Realignment Plan, or as the Mayor proudly calls it, a Renaissance Plan, although it’s worth noting the Renaissance mostly benefited the upper class and not the working class. Regardless, it’s a bold and meticulous plan, and the Council and City Manager deserve credit for the hard work invested and the political risks taken.
That’s why I chose not to initially write about the plan’s flaws, but chief among them was a clever accounting trick buried in the document. The city eliminated the aforementioned $12 million payment to SMMUSD, and in its place suggested a tax on each “parcel” of land to replace the missing money.
Theoretically, it was a win-win. The city would get help digging its way out of its current financial hole, and the public would be okay with pitching in, as long as it was to support the schools. The city paid a strategic research firm to poll residents on the topic, but at a time when affordability is the number one concern for many voters, new taxes are a hard sell.
Initial positive response was as low as 42%, far less than the 66% required for a ballot measure to pass, but the number rose as high as 59% if residents were told that the money would be used to protect schools from state or federal government cuts. However, it wasn’t the state or federal government cutting funding, it was the city. And instead of communicating openly, the city did it through subterfuge, like a cartoon bandit tying the school budget to train tracks and counting on voters coming to the rescue.
But 59% of the vote isn’t enough for a rescue. So more cleverness was needed. There’s a loophole in California election law that allows tax measures to pass with only 50% of the vote as long as they’re proposed by citizens, rather than elected leaders (though Proposition 43, also on the November ballot, aims to end this loophole).
So abracadabra, the parcel tax was removed from the Council’s agenda, eliminating any need for public discussion, and a citizens group sprung to life to sponsor Measure ES. While the group verbally denies any collaboration with City Hall, there’s little effort otherwise to hide the appearance of it. The group is led by two former Mayors, and it was the current Mayor, Caroline Torosis, who spoke on behalf of the group when seeking the measure’s endorsement from the Santa Monica Democratic Club.
Torosis said that without the parcel tax, the school system will have to make drastic cuts, including 73 classroom teachers. Councilmember Barry Snell has suggested an even worse scenario if the city is forced to come up with the money: cuts to police, firefighters and library hours.
Opponents dismiss such talk as hyperbole and point to the millions of dollars in annual budget surpluses SMMUSD keeps having, despite repeatedly forecasting millions in deficits. They also say that if the city’s maneuver is meant to solve the current fiscal crisis, then the ballot measure should have a sunset clause, but it doesn’t. Claiming long-term structural deficits in SMMUSD’s finances, as supporters have done, seems like a bait and switch, and it’s belied by the continual surpluses.
However, opponents aren’t acknowledging that those surpluses aren’t sufficient to offset a $12 million annual loss. Instead, some are criticizing SMMUSD for having surpluses, but no organization can precisely predict at the beginning of a year what its income and expenses will be at year-end. There are only two options: ending up in the red or in the black. And not ending up in the red is a good thing.
Still, it’s hard to defend the financial choices of a school district that paid $150 million for a state-of-the-art building that lacks working air conditioning. In our convoluted system, building projects are funded by school bonds, not tax revenue, and the former can’t be used for most other school needs. So it’s apples and oranges, even if there’s a lot of missing accountability, particularly from the three school board members running for re-election.
There’s missing accountability on many fronts, but that’s part of the purpose of the Realignment Plan. Instead of wringing our hands about our fiscal crisis, there’s an attempt to do something about it. Some say that residents shouldn’t be the ones responsible. But if not us, then who?
Measure ES is a clumsy effort that has lacked transparency from the start, but if we reject it, we will be denying responsibility for our financial situation and risking repercussions. I resent the poor choice we’ve been given. The people elected to protect us are instead blackmailing us, putting a metaphorical gun to our heads and saying “your money or your schools.” And they’re asking us to pull the trigger.
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### Destination Dishes: Santa Monica's Culinary Bucket List
URL: https://www.smdp.com/destination-dishes-santa-monicas-culinary-bucket-list/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T22:10:37.000Z
**Forget full menus—this week we’re ranking the legendary sandwiches, wood-fired showstoppers, and mouth-watering sweets that are the single items worth crossing town for.**
Santa Monica has no shortage of great restaurants. But sometimes you’re not looking for the best restaurant—you’re looking for **the thing to order**.
Every city has those dishes. The sandwich locals insist you try. The burger people have been arguing about for years. The pastry worth standing in line for. The ridiculous pasta that somehow tastes even better because someone tossed it around inside a giant wheel of cheese.
For the inaugural edition of **Destination Dishes**, I’m looking at the Santa Monica plates, bites, sandwiches and drinks that are worth making a special trip for. Some are legendary. Some are relatively new. Some are fancy enough to require a reservation, while others are best eaten standing up with a pile of napkins nearby.
The common denominator? **You should try them at least once.**
## **THE ICONIC STAPLES**
**The Godmother with The Works — Bay Cities Italian Deli (1517 Lincoln Blvd.)**
The undisputed king of Santa Monica sandwiches.
The Godmother piles prosciutto, ham, capicola, mortadella, Genoa salami and provolone onto Bay Cities’ famously crusty Italian roll. Order it “with The Works” for the hot or mild peppers, dressing and all the glorious mess that comes with it.
It is not a small sandwich. It is not a delicate sandwich. It is barely a sandwich you can eat without looking like you’ve been attacked by an Italian deli.
And that’s exactly the point.
**The Office Burger — Father’s Office (1018 Montana Ave.)**
This is the burger that helped put chef Sang Yoon and Father’s Office on the national culinary map—and it remains one of Santa Monica’s most recognizable dishes.
Dry-aged beef gets topped with caramelized onions, bacon, Gruyère, Maytag blue cheese and arugula, all tucked into a crisp baguette.
There is also the famous Father’s Office rule: **no ketchup and no substitutions.**
They've been enforcing that policy for years, so don’t be the person who walks in expecting to negotiate.
**Classic Corn Dog & Fresh Lemonade — Hot Dog on a Stick (1633 Ocean Front Walk)**
This is pure Santa Monica nostalgia on a stick.
The original Hot Dog on a Stick opened here in 1946, and the Ocean Front Walk location still serves hand-dipped corn dogs and its famously fresh lemonade just steps from the beach.
It’s the kind of meal that tastes even better when you’re wearing flip-flops and have sand in places sand should never be.
**Chinese Chicken Salad — Chinois on Main (2709 Main St.)**
Wolfgang Puck helped redefine California cooking at Chinois on Main, and the restaurant has produced a number of dishes that became part of the local culinary canon.
The Chinese Chicken Salad is arguably the most recognizable.
It may not have the theatrical appeal of a flaming entrée or a duck being pressed tableside, but longevity counts for something. A dish that remains closely associated with a restaurant decades after its debut has earned its place on this list. Since you are here, you might as well double down and get another signature: the **Shanghai Lobster,** prepared with a rich ginger curry sauce and served over a bed of crispy spinach.
## **SHOWSTOPPING RESTAURANT PLATES**
**Egg Caviar — Citrin (1104 Wilshire Blvd.)**
If you’re going to put a caviar dish on a Santa Monica bucket list, this is the one.
Egg Caviar is one of Josiah Citrin’s signature creations, pairing a delicate egg with luxurious caviar and refined French technique. It’s an appropriate representative for the multi-Michelin-starred chef's restaurant, where the kitchen and dining room essentially become one culinary theater.
It’s a tiny dish with a very big personality—and a good reminder that “showstopping” doesn’t necessarily mean enormous.
**Dalla Forma Pasta — Forma Restaurant & Cheese Bar (1610 Montana Ave.)**
There are two kinds of people in the world: people who think there is such a thing as too much cheese, and people who have eaten pasta tossed inside a giant wheel of cheese.
At Forma, freshly cooked pasta is finished inside large wheels of cheese tableside just before being served. The exact pasta preparation changes, but the spectacle remains the same.
Not for the lactose intolerant.
**Casunziei — Colapasta (1241 Fifth St.)**
Some dishes are destination dishes because they’re extravagant. **Casunziei** is a destination dish because there isn’t much else like it.
These half-moon-shaped ravioli are made with roasted beetroot, giving the pasta its striking red color, then finished with brown butter, Parmigiano and poppy seeds.
The combination sounds unusual until you take a bite: earthy-sweet beets, nutty brown butter and the tiny crunch of poppy seeds.
Casunziei comes from the Dolomites of northern Italy, and Colapasta chef Stefano De Lorenzo grew up in Cortina d’Ampezzo, right in the heart of casunziei country. His version is based closely on the pasta he grew up eating.
It’s beautiful, unusual and decidedly not another bowl of red-sauce pasta.
**Corn Ravioli with Truffle — Capo (1810 Ocean Ave.)**
Capo has been doing elegant Italian dining near the beach for decades, and its Corn Ravioli with Truffle is exactly the sort of indulgence that belongs on this list.
Sweet corn and rich truffle flavors come together in a dish that manages to be both refined and seriously comforting.
Pair it with a bottle from Capo’s enormous wine cellar and suddenly Tuesday night feels like an occasion.
**Raw Oyster & Crudo — Crudo e Nudo (2724 Main St.)**
If Santa Monica has a restaurant that tastes like the Pacific Ocean without resorting to clichés, it’s Crudo e Nudo.
The tiny Main Street restaurant focuses on sustainable, locally sourced seafood, with oysters and crudo changing with what is available.
The presentation is simple and beautiful: excellent seafood, carefully chosen oils, citrus and just enough seasoning to let the fish do the talking.
**Wood-Fired Garlic Knot — Milo & Olive (2723 Wilshire Blvd.)**
Somewhere along the way, the garlic knot went from humble pizza-shop side dish to something worth making a trip for.
Milo & Olive’s **Wood-Fired Garlic Knot** is a perfect example. The dough gets baked in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven, then finished with an immense amount of garlic, herbs, Parmesan and butter. The result is crisp and charred on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and unapologetically garlicky.
It’s technically an appetizer but it’s also very easy to convince yourself that ordering several counts as dinner.
**Tableside Pressed Duck — Pasjoli (2732 Main St.)**
This may be the ultimate Santa Monica dinner-party flex:
**“You know that restaurant where they press an entire duck at your table?”**
Pasjoli’s pressed-duck dinner is a full-on culinary production, with the duck transformed into multiple courses and a special sauce crafted tableside using the whole bird. The restaurant describes it as a limited experience that must be reserved in advance.
It is elaborate, old-school French, gloriously excessive and almost impossible to replicate at home—which is exactly what you want from a destination dish.
## **BREAKFAST & BRUNCH**
**Oatmeal Griddle Cakes — Breakfast by Salt’s Cure (714 Montana Ave.)**
Forget everything you think you know about pancakes.
Salt’s Cure’s signature oatmeal griddle cakes are crispy around the edges, soft in the middle and substantial enough that they don’t require a lake of syrup.
They’ve become the restaurant’s calling card—and, honestly, the reason many people are willing to wait for breakfast.
**Millionaire’s Bacon — Sweet Maple (1705 Ocean Ave., Suite 110)**
Sweet Maple’s signature bacon is cut a hefty 3/8-inch thick, coated with brown sugar, paprika, black pepper and chili flakes, then baked until the edges caramelize and the bacon becomes a gloriously sweet, salty, smoky and slightly spicy slab of pork candy.
It’s so popular that Sweet Maple serves it as a standalone order, or you can add it to eggs, scrambles, Benedicts, burgers or even ramen.
The restaurant also offers a **Millionaire’s Flight**, featuring four variations: Citron, Original, Cinnamon and Rosemary.
In other words, Sweet Maple has somehow turned bacon into a food group.
**Gravlax Works — Jyan Isaac Bread (1620 Ocean Park Blvd.)**
The Westside bagel wars have gotten serious, and Jyan Isaac Bread has earned its seat at the table.
The naturally fermented sourdough bagel is excellent on its own, but the **Gravlax Works** takes it into destination-dish territory, adding house-cured and smoked Patagonian salmon, cream cheese, tomato, red onion, capers, dill, olive oil and lemon.
It’s a fairly compelling argument for getting out of bed.
**Sweet ’n Salty Caramel Iced Coffee — Dogtown Coffee (2003 Main St.)**
There are plenty of places to get a good iced coffee in Santa Monica. There are fewer places where your iced coffee comes with a little piece of local history.
Dogtown Coffee occupies the former Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions space at Main and Bay, connecting the café to the surf and skate culture that helped put Santa Monica on the map. The **Sweet ’n Salty Caramel Iced Coffee** adds caramel and sea salt to the mix, making for a sweet, creamy, slightly salty pick-me-up that feels right at home stumbling distance from the beach.
## **BAKED GOODS**
**Butter Croissant — Bread + Butter (2645 Main St.)**
Bread + Butter’s Butter Croissant is the reason this tiny Main Street bakery regularly draws morning lines.
The laminated pastry has a deeply buttery flavor, a crisp, crackly exterior and the airy, layered interior you want from a great croissant. The bakery also makes chocolate, walnut, and ham-and-cheese versions, but the classic is the place to start.
And if you arrive early enough to get one warm from the oven, even better.
Just don’t be surprised if you suddenly start questioning every croissant you’ve eaten before.
**3-Baton Pain au Chocolat — Petitgrain Boulangerie (1209 Wilshire Blvd.)**
A great pain au chocolat is one of life’s simpler pleasures: buttery, flaky pastry wrapped around a couple of pieces of chocolate. Petitgrain Boulangerie takes that formula and basically says, “Why stop at two?”
The bakery uses three chocolate batons in its pain au chocolat, surrounded by beautifully laminated pastry that gets crisp and crackly on the outside while staying tender inside. It’s big, buttery, flaky and loaded with chocolate without becoming a chocolate delivery system.
It’s the sort of pastry that makes you understand why people will stand in line before 9 a.m. for baked goods. And if you somehow manage to leave without three or four items, I admire your restraint. You are a stronger person than me.
Three batons. Zero regrets.
**Butter & Salt Doughnut — Sidecar Doughnuts (631 Wilshire Blvd.)**
Santa Monica has plenty of doughnut options, but Sidecar has been doing its own thing since long before doughnuts became Instagram bait.
The **Butter & Salt** is deceptively simple: a vanilla-bean cake doughnut finished with brown-butter glaze and fleur de sel.
Sweet, salty, buttery and just substantial enough to make one doughnut feel like a legitimate breakfast.
It’s also a useful reminder that sometimes the best doughnut is the one that doesn’t have 14 toppings and a name longer than the ingredient list.
**Caramel-Pretzel-Chocolate Chunk — Cookie Good (2448 Wilshire Blvd.)**
There comes a point when a chocolate chip cookie simply isn’t enough.
Cookie Good’s **Caramel-Pretzel-Chocolate Chunk** cookie takes the basic formula and throws restraint out the window, combining gooey caramel, salty pretzel pieces and generous chunks of chocolate in a soft, chewy cookie.
It’s sweet, salty, crunchy, gooey and just a little ridiculous—in other words, exactly what you want from a destination cookie.
The hardest part is deciding whether to eat it immediately or take it home.
The correct answer is immediately.
**Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream — Sweet Rose Creamery (225 26th St.)**
Yes, I realize ice cream is not a baked good. But this is my list, and I make the rules.
This list simply wouldn’t be complete without Sweet Rose Creamery’s Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream. It’s made with real organic spearmint and house-made chocolate chips, giving it a fresh, minty flavor without the artificial green-food-coloring vibe of the stuff you probably ate as a kid.
It’s creamy, bright, packed with chocolate and bursting with flavor. The first time I tried it, it completely changed my idea of what mint-chip ice cream could be.
So yes, it’s technically in the wrong section. I stand by the decision.
## **COCKTAILS**
**The Countess — Pasjoli (2732 Main St.)**
Pasjoli is known for its serious French cooking, but the cocktail menu deserves some attention, too.
The Countess combines gin, basil, St-Germain and fennel pollen into a drink that somehow manages to be both sophisticated and extremely drinkable.
It’s herbal, floral and refreshing, with just enough French flair to fit right in at one of Santa Monica’s most ambitious restaurants.
Consider it the cocktail equivalent of wearing a blazer to dinner but leaving the tie at home.
**Urfa Mezcalita — Calabra at the Proper Hotel (700 Wilshire Blvd.)**
Cocktails taste better when you’re drinking them on a rooftop overlooking the Pacific.
This is not a scientific fact, but I’m comfortable standing behind it.
Calabra’s Urfa Mezcalita combines mezcal, honey, blood orange, lime, sage, Urfa pepper and salt. The result is smoky, citrusy, spicy and slightly savory—the kind of drink that makes a standard margarita feel like it needs to step up its game.
And then there’s that rooftop Ocean view.
**Miss Monique — La Monique (1411 2nd St.)**
Leave it to a French brasserie to turn a Cosmopolitan into a science project.
Miss Monique starts with Tito’s vodka and gets clarified and coconut-oil washed before being finished with house-made cherry-nutmeg foam and a mist of rose water.
It sounds elaborate because it is elaborate, but the result is still recognizably a Cosmo—just one that has spent some time at a French finishing school.
**Pacific Cooler — Circle Bar (2926 Main St.)**
Not every destination cocktail needs to be served in a room with velvet banquettes and a $30 bar snack.
The newly reopened Circle Bar brought back one of Santa Monica’s legendary watering holes in 2026, along with a refreshed cocktail menu.
The Pacific Cooler combines tequila or mezcal with yuzu and pamplemousse, making it a bright, citrusy drink perfectly suited to Main Street—and considerably more sophisticated than the dive-bar setting might suggest.
## **WHAT DID I MISS?**
Of course, this isn’t the definitive list. It’s Santa Monica. By the time you finish reading it, someone will probably have opened a new restaurant, created a new signature dish or convinced me that I’ve committed some unforgivable culinary omission.
That’s part of the fun.
The goal isn’t to name the “best” dishes in town. It’s to find the dishes that make you say, **“You have to try this.”** The legendary ones. The ones you occasionally dream about between meals. The new ones that might become legendary. And the neighborhood favorites that some locals would prefer to keep secret.
So now it’s your turn: **What did I miss?**
Send your suggestions to [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com). If enough of you disagree with me, there’s always the second edition.
### Prop 38 asks: Should California take on more debt to fund a single field of medical research?
URL: https://www.smdp.com/prop-38-asks-should-california-take-on-more-debt-to-fund-a-single-field-of-medical-research/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T16:00:00.000Z
Three decades ago, as the 20th century was winding down, a culture war erupted over[ ](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2744932/?ref=smdp.com)[the use of human embryos](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2744932/?ref=smdp.com) in researching stem cell cures for dreaded diseases.
It was a subset of the nation’s never-ending conflict over abortion. After Republican George W. Bush won the presidency in 2000 his administration barred the use of embryos in genetic research, a policy President Barack Obama later revoked.
In 2004, Robert Klein, a wealthy Bay Area real estate developer whose son suffered from Type 1 diabetes, launched a campaign to stimulate genetic research in California that didn’t rely on federal funds.
Actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Reeve, who were dealing with their own chronic medical conditions, starred in ads promoting[ ](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F71,%5FStem%5FCell%5FResearch%5FInitiative%5F%282004%29?ref=smdp.com)[Proposition 71](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F71,%5FStem%5FCell%5FResearch%5FInitiative%5F%282004%29?ref=smdp.com), a 2004 ballot measure creating the[ ](https://www.cirm.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com)[California Institute for Regenerative Medicine](https://www.cirm.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com). The measure also authorized $3 billion in bonds that the new state agency would distribute to research projects.
Klein contributed heavily to the Prop. 71 campaign, raised money from others and served as the first chairman of the agency’s board. The campaign’s pitch to voters was not only that dread diseases would be cured but that California would reap the economic benefits of taking the lead.
Voters endorsed the measure over the opposition of religious anti-abortion groups, and the agency began awarding grants to researchers, many of whom had ties to members of the new agency’s board of directors.
Over the ensuing years it has touted several successes, but there has been no independent analysis of results. As the initial $3 billion was running out, advocates wrote a 2020 ballot measure,[ ](https://calmatters.org/health/2020/10/prop-14-stem-cell-research-funding/?ref=smdp.com)[Proposition 14](https://calmatters.org/health/2020/10/prop-14-stem-cell-research-funding/?ref=smdp.com), that authorized another $5.5 billion in bonds. It won voter approval.
Now the willingness of California voters to again float bonds for medical research underlies[ ](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-38-research-bond/?ref=smdp.com)[Proposition 38](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-38-research-bond/?ref=smdp.com) on the Nov. 3 ballot. And it raises questions about whether its sponsors would have the inside track for its $8.4 billion in proposed bond money.
CalMatters delved into the very specific language of the measure and determined that the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, founded and headed by billionaire Gary Michelson,[ ](https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2026/07/proposition-38-california/?ref=smdp.com)[would be the only organization that would qualify for half of the money](https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2026/07/proposition-38-california/?ref=smdp.com). Michelson is one of the major backers of Prop. 38.
The other half of the bond issue would be distributed as grants to research applicants by a new council selected by representatives of seven University of California campuses, and each grant recipient will be linked to a member of the council.
At this juncture, it’s important voters understand something about state general obligation bonds: They are not free money, even if sponsors often imply that they are. Bonds are loans from banks and other investors and, like all loans, must be repaid with interest.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office has estimated the state budget would have to appropriate[ ](https://lao.ca.gov/ballot/2025/250488.pdf?ref=smdp.com)[about $500 million a year for 25 years](https://lao.ca.gov/ballot/2025/250488.pdf?ref=smdp.com) to service Prop. 38’s bonds, or about $12.5 billion total. Bond repayments have the highest legal priority in the budget, so they displace funds that could otherwise be spent on education, healthcare or other services.
Issuing bonds to support one avenue of medical research is a questionable activity regardless of cost. If the state has a legitimate role to play in such research, all potential fields should be explored, not merely pet projects and organizations that some billionaire patrons have chosen to the exclusion of others.
Nevertheless, immunology is not the last field that voters will be asked to support.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation,[ ](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb895?ref=smdp.com)[Senate Bill 895](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb895?ref=smdp.com), that creates another new agency to award scientific research grants, the California Foundation for Science and Health Research. The measure places a $7.5 billion bond issue on the 2028 ballot to provide the new foundation with funds to distribute.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ By Dan Walters. This story is part of California Voices, a commentary forum aiming to broaden our understanding of the state and spotlight Californians directly impacted by policy or its absence. This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
### Santa Monica to study conservancy for Great Park at airport site
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-to-study-conservancy-for-great-park-at-airport-site/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T15:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday directed city staff to study how a nonprofit conservancy could help build and sustain the Great Park planned for the Santa Monica Airport site, which is scheduled to close at the end of 2028.
The council approved the item on a voice vote with no opposition or abstentions late in its Oct. 13 meeting. Councilmember Lana Negrete made the motion, and Councilmember Barry Snell seconded it.
The item directs City Manager Oliver Chi to return in spring 2027 with a study session on possible organizational models for a [Great Park Conservancy](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-planners-urge-city-to-keep-existing-parks-in-airport-conversion/), the range of city involvement in creating one and whether the city can and should seed an initial funding round.
Councilmember Dan Hall, who brought the item with Councilmember Ellis Raskin and Mayor Caroline Torosis, tied the effort to Measure LC, the charter amendment voters passed in 2014.
"They made it clear that the land at our airport belongs to the public, and that it should become parks and open space when we close it, unless the people vote otherwise," Hall said.
Hall said building the park is a capital program, but keeping it running is an ongoing operating challenge. Cities that solved the first problem and forgot the second "are cautionary tales," he said, while those that planned for both have great parks.
He framed the study around three questions: "Who governs, who pays, and who answers to the public?"
"We want donors to give without gaining control," Hall said. "We want the public to keep its voice."
Hall said private money is "ready to be committed" and the city wants to be able to put it to work from the park's first day. He said the council would eventually explore other tools, including a [Great Park Enterprise Fund](https://greatparkcoalition.org/project-status/?ref=smdp.com) and possibly an enhanced infrastructure financing district, but that Tuesday's item was focused on philanthropy. Any conservancy, he said, should be designed alongside the park's master plan rather than added afterward.
## **Residents push for lasting protections**
More than 20 written comments were submitted on the item, most of them supportive. Many, however, asked the council to widen the study's scope.
Alan Levenson, president of the group Measure LC Defense, wrote that the five-page motion never mentions Measure LC. He cited a January 2025 city attorney memorandum warning that, under the state Surplus Land Act, selling or leasing airport land long term could limit the city's ability to restrict residential use despite the measure. He also wrote that the city had removed longstanding land-sale safeguards from its municipal code in March.
Levenson and more than half a dozen other residents, several using nearly identical language, asked the council to direct staff to study permanent protections such as formal park dedication, recorded deed restrictions and conservation easements, and to identify a dedicated funding source.
Airport Commission Chair Andrew Wilder, writing in his personal capacity, and resident Patti Braun pointed to the city's existing Airport Fund as a model for an enterprise fund that would keep revenue generated on the 192-acre site in the park.
The council did not take up those requests during its brief discussion before the vote.
## **'Day one' activation**
Torosis said she had taken part in a city design program for mayors focused on planning for the park, where participants spoke with experts around the country, including the person who led Brooklyn Bridge Park.
"The number one thing that we've learned in all of these discussions and study is that if the park is not activated on day one, we're going to have a problem," Torosis said.
She said she hoped the study session would look at using a conservancy both for the park's opening and for the long term, saying the city must ensure "a robust series of activations on Jan. 1, 2029."
## **Commission seeks a role**
People involved with the city's Recreation and Parks Commission asked that it be involved while staff prepares the study, not only at the session itself.
Karen Melick, who leads the commission's ad hoc group on fundraising and naming rights, wrote that five minutes of public input after staff has made its recommendations "is not adequate participation." She also wrote that she was concerned about waiting until spring, saying fundraising requires a nonprofit that can begin accepting pledges now.
Commissioner Sonam Makker, writing in an individual capacity, asked the council to have staff weigh a citywide parks foundation alongside a Great Park-only conservancy. Makker warned that a single-park entity could draw donor dollars away from the city's other parks.
In his remarks, Hall said the difficult questions should be asked both at the council and at the commission.
Not every comment backed the park plan. Katie Lee, a Mar Vista resident who lives on a hill overlooking the airport, urged the council to keep the airport open and to avoid "rushing toward closing the airport."
### A year into Realignment Plan, Santa Monica beats budget forecast and turns to revitalization
URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-year-into-realignment-plan-santa-monica-beats-budget-forecast-and-turns-to-revitalization/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T10:00:01.000Z
Santa Monica finished its last fiscal year $7.3 million better than projected and is on track to balance its general fund operating budget by July 2027, city officials told the City Council on Tuesday in a one-year review of the city's Realignment Plan.
The council took three separate votes on the item. It first voted 7-0 to approve a package of related actions, including a vendor contract and fee to launch a rent registry for about 15,000 apartments not covered by rent control and guidelines for a $3 million program meant to fill vacant storefronts downtown.
City Manager Oliver Chi said the plan's first year was about stabilizing city operations. The next phase, he said, will focus on revitalizing the local economy and drawing private investment back to Santa Monica.
"I think certainly we've achieved a measure of stability the last year," Chi said. He added that "there is a ton to be proud of in terms of the work that we've done, and there's so much more work to do moving ahead."
The council adopted the plan Oct. 28, 2025\. At the time, the city faced a projected structural deficit of about $30 million, and its unobligated cash reserves had fallen from $436 million to $98 million, much of that because of childhood sexual abuse settlements. The plan compressed $60 million in reserve spending, originally planned over four to five years, into 24 months, organized around five priorities including public safety, clean streets, economic growth and housing.
For the fiscal year that ended June 30, the city used $26.7 million of those reserves to balance its budget instead of the $34 million it had planned. Excluding $22.5 million in general fund transfers to capital projects, the operating budget ran a $4.3 million deficit.
Chi said the results came even though most of the plan's new revenue sources, including a city-run ambulance program, higher parking rates and a credit card convenience fee, were in effect for only part of the year. Officials project those measures and other changes will add about $28.8 million a year in recurring revenue and savings, beating the plan's $24 million target.
General fund revenue reached $483.3 million, up 8.6% from the prior year. Hotel tax collections rose 8.5% to $68.7 million, property taxes grew $5 million and sales tax grew $1.8 million.
Chi said the visitor economy is recovering, with hotel occupancy near 80% this spring compared with about 75% a year earlier. "There's still a long way to go," he said.
Police Chief Darrick Jacob said the department, fully staffed for the first time in more than two decades, has shifted to more proactive policing. From January through September, violent crimes and burglaries fell 11.2%, to 751 from 846 in the same period last year. That followed a 12.5% drop in Part I crimes in 2025.
Over the same nine months, officer-initiated activity rose 21% and total arrests rose 62%, to 4,097\. Traffic citations more than doubled. Drug-related arrests rose about 119%, which Jacob attributed to officers being present to see offenses rather than to more drug activity.
"Santa Monica is a welcoming community, but crime and unlawful behavior will not be tolerated," Jacob said. "If you come to Santa Monica to commit a crime, our officers are looking for you."
He acknowledged that statistics alone do not ease [residents' concerns](https://www.smdp.com/meth-addict-cuts-internet-service-for-hundreds-of-frontier-subscribers-over-the-weekend/). "Knowing that crime is down doesn't automatically take away that fear," he said.
Mayor Caroline Torosis asked how many unhoused people who are arrested are diverted to services such as the SaMo Bridge program or the city's STEP Court. Deputy City Attorney Jenna Grigsby-Taggart said prosecutors do not track housing status. Torosis asked for clearer reporting on diversion outcomes. "How do we evaluate whether this is working?" she said.
The city's path to a balanced budget assumes the end of its roughly $12 million annual payment to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District under a facilities use agreement that expires June 30, 2027\. The city and district agreed to that expiration in 2022.
City contributions to the district total about $40 million a year across several agreements. Chi said the two sides are discussing an extension, and the outcome of Measure ES, a school parcel tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, will shape those talks. If voters approve it, staff expects to return with a new agreement reflecting that revenue. If it fails, staff plans to let the payment lapse, though the council could keep it and identify cuts elsewhere.
Chi said the district has indicated it would like the payment to continue. Options will go to the council at a budget study session in March, ahead of a two-year budget that takes effect July 1, 2027.
Looking ahead, officials outlined three efforts aimed at downtown. The council approved guidelines for a Downtown Catalyst Incentive Program that would offer forgivable loans of up to $1.5 million for two or three high-visibility projects, favoring restaurants and entertainment that draw people on evenings and weekends. Each award would require a separate public hearing.
A design team is also preparing concepts for a refresh of the Third Street Promenade, with a plan due to the council in early 2027 and a first phase planned before the 2028 Olympics.
In a second vote, 6-0, the council authorized pilot programs with parking operator Metropolis Inc. to upgrade three downtown garages and launch curbside valet service near the Promenade by Black Friday, at no cost to the city. In a third vote, also 6-0, it cleared staff to pursue a license letting [Zoox](https://zoox.com/?ref=smdp.com), the Amazon-owned robotaxi company, stage up to 150 electric vehicles in the underused Main Library garage. Chi said the deal could bring in about $500,000 a year.
Councilmember Barry Snell sat out the Metropolis vote, citing a nonprofit he leads that receives Metropolis funding. Councilmember Dan Hall sat out the Zoox vote because he owns Amazon stock.
The rent registry, set to open in January, will charge $52.35 per unit a year, and landlords may pass up to half of that on to tenants. Officials said the first phase will stress registration over penalties.
Officials cited an independent RAND Corp. report released Oct. 1 that called the city's reforms "a meaningful break with the past." They noted that RAND recommended restarting a homeless court the city has already run as STEP Court since 2024\. "Maybe RAND should have decided to talk to any of us before publishing what they publish," Torosis said.
The city's first employee survey found 74% of respondents proud to work for the city, but only 39% agreed management is transparent about decisions. "You don't ask employees how they feel unless you're going to do something about it," Human Resources Director Dana Brown said.
Not everyone was satisfied with the accounting. In a written comment to the council, resident Karen Melick asked for a detailed breakdown of how the $60 million in reserves has been spent. She argued that much of the plan's new revenue comes from fees on residents rather than economic growth.
"Where's our return on our investment?" she wrote. Melick also said the city denied her public records request for the estimated cost of a city winter closure. "We need more financial transparency," she wrote.
### Malibu fire spreads to 100 acres and triggers evacuations
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-fire-spreads-to-100-acres-and-triggers-evacuations/
Last updated: 2026-10-16T20:06:49.000Z
Editor's Note: The Bryson Fire is at about 20 percent containment as of Friday morning.
Several brush fires were burning in Southern California on Thursday evening, stoked by hot, windy weather that caused utility companies to shut off electricity for tens of thousands of people around the state.
A rapidly spreading blaze in Malibu, prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a large swathe of the Santa Monica Mountains. A large cloud of black smoke over the hilltops could be seen on nearby cameras and miles away. The evacuation order area covers Zuma and Trancas canyons, and areas south and west of the fire.
The blaze grew to over 100 acres (40 hectares) and was threatening a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitative facility. The National Weather Service forecasted increased wind gusts overnight that could bolster fire activity.
Firefighters worked to contain two other fires that had sparked in the afternoon and triggered evacuation orders in the city of Azusa, north of LA, and Camp Pendleton, near San Diego.
In Northern California, nearly 62,000 customers in 26 counties in the Sierra Nevada foothills, wine country and the central coast had no electricity, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which began proactively turning off power Wednesday night. An additional 65,000 customers in Los Angeles, Kern and Ventura counties lost power Thursday, Southern California Edison said.
Some of California's worst wildfires have been sparked by power equipment, and utilities in recent years have begun proactively shutting off power during dry, windy weather in an effort to prevent blazes.
Weather conditions that increase the fire risk were expected to last through Saturday.
Santa Ana winds hit Southern California
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faced criticism for her city's response to deadly fires in 2025, directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. The fire department also requested assistance from the state's office of emergency services.
"It's a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert," said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Dry, warm and gusty northeast winds known as Santa Anas, which blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, were forecast, with the strongest winds expected Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon.
The winds could reach 20 to 40 mph (32 to 64 kph), with gusts from 50 to 70 mph (80 to 113 kph), in the San Gabriel mountains in Los Angeles County and the Santa Susana mountains, which are mostly in Ventura County, Schoenfeld said. Elevated, though brief, critical fire weather conditions were also forecast for portions of the Santa Lucia mountains in San Luis Obispo County.
A fire that sparked Thursday in Azusa prompted evacuation orders for a neighborhood in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains that were later downgraded to warnings. Some 200 firefighters were battling the wind-driven brush fire, which had burned over 40 acres (16 hectares), Jonathan Torres, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, told KTLA-TV. Forward progress on the blaze had been stopped by mid-afternoon.
Farther south, a fire at Camp Pendleton threatened buildings. Evacuation orders were issued in the Las Flores area of the military base and lifted by evening, military officials said in a statement.
Crews with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention were fighting the blaze, which had grown to more than 1.5 square miles (3.8 square kilometers), sending billowing smoke into the air. Officials temporarily closed a portion of nearby Interstate 5, a key north-south route in Southern California.
The blaze threatened infrastructure and led to a power outage in the Las Pulgas area, where the fire started, military officials said.
Power cuts are widespread in Northern California
In Northern California, some communities in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills began experiencing strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said.
The service issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of central and Northern California starting Thursday and lasting through Friday morning, saying any fires would spread rapidly. Such warnings are issued when weather conditions create an increased risk of wildfires.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company said Thursday it has notified 90,000 customers in 29 counties that they may lose power.
The potential interruption in service to customers from the Central Coast to the upper corners of the Sierra Nevada could last through Saturday afternoon, the company said.
Hot and windy conditions are expected through the weekend
In Southern California, the Red Flag Warning for the mountainous areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties was in effect through Friday night.
In January 2025, the Palisades Fire — fanned by Santa Ana winds — ripped through a hillside Los Angeles neighborhood, killing 12 people and destroying mansions with spectacular ocean views. Authorities determined the Palisades Fire was a carryover from another fire that authorities alleged was started intentionally by a 29-year-old man.
Another fire that burned at the same time in the city of Altadena, in Los Angeles County, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses. That fire was caused by sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison, officials said.
Schoenfeld said the Santa Ana winds are not going to be as strong as during those fires, when they were gusting 60 to 100 mph (96 to 160 kph).
Southern California Edison is considering public safety shutoffs that could affect 207,000 customers, with most of them — 105,000 — in Ventura County, just north of Los Angeles.
\_\_\_
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JAIMIE DING Associated Press. Ding reported from Los Angeles.
### SMMUSD readies generators at Malibu schools ahead of possible power shutoffs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-readies-generators-at-malibu-schools-ahead-of-possible-power-shutoffs/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T19:00:00.000Z
With Southern California Edison warning of dangerous fire weather and possible power shutoffs through Friday, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is preparing for potential impacts at three Malibu schools. Backup generators are on standby and ready to use if needed.
Generators are ready at Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle and Malibu High schools, according to a district news release issued Wednesday. Webster Elementary School is not within the circuit area currently under a power warning, the district said.
The district said it is monitoring updates from SCE and that student and staff safety is its priority.
"We are preparing for the possibility of a power shutoff and monitoring information from Southern California Edison," Superintendent Antonio Shelton said in a statement. "The safety of our students and staff is our priority, and we will keep families informed if there are any changes that affect school operations."
If conditions require changes to school operations, the district will contact families and staff directly through official channels. When possible, the district will notify parents, faculty and staff by 6:30 a.m. if school is canceled or delayed, according to the release.
How families can get alerts
The district uses ParentSquare to send emergency alerts, school closure notices and safety updates. It is asking families to confirm their contact information now in case conditions change.
District officials recommend that parents first log in to the Aeries Parent Portal at santamonicamalibu.aeries.net/student/LoginParent.aspx, select Student Info and then Contacts, and make sure parent, guardian and emergency contact information is current. Families who need help making changes can contact their school office.
Next, parents should log in to ParentSquare at parentsquare.com/signin or through the ParentSquare link in Aeries. Clicking the name icon in the upper right corner and choosing Manage Account opens a menu on the left side of the screen. Under My Account, parents can verify that their phone number and email address are correctly listed in Aeries. Under Notification Settings, the Alerts and Notifications option lets parents confirm that text, email and mobile app notifications are turned on.
The district cautioned that opting out of a single ParentSquare text message opts parents out of all texts, including emergency alerts. Parents who are opted in to texts but turn off notifications will still receive text alerts. They will not receive posts or direct messages.
The free ParentSquare app is available for iOS and Android devices. A district flyer advises app users to allow push notifications on their phones.
The district will also post updates on Facebook at SMMUSD and on Instagram at @smmusd\_official. It urged families to monitor official communications from the district and local emergency agencies.
More information is available at smmusd.org/departments/communications/parentsquare.
Shutoffs possible as winds build
SCE has warned that high winds and dangerous fire conditions are expected from Wednesday morning through Friday evening. Santa Ana winds, which are typically hot and dry, can raise wildfire risk in Southern California, the district said.
Malibu city officials said that the utility may cut power to parts of Malibu starting at midnight Thursday. The shutoff could affect the Cuthbert, Galahad, Maguire and Merlin circuits, according to the city.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs are meant to keep SCE equipment from starting fires during dangerous conditions. SCE notifies affected customers directly, and residents can check their circuit and restoration status at sce.com.
Power may take eight hours or more to return after the winds die down because crews must first inspect lines and equipment, the city said.
The National Weather Service forecasts Santa Ana winds through Friday, with gusts up to 70 mph in the mountains. The strongest winds and hottest temperatures, in the upper 80s and 90s, are expected Thursday and Friday.
A heat advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday, with temperatures up to 95 degrees. It covers Los Angeles County beaches, the inland coast including downtown Los Angeles, the Palos Verdes Hills, and coastal and inland areas of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Cities in the advisory area include Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Torrance, Redondo Beach and Long Beach.
Forecasters warned of possible heat illnesses and urged residents to drink fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms and stay out of the sun.
The heat follows weeks of volatile weather. A prolonged heat wave that pushed temperatures to 100 degrees gave way to the season's first widespread rain as Tropical Storm Rachel approached last weekend, and temperatures dropped to 69 on Monday.
Malibu officials urged residents to prepare for outages of power, cell service and traffic signals, as well as possible fires and evacuations. They recommended charging devices, filling gas tanks, reviewing evacuation routes and reunification locations, and stocking food, water, medications and essential documents.
Updates are available on KBUU 99.1 FM, the Watch Duty app and malibucity.org/news.
### SMC science lecture series to feature biotech executive, USC scientist
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-science-lecture-series-to-feature-biotech-executive-usc-scientist/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica College’s Distinguished Scientists Lecture Series will feature a biotech executive and a USC scientist this fall. Their talks will cover building a U.S. biotech subsidiary and advances in precision medicine.
The free talks are designed for the general public and begin at 11:20 a.m. in Science 140 of the Life & Physical Sciences Complex on SMC’s main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. Each includes an audience Q&A, and seating is first come, first served.
The series launched more than 25 years ago and is sponsored by the SMC Associates (smc.edu/associates) and the SMC Life Sciences Department.
On Oct. 20, Carissa Jones, CCO of Capitainer AB and founder and CEO of Ventus LLC, will present “Science Meets Scale: My Journey to Building a Trusted Biotech Brand.” She will discuss how social capital and scientific know-how combined to build a successful U.S. biotech subsidiary from the ground up. Jones is a business development and operations leader with experience driving revenue growth and market expansion in pharmaceutical research and diagnostics.
“Her talk traces a journey many of our students can relate to, from a modest beginning to multiple executive roles at high-growth diagnostics startups,” said Tom Chen, a Life Sciences faculty member.
On Nov. 19, Peter Yingxiao Wang, chair of USC’s Biomedical Engineering Department, will present “Ultrasound Control of Genetics and Epigenetics for Disease Treatment.” He will explore emerging technologies for targeting gene and cell therapies against solid tumors and the aging process. Wang holds the Dwight C. and Hildagarde E. Baum endowed professorship at USC and is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. He is a pioneer in ultrasound-activated CAR T-cell therapy.
“He will share how his team engineered a new frontier: using guided ultrasound to remotely activate programmed immune cells to destroy solid tumors,” Chen said.
More information is available from the SMC Office of Public Programs at 310-434-4100\. Presentations are subject to change or cancellation.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Inaugural Brentwood Concours to bring more than 80 classic cars to San Vicente Boulevard
URL: https://www.smdp.com/inaugural-brentwood-concours-to-bring-more-than-80-classic-cars-to-san-vicente-boulevard/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T18:58:59.000Z
The Brentwood Concours, a new luxury and classic car show, will debut Saturday, Dec. 5, on San Vicente Boulevard, featuring more than 80 classic, vintage, exotic and collector automobiles.
The free, public event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on San Vicente Boulevard between Barrington and Darlington avenues. Organizers describe it as Brentwood's first luxury and classic car show of its kind.
The show is produced by the team behind the Palisades Motor Classic, which is bringing its Westside automotive event experience to Brentwood for the first time.
Organizers say the event will welcome collectors, car enthusiasts, residents and visitors for a morning celebrating exceptional automobiles and the community.
Along with vehicles spanning generations of automotive history, the Concours will feature luxury brands and exhibits, curated music and DJ programming, and charitable components. Promotional materials say the event will benefit local charities.
Additional participating vehicles, brands, community partners and programming will be announced before the event.
For more information, contact Alexis Pappas at contact@alexisnpappas.com.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Vote No on Measure ES: The City is Walking Away From Its Commitment to Our Schools
URL: https://www.smdp.com/vote-no-on-measure-es-the-city-is-walking-away-from-its-commitment-to-our-schools/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T17:35:00.000Z
As a longtime Santa Monica resident and homeowner, I urge you to vote NO on Measure ES on the November 3 ballot.
The story behind Measure ES is plain and simple. The City Council and City Manager Oliver Chi are desperate for revenue. They found $12 million in the City budget, the City’s longstanding contribution to our public schools, and decided to shift it permanently onto local property owners.
In his October 5, 2026 opinion piece in the Santa Monica Daily Press, City Councilmember, Barry Snell, wrote that “Measure ES is the only way to ensure our public schools continue to receive a reliable and essential funding stream - funding in the amount of $12 million a year that has kept our schools among the best in California as state and federal funding have diminished”.
But Measure ES is not the only way. The City already pays that $12 million out of its existing budget. Measure ES does not create any new money for our schools. It just moves the bill from the City to property owners.
Snell is right that “for two decades, the City has allocated significant funding to our school district,” and we can all acknowledge that “the City is in the midst of a serious financial crisis”. But the $12 million is still in the City budget. The real questions are whether the City should walk away from the funding, and whether the school district even needs the money.
Consider SMMUSD’s own numbers. The district just released the unaudited financial report for 2025-26\. In June, SMMUSD projected it would finish the fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2026, roughly $3.7 million in the red. Instead, it ran a $6 million surplus. Its unrestricted general fund balance came in about $9.85 million higher than expected, at a record $68.6 million. The district took in about $6.1 million more revenue than projected, including about $1.3 million more than expected from the Measure R parcel tax.
Meanwhile, SMMUSD’s staffing has held steady at 1,280 employees, even though enrollment, now 8,520 as of October 2025, has fallen roughly 19% over the past decade. The City’s population has also declined since 2020\. The district’s total spending budget for 2026-27 is $237.9 million, so the City’s $12 million is roughly 5% of the district’s budget. I find it odd the district’s budget and any future revenue needs to potentially be funded by the City were not fleshed out at City Council meetings.
Santa Monica residents and property owners already carry most of the load. About 59% of SMMUSD’s revenue comes from local property taxes. And look at what we already pay:
Property owners pay Measure R, a parcel tax passed in 2008 that costs $496 per parcel a year, and, since 2023, has no expiration date.
Property owners, condominium owners included, also pay for Measure QS, approved in 2024, which lets SMMUSD issue $450 million in bonds repaid at 3 cents per $100 of assessed value. For my family, that’s more than $1,000 a year. Add Measure R and we’re over $1,500.
Residents and visitors also pay for our schools through the half-cent sales tax voters approved in 2016, half of which was earmarked for education. And Measure GS, the transfer tax on high-value property sales that took effect March 1, 2023, sends a share of its revenue to SMMUSD as well.
Now add Measure ES at $495 per parcel, and my family will be paying more than $2,000 a year to SMMUSD. How much will the City contribute from its general fund going forward? Nothing.
Parcel taxes like Measure R and the proposed Measure ES are also regressive. A condominium owner pays the same flat amount as a large business park, which puts a disproportionate burden on lower-income residents. Together, Measure R ($14.5 million) and Measure ES ($12 million) would collect about $26.5 million a year for SMMUSD from Santa Monica property owners. Roughly 70% of that would come from individual owners.
The City has the $12 million in its budget today. If it must truly cut, it should reduce its contribution gradually over several years while it shores up its finances. Instead, the City has chosen not to honor its decades-long commitment to the schools and to send the bill to property owners in perpetuity.
Snell calls Measure ES as “an inexpensive way for residents to secure our children’s future.” It isn’t. It’s an expensive, permanent and unfair burden on Santa Monica residents and property owners. Vote no on Measure ES.
Jeff Peak
### Immunotherapy gave me my life back. Proposition 38 can do the same for the next family
URL: https://www.smdp.com/immunotherapy-gave-me-my-life-back-proposition-38-can-do-the-same-for-the-next-family/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T17:35:00.000Z
When my daughter was six years old, she came home from school and said, “Daddy, I don't want you to die.” I was 45 years old, months into chemotherapy for lymphoma and she was getting used to seeing “Daddy resting” in bed. Until then, I'd been laser-focused, fighting my battle with stage 3 cancer with my head down.
The next day, I forced myself out of bed, gripped the banister on the staircase and made it to the front door before she walked in from school. I wanted to greet her the way I used to, the way I hadn't been able to in months. The joy in her eyes was all the reason I needed. That 10-minute conversation cost me the rest of the day in bed, but it was worth every minute.
This November, we can help more families facing cancer and other debilitating diseases by voting Yes on Proposition 38, the Immunology Medical Research & Cures Initiative.
Prop 38 will fund immunology research to cure and prevent cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease at California's nonprofit universities and research institutions.
Before my diagnosis, I'd been a college athlete and a cyclist, always moving. For months I ignored my symptoms. When the scan came back, my doctor told me, “Great news, it's lymphoma.” How was that great news? Because of medical research conducted years before my diagnosis, new treatment options were now available.
Immunotherapy saved my life, and my cancer has been in remission for a decade.
I see my oncologist every six months, and I'm the annoying guy checking recovery scores on his phone. I set a goal of a 100-mile bike ride. It took three years, but in 2019 I rode all the way around Lake Tahoe. While I was recovering, I found Blood Cancer United, which helps cancer patients and their loved ones and funds research to find cures. I now serve on its board because my goal is to make sure today's patients become tomorrow's survivors.
And that only happens if the research keeps going.
Under Prop 38, at least half the funds, $4.2 billion, are dedicated to cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease. The money goes only to California nonprofit universities and research institutions, never to for-profit corporations.
UCLA Health already treats cancer patients and offers access to clinical trials right here in Santa Monica, and Prop 38 could open the door for UCLA to take part in the clinical trials the measure funds. That's how a discovery in a lab becomes a treatment for a patient.
And while Prop 38 is designed to pay for itself, the real question I'd ask Californians who are considering how to vote is: Can you put a price tag on a life? On millions of lives? What if it was you or your loved one? Prop 38 could save your life or the life of someone you love.
My daughter didn't understand cancer, but she felt the weight of it as time went on. She also felt our community step in, with friends picking her up from school and meal trains feeding our family. She learned what love looks like when a family pulls together instead of falling apart.
Now she's in college studying political science and is about to vote in her first election.
“We're in a world right now that is a little scary,” she told me. “But we, as young adults and as the future generation, have the power to do something about it. That starts by voting Yes on Proposition 38."
My daughter was my second wind and Prop 38 can be someone else's. Please join our family in voting yes on Prop 38.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Andrew Dale, Santa Monica resident, lymphoma survivor and board member of Blood Cancer United
### Around Town: DogFest, Divas & Delicious Discoveries
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-dogfest-divas-delicious-discoveries/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T21:21:02.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes Main St.’s signature Day of the Dog Fest, skateboarding legends at Locals Night, opera under the stars, and plenty of delicious discoveries, and much more!
**50 Years of Dogtown - Locals Night at the Pier:** Santa Monica celebrates 50 years of Dogtown and the legendary Z-Boys with a free, all-ages Locals’ Night. The celebration features a 7:30 p.m. drive-in screening of “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” a live vinyl DJ set by original Z-Boy and skateboarding legend Tony Alva, a skate ramp, classic cars, live music, salsa, and more. Free advance reservations are required for the drive-in, chair seating and skate ramp. **Thursday, Oct. 15, 3:30–10 p.m.** [santamonicapier.org/localsnight](http://santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com)
**Opera at the Beach Returns to the Pier:** Who says opera has to involve fancy clothes and a stuffy theater? The annual Opera at the Beach simulcast is back at the Pier, where you can watch a live broadcast of Bizet’s Carmen on a giant screen under the stars. Arrive early for family-friendly crafts, face painting, balloon art, live performances, food vendors and other pre-show activities, then settle in with a blanket or lawn chair for the three-and-a-half-hour production. Best of all, it’s free. **Saturday, Oct. 17, pre-show activities at 4 p.m., opera at 6 p.m., Santa Monica Pier.** [More details here](https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-readies-generators-at-malibu-schools-ahead-of-possible-power-shutoffs/).
**Pet-A-Palooza - Day of the Dog on Main St.:** Calling all dogs—and the humans who are lucky enough to live with them. Pet-A-Palooza’s Day of the Dog takes over Main Street with a free, pet-friendly festival featuring vendors, pet activities, demonstrations, and dog races. Enter your fast dog, wiener dog, corgi or doodle and see if your four-legged athlete has what it takes to claim glory. **Sunday, Oct. 18, noon–5 p.m., All along Main St. Free.** [petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica](http://petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com)
**An Evening of Adventurous Jazz:** Jazz Refractions and Soundwaves bring an evening of adventurous, improvisational music to the Westside Music Conservatory (12424 Wilshire Blvd.). The double bill features local trumpeter Kris Tiner and pianist Cathlene Pineda performing music from their album Sung, followed by Triple Dip, featuring New York pianist Russ Lossing, drummer Billy Mintz and a surprise European trombonist. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m. [soundwavesnewmusic.com](http://soundwavesnewmusic.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Eric Idle & “Weird Al” Yankovic Together in Santa Monica:** This is one of those combinations you probably didn’t know you needed: Monty Python legend Eric Idle and “Weird Al” Yankovic are teaming up for an evening of conversation, comedy and music—and they’ll actually perform together with their band. Idle will also discuss his new book, Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme. Honestly, we’re not sure what they’ll do together, but we’re pretty sure it will be weird. **Thursday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., John Adams Middle School Performing Arts Center, 2425 16th St.** [More details here](https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-readies-generators-at-malibu-schools-ahead-of-possible-power-shutoffs/).
**Chamber in the Chamber:** Enjoy an early-evening musical interlude as live chamber music fills Santa Monica City Hall’s City Council Chambers. **Thursday, Oct. 22, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 1685 Main St.** [More details here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chamber-in-the-chamber-tickets-2003092682134?ref=smdp.com).
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17); [Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com); [“Into the Woods” at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre](http://morgan-wixson.org/?ref=smdp.com) (through 10/18); [Western Line Dancing @ Santa Monica Place](http://santamonicaplace.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (throughout October)
**WHAT'S NEW & DELICIOUS?**
**Nancy Silverton’s Spacca Tutto Opens in the Palisades:** One of LA’s biggest culinary names is bringing a new restaurant to the reborn Palisades Village. Spacca Tutto, from James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, is a modern Italian-American steakhouse inspired in part by her acclaimed Chi Spacca. Expect a serious steak program alongside seasonal seafood and vegetables, plus Chi Spacca favorites including Focaccia di Recco and chicken pot pie. There will also be nearly 250 wines, martinis and aperitivos—because apparently the Palisades is coming back hungry. **Thursday, Oct. 15, 15255 Palisades Village Lane, Pacific Palisades.** [spaccatutto.com](http://spaccatutto.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Penfolds & La Monique 75th Anniversary Dinner:** Celebrate a pair of major milestones as La Monique marks its first anniversary while teaming up with legendary Australian estate Penfolds for the 75th anniversary of Grange. Hosted by Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago, the intimate evening features rare library vintages, the new 100-point Grange and the 50-Year-Old Rare Tawny, paired with a curated menu by Chef David Fricaud featuring dishes like Beef Wellington and Butternut Squash Agnolotti. **$500 per person. Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m., 849 Ocean Ave.** [opentable.com/r/la-monique-santa-monica](http://opentable.com/r/la-monique-santa-monica?ref=smdp.com)
**Whistle Pig Boss Hog - General Tasting:** Guests will enjoy a guided tasting of WhistlePig 10-Year, 12-Year, and 15-Year, accompanied by cheese and charcuterie. Each ticket also includes a bottle of Wally’s WhistlePig 12-Year Single Finish to take home. **Saturday, Oct 17, 6 p.m., 214 Wilshire Blvd.** [More details here](https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1020850&restref=1020850&experienceId=804382&ref=smdp.com).
**Sunday Curry Club is Back:** Spice up your Sunday with Curry Club at Chelsea Restaurant. This special experience celebrates the comforting, flavor-packed world of curry with a communal dining experience for $48\. **Sunday, Oct. 18, 2460 Wilshire Blvd.** [More details here](https://resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/sunday-table-curry-club-2026-10-18-6?ref=smdp.com).
**Rustic Canyon 20th Anniversary: “Tallula’s Returns” Takeover:** A night honoring beloved former Rustic Canyon Family concepts features a takeover by chef Saw Naing (now of The Dutchess in Ojai). Naing cooks classic Mexican dishes and playful twists from Tallula’s, accompanied by agave spirit cocktails from longtime bar manager Justin Dicken and wine pairings curated by wine director Kathryn Coker. **Tuesday, Oct. 20, 1119 Wilshire Blvd.** [resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/rustic-canyon](http://resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/rustic-canyon?ref=smdp.com)
**Oktoberfest Meets Salt:** Salt Restaurant’s Origins Culinary Series gets a German twist with an Oktoberfest-inspired dinner featuring Firestone Walker beers paired with a multi-course menu. Expect seasonal dishes, craft beer and plenty of Bavarian flavor in this special evening celebrating the flavors of fall. **Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m., Marina Del Rey Hotel, 13534 Bali Way** [More details here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/origins-culinary-series-oktoberfest-with-firestone-walker-at-salt-tickets-2001885817369?ref=smdp.com).
**What’s New & Delicious: Matilda’s Bakery:** Santa Monica has a new neighborhood bakery with a European accent. Matilda’s marries Old World baking traditions with California ingredients, turning out slow-fermented breads, four-day croissants, traditional sausage rolls and a shakshouka croissant. There’s also a butter menu featuring eight varieties to accompany its French-style baguette, plus coffee from Caffè Luxxe. Come for the pastries, stay for the butter. **3200 Airport Ave.,** Check hours at [matildasbakery.com](http://matildasbakery.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Tar & Roses Announces Closure on Oct. 24:** Downtown Santa Monica's beloved culinary anchor, Tar & Roses, has announced it will close its doors after 15 incredible years. Chef-owner Mark Gold and the team shared a heartfelt farewell to the community, thanking loyal diners and staff who have gathered there over the last decade and a half. Their final day of service will be Saturday, Oct. 24, giving fans two weeks to stop by, share a final meal, and raise a glass together. **602 Broadway.** [instagram.com/tarandrosesla](http://instagram.com/tarandrosesla?ref=smdp.com)
**Pasjoli Listed by The Infatuation as One of "The Best French Restaurants In LA":** "Pasjoli used to be a fancy restaurant with tableside pressed duck and a multi-course tasting menu. But it’s more laidback these days, with a menu that leans in the direction of decadent bar food, like deboned cordon bleu chicken wings stuffed with prosciutto and molten cheese, a gooey burger with marrow aioli, and a French onion soup capped with gruyère that explodes when your spoon pokes in. The prices aren’t too daunting for a random Tuesday night dinner, but Pasjoli is still the kind of spot where you might overhear a business deal or spot a celebrity couple on a discreet date. Oh, and the pressed duck remains—for $350." **2732 Main St.** [More details here](https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-best-french-restaurants-in-la?ref=smdp.com).
**Further Afield:** **The Beverly Hills artSHOW:** This free festival is a vibrant day of music, dance, interactive workshops, culinary delights and so much more, showcasing the rich tapestry of over 20 cultures from around the world. **Oct. 17 & 18** [More details here](https://beverlyhills.org/231/Beverly-Hills-Art-Show%E2%80%94October-17-18-2?ref=smdp.com).
**Looking Ahead:** [LA Times Food Bowl](https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl?ref=smdp.com) (10/23-24)**;** Montana Avenue Halloween Hop (10/31); [Día de los Muertos at the Pier ](http://santamonicapier.org/diadelosmuertos?ref=smdp.com)(10/31); SaMo Pier Swiss Winter Village (11/14 - 1/3)
**Know something I missed?** Send tips, events and questionable culinary decisions to [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com) or[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com). [Check out my past Around Town columns here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com).
### The Dirt
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-dirt/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T16:00:00.000Z
I miss Bill Bauer, especially now as we enter the final weeks before the election when things are getting dirty.
Bill was a political columnist for the Santa Monica Daily Press who laid bare the truth underlying the power struggle among the various political forces in our small city: SMRR, The Chamber of Commerce, The Democratic Club, the PTA, the school district, and the corruption fueled by Big Money. Bill would be having a heyday now that the players include the developer-backed YIMBYs.
I used to stay up late Sunday night waiting for the posting of the online edition of Monday’s SM Daily Press so I could be the first to read Bill Bauer’s weekly column. His writing was smart and funny and relentless in exposing the power plays in our small city.
I am no Bill Bauer, but I am someone who cannot turn a blind eye to the deception and opportunism that is evident in Santa Monica politics. So, I was struck a few days ago when I read in the Daily Press a commentary written by someone named Susan Sheu who attacked the integrity of city council candidate Doug Trussler.
I had never heard of Susan Sheu and because the Daily Press did not identify her, I looked her up. It turns out, Sheu is part of the political infrastructure of the Santa Monica Democratic Club, the primary Democratic political organization in Santa Monica, one that conducts local endorsements, forums, and mobilization. Sheu is also in a leadership position with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) and was on the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party (CADEM). In short, she is not just a commentator, but a party leader.
An honest person would have disclosed her position in such an assault on Doug Trussler. But without such a disclosure of her Dem Club position Sheu was able to launch a seemingly independent attack on Doug Trussler and spare his rival Caroline Torosis from getting her hands dirty. It’s clear that was Sheu’s assigned role.
At the July 14 Democratic Club endorsement meeting, the vote process ended as a stalemate, with no Council endorsements issued, to the visible consternation of many Club members, including some Club leaders. So, if you consider Sheu’s organizational role in the Democratic Party machine - you get some sense of how afraid they are of Doug Trussler because he is a lifelong Democrat who is not part of the establishment or the YIMBY camp that has taken control of the party - and our city government.
Trussler has used Sheu’s assault as an excellent opportunity to lay out in detail what his values are. As such, it is extremely important for voters to read. In it, he explains how his philosophy informs his operating style, which highlights the deep integrity he brings to his endeavors. As if to punctuate the depth of his core beliefs, on Saturday he received a Humanitarian of the Year award from Hope the Mission, which operates 3,300 homeless beds in California.
Just as important, his response lays out the critical hands-on business acumen and experience that we desperately need on the Santa Monica City Council to pull our small city out of financial distress.
\_\_\_\_\_
Tricia Crane, lifelong Democrat and chair of Northeast Neighbors of Santa Monica
### One area Democrats, GOP agree: California needs a larger rainy day fund
URL: https://www.smdp.com/one-area-democrats-gop-agree-california-needs-a-larger-rainy-day-fund/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T16:00:00.000Z
At a moment when Californians can’t agree on much, we’ve found common ground on something that matters: how the state saves for hard times.
One of us is a Democrat. The other is a Republican. We are united about[ ](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-2-rainy-day-fund/?ref=smdp.com)[Proposition 2](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-2-rainy-day-fund/?ref=smdp.com), because this measure isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about basic fiscal responsibility, and it was developed by the people who understand California’s budget best.
California has one of the largest and most dynamic economies in the world. It’s also[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/01/volatility-complicates-california-budget-deficits/?ref=smdp.com)[one of the most volatile](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/01/volatility-complicates-california-budget-deficits/?ref=smdp.com). The state[ ](https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028?ref=smdp.com)[ranks fifth in the nation in revenue volatility](https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028?ref=smdp.com) because of our tax structure, but only 29th in the size of its budget reserves.
When the good times roll, state revenue pours in. When the economy faces challenges, the state is often forced into abrupt, painful cuts to programs Californians rely on:[ ](https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/the-cut-medi-cal-ripple-effects/?ref=smdp.com)[healthcare](https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/the-cut-medi-cal-ripple-effects/?ref=smdp.com), higher education, public safety and safety net services.
Seniors, students and[ ](https://calmatters.org/education/2026/08/head-start-california-2/?ref=smdp.com)[working families](https://calmatters.org/education/2026/08/head-start-california-2/?ref=smdp.com) bear the brunt, often with little warning.
Prop. 2 fixes that imbalance. It doubles the size of the state’s rainy day fund and requires California to save more during strong budget years, so we’re not caught flat-footed when the next downturn hits.
This is a structural budget fix without raising taxes to save more. It’s the type of budgetary planning we need to protect our future.
This isn’t a new or radical idea. It builds directly on a framework[ ](https://www.pew.org/-/media/assets/2014/06/californiarainydayfundanalysis.pdf?ref=smdp.com)[voters approved in 2014](https://www.pew.org/-/media/assets/2014/06/californiarainydayfundanalysis.pdf?ref=smdp.com). And it reflects more than a decade of experience with how that fund has actually worked.
Prop. 2 didn’t start with politicians. It was born from budget experts, not special interests.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office, California’s nonpartisan fiscal watchdog, recommended its reforms, which developed during legislative hearings with input from the Department of Finance, independent fiscal experts and business leaders.
But its earliest supporters were firefighters, small business advocates, healthcare providers and education leaders — people who see firsthand what happens when reserves run dry and cuts land on hospitals,[ ](https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/06/school-libraries-california/?ref=smdp.com)[schools](https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/06/school-libraries-california/?ref=smdp.com) and emergency response.
That list has since grown because state leaders and fiscal experts from across the political spectrum have lived through what happens when California doesn’t save enough.
A stronger rainy day fund would make California more fiscally credible to taxpayers. States that save responsibly don’t just weather downturns better; they also borrow more cheaply and give families and businesses more confidence that the state can keep its commitments, even when the economy turns.
That’s the real case for Prop 2\. California is safer, steadier and more trustworthy when it saves like it means it.
Saving responsibly is not a partisan value. It’s common sense. California’s budget shouldn’t lurch from boom to bust. Prop. 2 gives us a better way forward.
\_\_\_\_\_\_
By Jesse Gabriel and Josh Hoover. Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Encino, represents California’s 46th Assembly District and chairs the Assembly Budget Committee. Josh Hoover, a Republican from Folsom, represents California’s 7th Assembly District and is vice chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
### Airport park plan, free 'Carmen' and costumed canines highlight Santa Monica weekend
URL: https://www.smdp.com/airport-park-plan-free-carmen-and-costumed-canines-highlight-santa-monica-weekend/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T10:00:01.000Z
Santa Monica residents can help shape the future of the city's airport land, catch a free broadcast of one of opera's best-known works and watch costumed dogs take over Main Street this weekend, as three events spanning civic affairs, the arts and entertainment fill Saturday and Sunday.
The city will unveil the master plan for the park planned at the Santa Monica Airport site Saturday afternoon, a few hours before LA Opera beams its season-opening production of "Carmen" to large screens on the Santa Monica Pier. On Sunday, Main Street closes to traffic for a Halloween-themed block party and dog festival.
Airport park plan goes public
The city will show residents its clearest picture yet of the future park at the airport site during a community workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Memorial Park Gymnasium, 1401 Olympic Blvd.
The event launches Phase 4 of the five-phase Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project after more than two years of community outreach. Staff will present the Illustrative Master Plan, which shows how the park will be organized and how people will move through it, along with perspective drawings of key views. Residents can give feedback directly to the project team.
"The airport land belongs to the people of Santa Monica, and its future should be decided by them," Mayor Caroline Torosis said in the city's Oct. 6 announcement.
The plan builds on the Phase 3B Framework Diagram, informed by an online survey that drew more than 4,200 responses from February to April on where districts should sit within the site and how they could be used. The city is planning for the land after aviation operations end in 2028\. Sasaki is the lead consultant.
The existing 8-acre Airport Park remains part of the debate. On Oct. 7, the Planning Commission endorsed a recreation commission letter urging the city to keep the park as it is rather than move it into a new active-sports district.
Free parking is available in the Memorial Park lot. Those who can't attend can comment through an online survey or at upcoming board and commission meetings, including a Planning Commission meeting tentatively set for Nov. 18.
Information: smacproject.com
'Carmen' on the big screen
LA Opera opens its season Saturday, Oct. 17, with Bizet's "Carmen," and the opening-night performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles will be broadcast live and free to the Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier. It is the company's 13th "Opera at the Beach" simulcast.
Gates open at 4 p.m. for family activities, including crafts with LA Opera Connects, balloon art, face painting, local performers, giveaways and food vendors. The broadcast begins at 6 p.m. on large LED screens. The opera is sung in French with English and Spanish subtitles and runs about 3 hours, 15 minutes with one intermission.
Domingo Hindoyan, LA Opera's new music director, conducts Thaddeus Strassberger's new production. Rihab Chaieb sings the title role, with Joshua Guerrero as Don José, Kathleen O'Mara as Micaëla and Liam James Karai as Escamillo.
Los Angeles County and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who represents the 3rd District, fund the event. "I'm thrilled to welcome LA Opera back to the Santa Monica Pier for a free simulcast of 'Carmen,' bringing world-class opera directly to our communities," Horvath said in LA Opera's Sept. 28 announcement.
No tickets are required, but LA Opera asks attendees to register at LAOpera.org/Beach for parking information, updates and a free gift. Outside food and nonalcoholic beverages are allowed, and organizers suggest blankets, low lawn chairs and a jacket. Large coolers, canopies, tents, sun umbrellas and pets are prohibited. The pier sits at the western end of Colorado Avenue near the Metro E Line's Downtown Santa Monica Station.
Information: LAOpera.org/Beach
Main Street goes to the dogs, in costume
Main Street will close to cars from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, for the Main Street Block Party + Day of the Dog, a free, all-ages festival the Main Street Business Improvement Association bills as the city's last street festival of 2026.
Day of the Dog, run by Pet-A-Palooza, takes place from noon to 5 p.m. between Pacific Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. DogTrekker's events calendar lists a canine costume contest, a haunted house for pups, breed-specific races and pet exhibitors. Other attractions include a VCA and Venice Paparazzi pet photo booth, Halloween and fall crafts, live music on the Main Street Stage, kids' activities, a Route 66 centennial cake at 3 p.m. and a classic car meet from 2 to 6 p.m.
Admission is free. The only paid item is an optional $10 Tito's cocktail ticket, sold through Eventbrite, for the beer garden in the Ashland Hill parking lot, 2807 Main St., open 1 to 6 p.m. Eight dollars from each ticket goes to the Santa Monica Animal Shelter Foundation, and organizers hope to raise $4,000.
Main Street will be closed from Pier Avenue to Pacific Street from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Big Blue Bus Routes 1 and 8 will detour. Metered and garage parking are available nearby.
Information: mainstreetsm.com
### SMC Sustainability Week offers free workshop, film, compost tour Oct. 19-23
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-sustainability-week-offers-free-workshop-film-compost-tour-oct-19-23/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica College Sustainability Center will host free events Oct. 19-23 for Sustainability Week 2026\. They include a seed-starting workshop, a composting tour, a documentary screening and a career conference.
Most events take place on SMC’s main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. Sponsors include the SMC Associated Students, Eco Action Club, Club Grow and the SMC Sustainability Department.
On Oct. 20, a seed-starting workshop will run from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the Organic Garden. It will cover each step of growing a garden from seed, including soil mixing, cell trays, watering, labeling and hardening off.
On Oct. 21, “DamNation, the Problem with Hydropower,” a documentary on the impacts of damming wild rivers and ecosystems, will screen from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Stromberg Hall (HSS 165). Pizza will be provided.
On Oct. 22, a guided tour of SMC’s composting systems runs from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. One system uses more than 400,000 worms to eat through hundreds of pounds of food scraps a week. Participants meet at the Organic Garden and will learn how to put organic waste in the correct bins, which keeps it out of landfills. Sandwiches from Ike’s Love will be provided.
On Oct. 23, the Careers for Good Conference runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SMC’s Center for Media and Design, 1660 Stewart St. Professionals from values-driven companies, B-Corps and nonprofits will discuss their work. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Companies and organizations interested in participating can email Luke Johnson at johnson\_luke@smc.edu.
On Oct. 29, a Sustainable Costume Contest will be held during Club Row, with prizes awarded.
More events may be added. Details are available at smc.edu/sustainabilityweek or by calling 310-434-3909\. Events are subject to change or cancellation.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Lincoln Middle School counselor Aimee Stauffer builds trust one conversation at a time
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lincoln-middle-school-counselor-aimee-stauffer-builds-trust-one-conversation-at-a-time/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T18:58:59.000Z
Some of the moments that matter most to Lincoln Middle School counselor Aimee Stauffer happen outside her office. They happen in the LMS WellSpace, at school events, during lunch, or when a student wants to share something as simple as a new pair of shoes or a birthday.
For Stauffer, those everyday interactions help students know they have someone they can turn to.
"It opens up space for them so that they know they can come and talk to me about anything," she said.
Her interest in education began at the University of California, Irvine, where she worked part time at a preschool during her junior year.
"I got hooked and became an elementary school teacher," Stauffer said.
She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in psychology from UC Irvine. She later completed a post-baccalaureate program there to earn her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. After she began her career with the Los Angeles Unified School District, families started telling her counseling might be a natural fit. She returned to school for a master's degree in counseling psychology in education at the University of Southern California.
That decision brought her to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and LMS in 2003 as a counseling intern. A month in, her mentor went on emergency bedrest, and supervising administrator Francis Costanzo took a chance on her as a full-time substitute counselor.
"My first official day was on Halloween and I was dressed as a vampire," Stauffer said. "In knowing me, I love a good laugh, so it was all meant to be."
She said one of the most rewarding parts of counseling is what she continues to learn from students.
"Every single conversation is unique to their experience; it holds its own context and meaning that is special to them," Stauffer said. "It's brand new every single day."
Becoming a parent also changed how she approaches her work.
"Being a mom and learning everyday how to love and care about my own kids has provided me a level of understanding that has made me a better counselor," she said.
Outside school, Stauffer enjoys cooking, reading, going to the beach, attending concerts, traveling and spending time with her husband, daughters and large extended family. As one of 11 siblings, she said, family remains central to her life.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### John Adams Middle School teacher honored by Teach Democracy for civic education work
URL: https://www.smdp.com/john-adams-middle-school-teacher-honored-by-teach-democracy-for-civic-education-work/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T18:58:59.000Z
Jorge Cierra, a social studies teacher and Spanish Immersion Department chair at John Adams Middle School, was recently recognized by Teach Democracy for his commitment to civic education. The honor also recognized his work helping students become informed, engaged members of their communities.
Cierra was among a select group of educators honored at Teach Democracy's Annual Celebration on Sept. 17 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Teach Democracy senior staff selected the honorees for their impact on students and sustained dedication to civic learning.
"This recognition is especially meaningful because it celebrates the work my students and I have done together," Cierra said. "When young people realize that their voices, ideas and actions can create positive change, they begin to see themselves as leaders, problem-solvers and active members of the various communities they belong to."
The celebration also highlighted Cierra's Civic Action Project work. Former JAMS students Victoria Villaseñor, Allison Medrano-Rivera and Diego Martinez, now ninth-graders at Santa Monica High School, presented their project at the event. JAMS was one of only three Los Angeles County schools selected to have students present.
The students first presented the project in May at Teach Democracy's Annual Civic Action Project Symposium at the California Endowment. The project explored perspectives on America's 250th anniversary, including why people choose to celebrate the milestone and concerns some community members have about the United States today. The students interviewed community members and surveyed peers, teachers and local residents.
Their presentation caught the attention of Teach Democracy leadership, leading to the invitation to the Annual Celebration. There, the students were also interviewed about their research and findings by Kai Ryssdal, host and senior editor of "Marketplace."
"Through Civic Action, our students apply their learning to real-world issues, develop a sense of agency and purpose, and see themselves as capable of making a meaningful impact in their communities," said JAMS Principal Martha Díaz Chacón.
The Civic Action Project challenges Cierra's students to identify community issues, conduct research and interviews, analyze information and explore solutions. They then share their findings through public presentations. His students have also earned the Los Angeles County Office of Education Certificate of Civic Engagement through its K-8 Civic Learning Pathways program.
Teach Democracy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides civic education programs and resources to students and educators.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica opens human services grants cycle; applications due Dec. 14
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-opens-human-services-grants-cycle-applications-due-dec-14/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T18:58:59.000Z
The city of Santa Monica on Sept. 29 released a request for proposals for its Human Services Grants Program. The city is seeking applications for the fiscal year 2027-31 funding cycle.
The city will provide about $10 million to selected agencies to address critical community needs and gaps in existing services.
The program currently funds 21 programs run by 18 agencies, serving more than 30,000 residents a year. The programs aim to improve the well-being and quality of life of vulnerable and low-income residents. Those residents include children, youth and families, older adults, people with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness. The goal is an effective, strong safety net for Santa Monicans.
The request for proposals is available on the[ ](https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/santa-monica-ca/projects/300383?ref=smdp.com)[city of Santa Monica's OpenGov Procurement Portal](https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/santa-monica-ca/projects/300383?ref=smdp.com). Qualifying agencies may apply by logging into or creating an OpenGov Procurement account. All proposals must be submitted through OpenGov.
Questions are due Oct. 19\. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Dec. 14.
Funding recommendations will be presented to the City Council in spring 2027\. The council will formally approve funding as part of budget adoption in June 2027\. The new funding cycle begins July 1, 2027.
For more information, visit[ ](https://santamonica.gov/human-services-grants-program?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/human-services-grants-program](https://santamonica.gov/human-services-grants-program?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Taylor Swift did more for LA hotels than the world cup, but AirBnB may be the big winner
URL: https://www.smdp.com/taylor-swift-did-more-for-la-hotels-than-the-world-cup-but-airbnb-may-be-the-big-winner/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T18:32:31.000Z
The 2026 FIFA World Cup let Los Angeles hotels charge more, but it brought them almost no additional guests, and most hotels cut staff instead of hiring, according to a report from a research project of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles.
The report was released in September by the Hospitality Education and Research Organization of Los Angeles, known as HERO LA. It found that occupancy at hotels in the city of Los Angeles rose 1% from 2025 during the tournament and stayed about 5% below 2024 levels. According to CoStar data cited in the report, other major Los Angeles events since 2023 raised occupancy by 7% to 25%. Those events include the College Football Playoff National Championship, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
The average daily room rate during the tournament was $228, the highest of six major LA events the report compared. Occupancy was 71%, the second lowest of the six. Only the 2023 College Football Playoff championship was lower.
In downtown Los Angeles, June occupancy reached 66.4%. That was down nearly 6% from 70.6% in June 2024\. Demand in downtown and the airport corridor fell 10% to 12% from 2024\. The report uses 2024 as its benchmark because federal immigration enforcement raids, a National Guard deployment and related unrest reduced downtown tourism in summer 2025.
The survey went to 210 hotels in the city between July 23 and Aug. 7\. Fifty-eight hotels answered at least one question and 47 completed it. Of those responding:
\- 72% said the World Cup hurt their 2026 finances.
\- 48% called the financial impact "extremely negative."
\- 76% reported minimal World Cup-related bookings.
\- 2% said the event met projections.
According to the report, FIFA canceled thousands of downtown room nights shortly before the matches began. Among hotels holding room blocks, 56% saw at least half released, and fewer than a third replaced them with comparable bookings. Group demand in Los Angeles slipped 0.7% in June and July. In Chicago, which did not host matches, group demand rose 10.7%.
Workers absorbed much of the shortfall. Of responding hotels, 82% cut seasonal staffing, 74% reduced overtime and 64% reduced employee shifts. UNITE HERE Local 11 represents 28,000 hotel workers in Southern California. The report says the union found that nearly 20% of its Los Angeles members had their hours cut over the past year because of declining tourism.
Short-term rentals fared better. Airbnb was the tournament's official fan accommodation and offered new hosts $750 to list their homes. According to AirDNA data cited in the report, short-term rental listings in the city rose 10% from 2025 during the World Cup. Ahead of the July 10 quarterfinal, Airbnb reported a 63% week-over-week jump in searches for Los Angeles stays. The United Kingdom, Mexico and Canada were among the top international origins, and San Diego was the most-searched destination after Los Angeles.
Short-term rental revenue rose 20.7% in July compared with July 2024, while hotel revenue fell 3.3%. Six in 10 hoteliers said they expect short-term rental growth to hurt bookings and rates during the 2028 Olympics. The report urged the city to scrutinize both Olympic demand projections and short-term rental policy.
Before the tournament, the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee hired consulting firm Micronomics. In a June 2024 report, the firm projected $594 million in economic impact for Los Angeles County, including $343 million in direct visitor spending and $34.9 million in county tax revenue. A January 2026 update raised the estimate to $892 million, with $515 million in direct spending and $50 million in county taxes. The update cited "refined" assumptions about visitor behavior. The projections were commissioned by the event's organizers and were not independently reviewed.
### Public financing of California’s electoral campaigns could curb power of money in politics
URL: https://www.smdp.com/public-financing-of-californias-electoral-campaigns-could-curb-power-of-money-in-politics/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T15:59:59.000Z
This year’s gubernatorial primary illustrated vividly that California needs better ways to fund political campaigns.
[Proposition 4](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-4-public-fundraising/?ref=smdp.com), The California Fair Elections Act, is a crucial step in the right direction, allowing Californians the freedom to create systems of public financing of elections.
In the 38 years since it was[ ](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F73,%5FFunds%5Ffor%5FElection%5FCampaigns%5FInitiative%5F%28June%5F1988%29?ref=smdp.com)[banned in California](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F73,%5FFunds%5Ffor%5FElection%5FCampaigns%5FInitiative%5F%28June%5F1988%29?ref=smdp.com), the corrupting influence of money in politics has become[ ](https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics/influence-big-money?ref=smdp.com)[increasingly problematic](https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics/influence-big-money?ref=smdp.com), severely narrowing our options. This came into sharp focus in the recent primary, where Democratic voters faced a choice between[ ](https://calmatters.org/tag/tom-steyer/?ref=smdp.com)[Tom Steyer](https://calmatters.org/tag/tom-steyer/?ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://calmatters.org/tag/xavier-becerra/?ref=smdp.com)[Xavier Becerra](https://calmatters.org/tag/xavier-becerra/?ref=smdp.com).
Like many progressive Californians who voted for Steyer, I did so with great ambivalence. I agreed with many of his policies, but like many others I strongly mistrust billionaires. I suspect for many who voted for Becerra, their wariness of billionaires outweighed their resonance with Steyer’s policies.
All of us were in a bind due to the choice before us.
Ironically, Steyer’s personal wealth was one of the things that liberated him from the shackles of external funding. The fact that Steyer received as many votes as he did, despite voters’ mistrust of the ultra-rich, is evidence of the powerful appeal of his progressive messages, including a strong stance on protecting the climate and support for California’s proposed wealth tax,[ ](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-40-billionaire-tax/?ref=smdp.com)[Proposition 40](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-40-billionaire-tax/?ref=smdp.com). In contrast,[ ](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/27/xavier-becerra-progressive-backlash-00891871?ref=smdp.com)[Becerra’s centrist policies](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/27/xavier-becerra-progressive-backlash-00891871?ref=smdp.com) were in line with the contributions he received from the fossil fuel industry and other large companies.
If you look beneath the[ ](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/29/xavier-becerra-tom-steyer-oil-california-governor-race-00942109?ref=smdp.com)[soundbite debates](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/29/xavier-becerra-tom-steyer-oil-california-governor-race-00942109?ref=smdp.com), you see a persistent, systemic problem: Our current political system makes it very difficult to get elected without the backing of either personal wealth or wealthy corporate or individual donors.
How many strong progressive candidates for California governor — who lacked access to either of these sources of funding — were shut out due to this systemic, baked-in bind? How much of our entire political system in California is driven by access to wealth?
The outsized influence of those with excessive wealth not only removes input from the hands of “we the people,” but it puts it in the hands of those whose ethics are often severely compromised.
[Prop. 4](https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?number=4&year=2026&ref=smdp.com) repeals the 1988 ban on the public funding of elections in California, providing the opportunity to create local and state programs on a case-by-case basis. It does not mandate public funding or create a system. It simply allows the state and local governments to decide if they wish to do so, and sets general guidelines. Our decision-makers, with public support, would determine spending limits, eligibility criteria and the form of the matching funds system.
In recent years, we have witnessed growing evidence of the inherent corruption of excessive wealth. As a psychology professor, I have been fascinated by the research of Dr. Paul Piff of UC Irvine, who has demonstrated that upper-class individuals are more prone to[ ](https://matrix.berkeley.edu/research-article/are-wealthy-more-narcissistic/?ref=smdp.com)[entitlement and narcissism](https://matrix.berkeley.edu/research-article/are-wealthy-more-narcissistic/?ref=smdp.com) and less inclined toward[ ](https://inequality.org/article/empathy-and-wealth/?ref=smdp.com)[empathy, compassion and generosity](https://inequality.org/article/empathy-and-wealth/?ref=smdp.com) than people from middle- and lower-classes.
They are also more likely to display notable ethical lapses, such as taking goods intended for others, cheating to win a prize, breaking traffic rules or endorsing unethical workplace behavior. These tendencies show up under a broad range of conditions, from long-term upper-class status to temporary artificial “wealth” in a psychology experiment’s rigged game of Monopoly.
From the shockingly broad network of inhumane behavior revealed by the[ ](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/epstein-files?ref=smdp.com)[Epstein files](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/epstein-files?ref=smdp.com) to this substantial body of psychological research, there is no denying that exorbitant wealth undercuts basic human empathy and imperils people’s ethical bearings.
The resulting self-serving behavior by people whose wealth imparts outsized power has the potential to unravel the fabric of community and threaten democracy. A now-classic paper by Northwestern University political scientist Benjamin Page and Martin Gilens, then of Princeton,[ ](https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/the-influence-of-elites-interest-groups-and-average-voters-on-american-politics/?ref=smdp.com)[illustrated this](https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/the-influence-of-elites-interest-groups-and-average-voters-on-american-politics/?ref=smdp.com), demonstrating that economic elites and business interests have a substantial influence on public policy, while average citizens have little impact at all.
This is not inevitable. Good, successful approaches to democratizing elections already exist. For example,[ ](https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/09/how-new-yorks-public-financing-system-has-shaped-the-2025-mayoral-race/?ref=smdp.com)[Zohran Mamdani](https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/09/how-new-yorks-public-financing-system-has-shaped-the-2025-mayoral-race/?ref=smdp.com) would not have won New York City’s mayoral race without access to the[ ](https://www.nyccfb.info/program?ref=smdp.com)[city’s matching funds program](https://www.nyccfb.info/program?ref=smdp.com), which aims to minimize the power of private wealth through the public financing of candidates who agree to strict limits on individual donations.[ ](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/new-york-states-public-campaign-financing-program-empowers-constituent?ref=smdp.com)[New York’s state government](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/new-york-states-public-campaign-financing-program-empowers-constituent?ref=smdp.com) has a similar program for statewide races, as do[ ](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/guide-public-financing-programs-nationwide?ref=smdp.com)[13 other states](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/guide-public-financing-programs-nationwide?ref=smdp.com).
Let’s learn from our recent experience of the Steyer-Becerra conundrum — and Mamdani’s once-improbable victory — and open the door for a similar system in California, where wealth does not determine who represents us and what policies become law.
\_\_\_\_\_
By Mary Gomes. Mary Gomes is a psychology professor at Sonoma State University and an alumni ambassador for the OpEd Project. This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
### Santa Ana winds, heat prompt possible power shutoffs in Malibu
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-ana-winds-heat-prompt-possible-power-shutoffs-in-malibu/
Last updated: 2026-10-14T10:00:00.000Z
Southern California Edison may cut power to parts of Malibu beginning Thursday as forecasters warn of hot, dry Santa Ana winds that could fuel extreme fire behavior, city officials said Tuesday.
The utility told the city it may shut off power to Malibu's Cuthbert, Galahad, Maguire and Merlin circuits starting at midnight Thursday, Oct. 15\. The step, called a Public Safety Power Shutoff, is meant to keep SCE equipment from starting fires during dangerous conditions.
The National Weather Service forecasts hot, dry conditions and Santa Ana winds from Tuesday through Friday. Mountain gusts could reach 70 mph, and any new fire could spread with extreme behavior. The strongest winds and the hottest temperatures, in the upper 80s and 90s, are expected Thursday and Friday.
SCE notifies affected customers directly. Residents can look up their circuit and check outage and restoration status on the utility's PSPS page at sce.com. According to the city, power may take eight hours or more to come back after the winds die down, because crews must inspect lines and equipment for safety before restoring service.
City officials urged residents to prepare for outages of power, cell service and traffic signals, as well as for fires and evacuations.
The city's guidance includes keeping phones and devices charged and vehicle gas tanks full. Residents should review evacuation routes and reunification locations and prepare emergency supplies, including food, water, medications and essential documents. Officials said elderly and disabled residents and horse owners should consider leaving early. They also asked residents to check on vulnerable neighbors.
Anyone who sees smoke should call 911\. California law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at any malfunctioning traffic signal. Officials said residents should be extremely careful with anything that could cause sparks, such as powered garden or landscaping equipment.
The city recommended keeping a battery-powered or car radio on hand to follow weather and emergency information during outages, including KBUU 99.1 FM. Other resources include:
\- the Watch Duty app
\- Los Angeles County's emergency information page at lacounty.gov/emergency
\- county alert sign-ups at ready.lacounty.gov/emergency-notifications
\- city alerts at malibucity.org/news
A fire preparedness guide is also available on the city's website.
The warnings come as the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles/Oxnard said Tuesday that a heat advisory remains in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday. Temperatures up to 95 degrees are expected.
The return of heat and fire danger follows weeks of sharp swings in the region's weather. Southern California went from a prolonged heat wave to the season's first widespread rain as Tropical Storm Rachel approached the region last weekend. Temperatures went from the 70’s two weeks ago, to 100 during the recent heatwave to 69 on Monday.
The advisory covers Los Angeles County beaches, the Los Angeles County inland coast including downtown Los Angeles, and the Palos Verdes Hills. It also covers coastal and inland areas of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Cities in the advisory area include Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Torrance, Redondo Beach and Long Beach.
The weather service said the heat may cause heat illnesses. Forecasters advised residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors.
### Airport conversion project to unveil park master plan at Oct. 17 event
URL: https://www.smdp.com/airport-conversion-project-to-unveil-park-master-plan-at-oct-17-event/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project will unveil its Illustrative Master Plan for the future park at a community event from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Memorial Park Gymnasium.
The event launches the fourth of five phases in the multiyear planning effort, which follows more than two years of community outreach. The project will shape the future of the airport site after aviation operations end in 2028.
The master plan shows how the park will be organized and how people will move through it. Perspective drawings at the event will illustrate key views, and attendees can share feedback directly with the project team.
Phase 4 builds on community and City Council feedback on the Framework Diagram presented during Phase 3B, which established the park's overall structure and districts. A Phase 3B online survey, conducted from February to April, drew more than 4,200 responses on district locations and potential uses. Results and comments are available under the[ ](https://www.smacproject.com/Resources?ref=smdp.com)[Resources tab on the project website](https://www.smacproject.com/Resources?ref=smdp.com).
"The airport land belongs to the people of Santa Monica, and its future should be decided by them," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "Residents have given us their time and their ideas at every step of this process, and the latest survey results reflect that. I hope you will read them, join us on Oct. 17, and help us get this right for Santa Monicans who will use this space for generations to come."
Phase 4 will also explore phasing, implementation and cost estimates.
Those unable to attend can review the plan and give feedback at future board and commission meetings and through an online survey.
For updates, visit[ ](https://www.smacproject.com/?ref=smdp.com)[smacproject.com](https://www.smacproject.com/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Samohi, Malibu High climb in U.S. News best high schools rankings
URL: https://www.smdp.com/samohi-malibu-high-climb-in-u-s-news-best-high-schools-rankings/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T18:59:00.000Z
Santa Monica High School and Malibu High School were named among the nation’s best in the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, which evaluated nearly 18,000 public schools.
Samohi ranked No. 562 nationally, No. 82 in California and No. 34 in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Malibu High ranked No. 953 nationally, No. 158 in California and No. 73 in the Los Angeles area.
Both schools are part of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, and both posted significant gains from 2025\. That year, Samohi ranked No. 777 nationally and No. 102 in California, and Malibu High ranked No. 2,009 nationally and No. 276 in California.
“We are proud to see both of our comprehensive high schools recognized among the top schools in the state and nation,” said SMMUSD Superintendent Antonio Shelton. “These rankings reflect the commitment of our students, educators, staff and administrators to academic excellence and preparing every student for success beyond high school.”
U.S. News evaluates schools on several measures of academic performance. They include college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance and graduation rate.
Olympic High School is not included in the rankings because it is an alternative school.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Pier marks 50 years of Dogtown with free drive-in Oct. 15
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-pier-marks-50-years-of-dogtown-with-free-drive-in-oct-15/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Pier will mark 50 years since the rise of Dogtown and the Z-Boys with a special edition of Locals’ Night from 3:30 to 10 p.m. Oct. 15.
Pacific Park is presenting the free, all-ages event. It will feature a drive-in screening of “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” Stacy Peralta’s documentary about the pioneering Zephyr skateboard team, and a live vinyl DJ set by original Z-Boy Tony Alva.
The Z-Boys emerged from the Westside in the mid-1970s and brought a radical, surf-inspired style to skateboarding that helped redefine the sport.
“Fifty years later, the influence of Dogtown and the Z-Boys can still be seen in skateboarding and Southern California culture around the world,” said Jim Harris, the pier’s executive director and historian.
Drive-in ticket holders may drive onto the pier parking deck between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. to claim viewing spots. Guests with general chair seating tickets should bring blankets or chairs.
From 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., skaters can use a ramp on the parking deck with a free skate ticket and signed waiver. Books & Cookies Musical Storytime takes place at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. in the Merry Go-Round Building. A classic car meet with DJ Cee Rock runs from 4 to 8 p.m.
Cheer performances from St. Monica and Samohi take place on the main stage at 5 p.m. Behind Marisol, Courtney Parisi leads salsa lessons at 6 p.m., followed by live music from Chino Espinoza Y Los Duenos Del Son at 7 p.m.
Alva’s DJ set begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the screening at 7:30 p.m. Cycotic Youth closes the night with live music at 9 p.m.
The event also spotlights the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which ends at the pier. More information is available at[ ](http://www.santamonica.com/route66?ref=smdp.com)[www.santamonica.com/route66](http://www.santamonica.com/route66?ref=smdp.com).
Locals’ Night is the pier’s recurring community celebration. It is made possible by the nonprofit Santa Monica Pier Corp., which the city does not fully fund, and is presented by Pacific Park and Playland Arcade.
Admission is free, but guests need advance reservations for drive-in, general chair seating and skate tickets at dogtowndrivein.eventbrite.com. Guests are encouraged to arrive by rideshare, Metro, Big Blue Bus or bike.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Malibu to host Senior Resource Fair Oct. 15 at City Hall
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-to-host-senior-resource-fair-oct-15-at-city-hall/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T18:58:59.000Z
Malibu seniors are invited to the city's fourth annual Senior Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at City Hall.
The free event, hosted by the city's Community Services Department, will connect seniors with local providers offering information on wellness services, home care, community programs, emergency preparedness, insurance assistance, financial planning and healthy aging.
The first 50 attendees will receive a free boxed lunch, and participants can win raffle prizes from vendors.
Featured vendors include Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Wellness Center, Collette Travel, BrightStar Care, Disability Community Resource Center, Wise & Healthy Aging, Forest Lawn Mortuaries, Santa Monica College Emeritus Program, Heaven's Hands Home Health, LA County Department of Aging & Disabilities, Malibu Long Term Recovery Group, Meadowbrook at Agoura Hills, Silverado Memory Care Calabasas and Simpler Horizons Insurance Solutions.
RSVPs are encouraged but not required. For more information, visit MalibuCity.org/SeniorCenter. To RSVP, call the Malibu Senior Center at 310-456-2489, ext. 357.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Newsom signs Allen bill creating low-interest loans for wildfire home hardening
URL: https://www.smdp.com/newsom-signs-allen-bill-creating-low-interest-loans-for-wildfire-home-hardening/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T18:58:59.000Z
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed[ ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB894&ref=smdp.com)[SB 894](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB894&ref=smdp.com), a bill by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, that creates a state-backed, low-interest loan program to help property owners pay for home hardening and defensible space improvements.
The bill, called the Wildfire Mitigation Affordability Act, passed the Legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support. The resulting California Wildfire Resilience Loan Program will be implemented by the State Treasurer's Office.
"SB 894 will help homeowners and businesses access low-interest financing to harden their properties and create defensible space — reducing risk before the next wildfire strikes," Allen said. "If we want safer communities and a more stable insurance market, we have to help Californians take meaningful steps to protect their homes without putting those improvements financially out of reach."
A[ ](https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/landmark-study-shows-rebuilding-los-angeles-to-wildfire-safety-standards-could-slash-future-fire-losses?ref=smdp.com)[recent UC Berkeley study](https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/landmark-study-shows-rebuilding-los-angeles-to-wildfire-safety-standards-could-slash-future-fire-losses?ref=smdp.com) found that structures with key home hardening and defensible space features were more than twice as likely to survive a wildfire as those without any mitigation work. Such research has fueled California's push for stronger home hardening rules as part of a broader effort to improve insurability statewide.
But those upgrades can be too costly for many residents. The new loan program is modeled after California's[ ](https://www.gogreenfinancing.com/energy-efficiency-home-loans-california/eligible-financing-projects/?ref=smdp.com)[GoGreen energy-finance platform](https://www.gogreenfinancing.com/energy-efficiency-home-loans-california/eligible-financing-projects/?ref=smdp.com), which has helped residents finance energy-efficient upgrades.
"Adopting a model that has proven to work is commonsense for one of California's top priorities right now: reducing fire risk across California in the face of a changing climate," Allen said.
Eric Horne, California director at Megafire Action, the bill's sponsor, called the law "a historic win for Californians."
The program comes as affordable insurance becomes harder to find and hotter, drier conditions increase fire risk.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica named 'Most Business-Friendly City' finalist for second straight year
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-named-most-business-friendly-city-finalist-for-second-straight-year/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica has been named a finalist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.'s Eddy Awards for the second consecutive year, the city announced Oct. 6.
The city is one of seven finalists for the "Most Business-Friendly City" award in the large cities category. It was recognized for streamlining permitting, its Business Concierge service and its commercial activation efforts. Honorees will be announced Nov. 4 at a ceremony at the Rose Bowl.
"A city is business friendly when someone with a good idea can get a permit, open their doors and hire their neighbors without waiting on us," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "We have spent the last several years updating our zoning, lowering fees and simplifying our processes to get there."
The city's Realignment Plan, adopted in October 2025, built on earlier zoning and policy changes to further lower costs and speed approvals. It created a $3 million Economic Development Fund, launched one-time $5,000 grants for small brick-and-mortar businesses and eliminated the city's portion of the wastewater capacity charge, a change the city said lets a 50-seat restaurant keep $50,000.
The plan also cut sidewalk dining fees by 75% per square foot, halved parklet fees, created a free program allowing restaurants to offer basic outdoor dining without permits and expanded the city's Entertainment Zone beyond Third Street Promenade.
The Business Concierge program answered more than 800 business inquiries in its first year. Within four months of the plan's launch, on-time first-round commercial reviews rose more than 40 points to 92.5%, and a pilot self-certification program now issues permits within five business days.
The city also cited safety and cleanup efforts, including a police substation on Third Street Promenade that opened in June, full sworn police staffing for the first time in 20 years and a $3.5 million commercial district improvement program that has cleared 502 tons of debris.
Upcoming events include a Swiss Winter Village on the Santa Monica Pier from November through January and an ESPN broadcast center on Santa Monica Beach during Super Bowl week in February.
More information is available in the Santa Monica Scorecard. For more on the Eddy Awards, visit[ ](https://laedc.org/30theddys?ref=smdp.com)[laedc.org/30theddys](https://laedc.org/30theddys?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica planners urge city to keep existing parks in airport conversion
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-planners-urge-city-to-keep-existing-parks-in-airport-conversion/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T15:59:59.000Z
Santa Monica's Planning Commission is urging city staff to keep two existing parks in place as the city plans to turn its 192-acre airport into a vast public park, echoing cost concerns raised by another city advisory panel.
In a study session Oct. 7, commissioners approved on a voice vote a recommendation endorsing the first page of a Sept. 21 letter from the city's Recreation and Parks Commission. The letter calls for reconsidering plans to [remake](https://www.smdp.com/city-leaders-back-plan-to-turn-the-victorian-into-a-membership-club/) Clover Park as an 18-acre walking district called "The Stroll" and to move the 8-acre Airport Park into a new active sports area.
"I just think it's so wasteful to move what we have as an existing park to somewhere else, even on a really long timeline," said Commissioner Jacob Wasserman, who made the motion.
The recreation commission's letter said relocating Clover Park's baseball field, two softball fields, basketball courts and sand volleyball court would use up to 10 of the 40 acres proposed for active sports on replacement facilities rather than new amenities. It said Airport Park, with its dog run, playground, picnic area, restrooms and all-weather soccer field, should remain as is.
Tony Lopez, the city's newly promoted principal design and planning manager, told commissioners that removing Clover Park's fields "isn't something that we would entertain now because that would impact our level of service dramatically." He said the fields could later move to a consolidated sports district as funding allows.
Cost dominated the commission's questions. City staff have not yet produced an estimate for the park.
Commissioner Leslie Lambert said public expectations are "obviously very high because it's beautiful, but if it's ridiculously expensive, frankly, it ain't going to happen."
Chair Josh Hamilton asked whether the process meant "we're going to design it, and then we're going to determine how much it's going to cost, and then we're going to have to come back and redesign it."
Lopez said that is typical for a master plan of this scale. Putting a price on what is essentially a graphic plan would be "a little bit irresponsible," he said, noting the community has suggested about 94 different uses.
Deputy City Manager Peter James compared the choices ahead to picking a car, with options ranging from a Honda to a Lexus.
"We have a plan that's a blueprint. It guides our decisions," James said. But the city has "not determined the level of trim or even the vehicle that we're going to be driving," he said.
Funding could come from public financing, grants and philanthropy, James said, and a fancier park might require a public-private partnership.
Hamilton urged staff to build on existing infrastructure now rather than revise the plan later. "We need to be realistic here, and we should start being realistic at the very beginning of this process," he said.
The recreation commission's letter also proposed converting the Santa Monica Airport Enterprise Zone into a park enterprise zone, so lease revenue would pay for the park. The letter says non-aviation businesses there generate about $20 million to $22 million in revenue a year. James said that decision ultimately belongs to the City Council.
Vice Chair Peer Chacko said he supported most of the letter but hesitated on the enterprise fund idea. "I'd much rather not make a recommendation without understanding all the options first," he said.
Lambert, saying she knew the question would "bring the house down," asked whether housing would still be studied in the project's environmental review. Lopez said the council directed staff to study a park that complies with Measure LC, which requires voter approval for uses the measure does not name.
Two people urged the commission in written comments to include below-market housing on the site. James said 224 housing-related comments missing from an earlier survey report now appear in the published results.
Wasserman also took aim at the survey. "We have to stop doing opt-in surveys," he said. "They are pseudoscience."
The city's latest survey drew more than 4,200 responses from Feb. 18 to April 28\. Support for each district's location ranged from about 57% to more than 71%. Wasserman said the results "could be boiled down to people like parks," adding, "How much did we pay a consultant to find that?"
The airport is scheduled to close permanently at midnight Dec. 31, 2028.
The city will unveil a draft master plan for the park at a community workshop Oct. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. at [Memorial Park Gym](https://www.santamonica.gov/places/city-facilities/memorial-park-gym-and-fitness-room?ref=smdp.com), 1401 Olympic Blvd. City commissions will review the plan again in November before it goes to the City Council in January.
Staff expect to choose a consultant for the environmental review by the end of October. That review is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
### Proposed Pier lease offers brewery more city money, lower rent and weaker worker guarantees than failed deal
URL: https://www.smdp.com/proposed-pier-lease-offers-brewery-more-city-money-lower-rent-and-weaker-worker-guarantees-than-failed-deal/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T10:00:01.000Z
A proposed lease for the vacant restaurant space at 256 Santa Monica Pier would give Santa Monica Brew Works more city money for improvements and lower rent than the city offered the operator it chose for the site in April, while scaling back guarantees for workers who lost their jobs when Rusty's Surf Ranch closed.
The City Council is scheduled Tuesday to consider authorizing City Manager Oliver Chi to negotiate and sign a lease with Santa Monica Brew Works, a craft brewery that has operated in Santa Monica since 2014\. A prior deal with a proposed restaurant California Roadhouse, Inc. fell apart earlier this year after the operator questioned council mandates around.
California Roadhouse, led by owner and CEO Sean Ahaus, won a competitive selection process in 2025\. The Santa Monica Pier Corporation Board approved the proposal twice, the second time in December following a re-notice. The lease was pulled from a scheduled March City Council vote after UNITE HERE Local 11 secured an emergency meeting with senior city staff to oppose it. On April 28, the council authorized lease terms that included Labor Peace and Employee Retention provisions, which Ahaus said were unfair and/or illegal. The negotiations fell apart ending with threats of litigation by Ahaus.
City staff describe the new terms as "similar in nature" to the prior deal but a comparison of the two staff reports shows several significant differences.
The largest involves former Rusty's employees, who were displaced when the restaurant closed in February 2025, before the city's Worker Protection Ordinance took effect in March 2026\. Under the California Roadhouse terms, staff said the ordinance would apply to the lease going forward, and former Rusty's workers who completed a structured interview process would be rehired, subject to the company's operational needs, and guaranteed at least 90 days of employment. During that period they could be fired only for good cause, lawful cause or a bona fide reduction in force.
The Brew Works report states the tenant "is not currently and will not be subject to" the city's worker recall and retention ordinances at the property. Instead, Brew Works would interview eligible former Rusty's employees who apply during a 30-day hiring window before opening and offer jobs to qualified applicants for available positions based on its operational needs. Those hired would serve a 90-day introductory period, then fall under the company's standard employment policies. The report includes no guarantee of rehiring or limits on termination during that period. Managerial, supervisory and confidential employees are excluded.
On improvements, the city would give Brew Works a tenant improvement allowance of up to $750,000, compared with a $500,000 "City Advance" for California Roadhouse. The Roadhouse deal set out a three-stage disbursement schedule, audit rights and a five-year declining repayment provision. The Brew Works report describes no disbursement schedule or clawback, though it conditions the allowance on continuous operation of the business.
The city also would pay to repair or replace all base building systems before handing the space to Brew Works, including the roof, structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fire and life-safety systems, and would waive city permit and plan check fees. The report does not estimate the cost of that work. California Roadhouse would have taken the space largely as-is, with about $125,000 in city repairs and roughly $100,000 in waived rent and fees, for a total city expense of about $725,000.
Rent would also be lower. Brew Works would pay $5 per square foot on 3,039 square feet of interior space, with 3% annual increases, generating about $214,800 for the Pier Fund in its first rent-paying year. California Roadhouse would have paid $26,728 a month, with annual increases, which staff estimated at $325,000 a year. Common area maintenance charges are nearly identical under both deals.
Brew Works would receive a five-year term with two five-year extension options. California Roadhouse was offered one option, contingent on finishing improvements on schedule.
Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in City Hall at 1685 Main Street.
### Meth addict cuts internet service for hundreds of Frontier subscribers over the weekend
URL: https://www.smdp.com/meth-addict-cuts-internet-service-for-hundreds-of-frontier-subscribers-over-the-weekend/
Last updated: 2026-10-13T00:39:49.000Z
A 48-year-old man was arrested Saturday after a resident reported seeing him pull wiring from a utility box in Santa Monica, cutting off internet service and television services for a swath of residents North of Montana, police said.
Santa Monica police responded at 1:06 p.m. to the 100 block of Marguerita Avenue. Officers found a man matching the resident’s description nearby, and the resident identified him, according to police. Fred Hudson was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism.
Repairs were estimated at about $2,000 and while some residents were told repairs would not be complete until Monday, others had service restored after about 15 hours.
Officers searching Hudson after the arrest found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, police said. He was booked into the Santa Monica Police Department jail on suspicion of felony vandalism, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as violating probation and post-release community supervision.
Officers also received a report of tampering with another utility cabinet in the 400 block of Ocean Avenue, near Georgina Avenue but police found no clear signs of damage there.
### Santa Monica College to stage Orwell's 'Animal Farm' Oct. 16-25
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-to-stage-orwells-animal-farm-oct-16-25/
Last updated: 2026-10-12T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department will present "Animal Farm" Oct. 16-25 at the Theatre Arts Studio Stage on the[ ](https://www.smc.edu/about/campuses/documents/smc-main-campus.pdf?ref=smdp.com)[SMC main campus](https://www.smc.edu/about/campuses/documents/smc-main-campus.pdf?ref=smdp.com), 1900 Pico Blvd.
Adapted by Nelson Bond from George Orwell's novella, the play is a satire about the seduction of power in which farm animals overthrow their human oppressor. The college describes it as a timely story and a timeless allegory about the many faces of tyranny.
SMC Theatre Arts instructor Terrin Adair directs the production.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 16 and 23, and Saturdays, Oct. 17 and 24, with 2 p.m. matinees Sundays, Oct. 18 and 25\. All performances are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Advance tickets are $15 plus a service charge and can be purchased online at[ ](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/tickets](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com) or by calling 310-434-4165 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets bought on performance weekends at the Events Box Office in the Theatre Arts building cost $3 more.
Parking is free. Information on parking, transportation and directions is available at[ ](http://smc.edu/transportation?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/transportation](http://smc.edu/transportation?ref=smdp.com).
The play is presented by arrangement with[ ](http://www.concordtheatricals.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Concord Theatricals](http://www.concordtheatricals.com/?ref=smdp.com) on behalf of Samuel French Inc.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Arc'teryx opens first climbing-focused store on Abbot Kinney
URL: https://www.smdp.com/arcteryx-opens-first-climbing-focused-store-on-abbot-kinney/
Last updated: 2026-10-12T18:58:59.000Z
Arc'teryx Equipment has opened a store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice that the company calls its first retail concept dedicated exclusively to climbing.
The store at 1116 Abbot Kinney Blvd. opened Saturday, Oct. 3\. It is the North Vancouver, Canada-based apparel and equipment company's fourth location in Los Angeles and fifth in Southern California.
Along with Arc'teryx climbing apparel and equipment and a curated selection of third-party climbing products, the store includes a climbing wall, a lounge, an outdoor patio and a beta board where local climbers can gather, train, learn and connect.
"At Arc'teryx climbing is part of our DNA and community has always been core to how we think about retail," said Delaney Schweitzer, the company's general manager for North America.
Schweitzer said the store was designed to preserve the character of an existing building while creating a flexible space that can shift between retail, climbing and community programming.
The built-in Grasshopper climbing wall can be activated for events, with routes and holds updated regularly by local partner Long Beach Rising. The store's Beta Lounge features furniture from local design studio WAKA WAKA, climbing guidebooks and current issues of Alpinist and Summit Journal.
Large-scale athlete imagery and displays of photographs, artifacts, books and written narratives highlight the people and preparation behind significant ascents. A rotating projection series, Arc Presents, will bring climbing films and other content into the space.
The patio can be configured for workshops, small gatherings and screenings, and flexible fixtures allow the retail floor to host films, workshops, talks and other events.
Arc'teryx has worked with local climbing partners including ABA and Long Beach Rising, which will help shape events, workshops and in-store climbing experiences. Long Beach Rising will also support the store's selection of third-party climbing products.
"Our best stores are shaped by the communities they serve," said Stephanie Jamieson, the company's senior director of brand community for North America.
Jamieson said the goal was to create a place where Los Angeles climbers would want to spend time, learn from one another and connect with the local scene.
The store is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Arc'teryx products are sold through more than 160 branded stores and more than 2,400 retail locations worldwide.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California will need more than a ‘kill switch’ to keep AI under control
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-will-need-more-than-a-kill-switch-to-keep-ai-under-control/
Last updated: 2026-10-12T16:00:04.000Z
California just moved from talking about AI safety to building concrete oversight.
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered[ ](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/18/governor-newsom-issues-executive-order-to-accelerate-independent-oversight-and-advance-the-creation-of-an-ai-kill-switch/?ref=smdp.com)[faster implementation of independent AI audits](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/18/governor-newsom-issues-executive-order-to-accelerate-independent-oversight-and-advance-the-creation-of-an-ai-kill-switch/?ref=smdp.com) and development of[ ](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/ai-rules-newsom-state-directive/?ref=smdp.com)[a verified “kill switch”](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/ai-rules-newsom-state-directive/?ref=smdp.com) for frontier systems, explicitly citing recent AI incidents, including the[ ](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/advocates-sue-openai-over-hugging-face-hack-with-california-anti-hacking-law-01097532?ref=smdp.com)[Hugging Face hack](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/advocates-sue-openai-over-hugging-face-hack-with-california-anti-hacking-law-01097532?ref=smdp.com).
That is the right direction, but California should go one step further: make delegated authority a first-class part of AI safety. Delegated authority describes the permissions and decision-making power a person or organization gives an AI system to act on its behalf without seeking approval for every step. Proponents say it improves accountability.
The concern about rogue activity is not confined to critics of artificial intelligence.[ ](https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476203863224394?ref=smdp.com)[Jacob Coxon](https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476203863224394?ref=smdp.com), while resigning from Anthropic after three years of research across OpenAI and Anthropic, warned that leading labs are “racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and[ ](https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/09/calpers-artificial-intelligence-doom/?ref=smdp.com)[gambling with our lives](https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/09/calpers-artificial-intelligence-doom/?ref=smdp.com).”
[Evan Hubinger](https://x.com/EvanHub/status/2097497037956891126?ref=smdp.com), Anthropic’s alignment science lead, responded to his statement with an even starker warning: “Jacob is correct here — we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think it is >10% within the next decade.”
These alarming warnings gain real-world weight from the underlying control problem.[ ](https://x.com/sama/status/2079661132302995790?ref=smdp.com)[OpenAI disclosed](https://x.com/sama/status/2079661132302995790?ref=smdp.com) that its AI systems broke out of a sandboxed testing environment, reached the internet and autonomously hacked Hugging Face, in what OpenAI described as an unprecedented cyber incident.
[METR later reported](https://metr.org/blog/2026-08-26-openai-hugging-face-incident-investigation/?ref=smdp.com) that roughly 1,200 AI agents — that were meant to be isolated — had found and used an unsanctioned, shared message board and exchanged more than 70,000 messages and files. Roughly 700 participated in the attack.
The striking fact is that the agents discovered a coordination channel designers had not intended and used it at scale. If more capable successor agents can discover vulnerabilities, obtain credentials, move laterally, coordinate and evade controls, then similar failures against electric grids, financial institutions, communications networks, health infrastructure or defense systems could be far more severe.
I’m no AI skeptic. I love what AI can do. I help organizations adopt it for a living, and I want adoption to move faster.
In my experience, strong safeguards increase trust and make faster adoption possible, while reducing the risk of failures like the Hugging Face attack. That is also a central argument of my book, “[The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work](https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/aibook?ref=smdp.com).” People use powerful technology more readily when they trust the system, understand the rules and believe meaningful safeguards exist.
California’s[ ](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-governor-race-ai-safety/?ref=smdp.com)[independent-verification framework](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-governor-race-ai-safety/?ref=smdp.com) and proposed kill switch are therefore valuable.
Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, recently[ ](https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier?ref=smdp.com)[argued for stronger regulation](https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier?ref=smdp.com) and committed Anthropic to embedding third-party evaluators with employee-like access.[ ](https://openai.com/index/ai-policy-window/?ref=smdp.com)[OpenAI has likewise called](https://openai.com/index/ai-policy-window/?ref=smdp.com) for mandatory capability-based safety rules, independent assessment, stronger cybersecurity and serious-incident reporting. They joined other top tech firms at the White House this week to[ ](https://apnews.com/article/trump-ai-anthropic-musk-595796511f110fc006cca0d01329733e?ref=smdp.com)[sign a self-policing accord](https://apnews.com/article/trump-ai-anthropic-musk-595796511f110fc006cca0d01329733e?ref=smdp.com).
Announced commitments matter, but binding rules matter more, because every frontier company should face the same floor.
California should add one more requirement to that floor: authority budgets.
An authority budget defines the maximum power an AI agent receives before it must stop and obtain human approval. It should limit which systems and data an agent can access, which credentials and tools it receives, what external communications it can send, what records it can change, whether it can deploy code or spend money, and which consequential decisions require approval.
Permissions should be least-privilege, task-specific and time-limited, with complete logging, anomaly monitoring and a reliable pause mechanism.
Users and organizations also have leverage now. They can choose more ethical and secure AI companies, like Anthropic, based on observable commitments to independent evaluation, incident transparency, security and regulation.
But purchasing choices cannot substitute for a regulatory floor.
Newsom’s order recognizes that California cannot wait for another incident. The next step is to ensure that independent evaluators can verify not just whether frontier systems are powerful and interruptible, but how much authority they can exercise before a human must take over.
That is how California can make AI adoption faster without making control an afterthought.
\_\_\_\_\_
By Gleb Tsipursky
### French choreographer brings LA-inspired dance workshops to Santa Monica
URL: https://www.smdp.com/french-choreographer-brings-la-inspired-dance-workshops-to-santa-monica/
Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:59:59.000Z
French choreographer Elite Parker will bring three dance workshops inspired by Los Angeles film, television and hip-hop culture to Santa Monica in October. The series is the first U.S. stop in what she describes as a broader international development for her company.
The workshops will be held at 1247 Lincoln Blvd. They are open to teenagers and adults from beginner through advanced levels.
Santa Monica Movies & TV, from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 24, is a choreography session inspired by the films, television, music and pop culture connected to [Los Angeles and the California coast](https://www.smdp.com/around-town-brats-blues-block-parties/). L.A. Hip-Hop & West Coast, from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 25, centers on groove, musicality, attitude and choreography drawn from West Coast hip-hop culture. L.A. Dance Mix, from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28, blends modern jazz, street jazz, hip-hop, commercial dance and open style, with influences from dancehall and K-pop.
"From the outside, Los Angeles has always felt like a place where dance is connected to many different worlds at once: music, film, television, street culture, fashion and performance," Parker, founder and artistic director of Elite Parker Dance, said in written responses to questions. "That mix is what interests me most."
"I did not want to come to Los Angeles and simply teach the same class I could teach anywhere else," Parker said. "I wanted the workshops to have a real connection with the city and with the culture surrounding it."
Parker, whose name is Géraldine Selva, said coming from France gives her a slightly different perspective.
"I grew up being influenced by American music, movies and dance culture from a distance, so coming to California allows me to connect those influences with the actual place that inspired so much of them," she said.
Although the workshops allow experienced dancers to explore interpretation and performance at a deeper level, Parker said they are also meant for people who might not usually feel confident attending a Los Angeles dance class. One of her goals is for them to learn a complete choreography and perform it by the end of the session. No professional dance experience is required.
"I would tell them not to worry about having to 'look like a dancer' before coming in," she said.
Each session begins with a warm-up, musicality and coordination work. Parker then teaches the choreography step by step and gives participants time to practice and ask questions before putting the full routine together.
"The atmosphere is energetic, but it is not about judging people or expecting perfection," she said. "For me, the most important thing is that someone can walk in feeling nervous and leave feeling more confident, more musical and happy that they tried something new."
Parker said she chose Santa Monica as her first U.S. stop because of its distinct identity.
"It is connected to Los Angeles, but it also has its own atmosphere, with the ocean, the Pier, the history of film and television, and a very international community," she said.
The workshops open her company's 2026-27 international season. Parker said London is already booked, and she is developing a New York project with a studio option in the Broadway and Central Park area of Manhattan.
"The goal is to build long-term connections with dancers, studios and artistic communities in different cities, rather than treating each workshop as an isolated event," she said.
Parker began dancing at age 5\. She has worked for years as a dance instructor and choreographer in France, teaching modern jazz, street jazz, hip-hop, dancehall and other contemporary styles. She also performs as a DJ, composer and recording artist under the Elite Parker name. Her music draws on hip-hop, electro, jungle and drum and bass, and reggae.
She said she began performing concerts at 21\. She also said she has collaborated with Kinetic 9 of Killarmy, a group she described as affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan universe. Before founding Elite Parker Dance, she worked as a model through agencies in Paris.
Parker said her work in music shapes how she builds a dance.
"I do not simply count eight beats and place movement on top of a track," she said. "I listen to the construction of the music: the bass, percussion, vocals, breaks, textures, changes of energy and sometimes very small sounds that can completely change the movement."
"Hip-hop does not make me move or choreograph in the same way as electronic music, dancehall, pop or another genre," Parker said.
She said she had been encouraged and invited several times to come to Los Angeles or New York, but the timing never allowed it.
"I had been thinking about L.A. for years, and I finally found the time to make it happen," she said.
She added, "And quite simply: I love L.A."
For more information, visit: [www.facebook.com/p/Elite-Parker-dance-100063664652245/](http://www.facebook.com/p/Elite-Parker-dance-100063664652245/)
### Pink wave to roll down LA coast as Boarding for Breast Cancer marks 30 years
URL: https://www.smdp.com/pink-wave-to-roll-down-la-coast-as-boarding-for-breast-cancer-marks-30-years/
Last updated: 2026-10-12T20:14:11.000Z
Update: The registration party/30th anniversary venue just got changed to The Deck in Hermosa Beach.
Boarding for Breast Cancer will celebrate its 30th anniversary this month by sending hundreds of riders dressed in pink down the Southern California coast, with the nonprofit aiming to raise $100,000 at its biggest fundraiser of the year.
The 19th annual Skate the Coast, set for Saturday, Oct. 24, is a 15-mile skate, bike and roll from the [Santa Monica Pier](https://www.smdp.com/off-the-hook-seafood-festival-returns-to-santa-monica-pier-marks-route-66-centennial/) to Dive N' Surf in Redondo Beach. The event typically brings in close to $75,000, said Lisa Hudson, co-founder and president of the organization, known as B4BC.
"Reaching $100,000 would be an incredible way to celebrate three decades of this work and help us carry it forward," Hudson said.
Money raised supports B4BC's year-round breast cancer education, prevention and survivorship programs. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit promotes early detection and a healthy, active lifestyle as the best means of breast cancer prevention. The ride falls during October, which is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Hudson said the event grew out of the group's roots.
"We were founded in 1996 within the action sports community, so bringing people together through skating, biking, movement and an active lifestyle has always been at the heart of what we do," she said. "What started as a grassroots ride has grown into one of our most meaningful annual traditions."
Skate the Coast is the sister event to B4BC's 22nd annual Skate the Lake in Lake Tahoe. Over the past 20 years, thousands of people have taken part in the organization's skate series, and B4BC has raised more than $1 million for its initiatives.
On ride day, participants will board a shuttle at Dive N' Surf at 7:30 a.m. for the trip to the starting line at the Santa Monica Pier, where B4BC will send them off at 9 a.m.
"The Santa Monica Pier is the perfect starting point," Hudson said. "It's such an iconic part of Southern California and gives us this beautiful backdrop to bring together the ocean, the action sports community and our mission of healthy, active living."
Riders will stop at hydration stations at Blauer Board Shop at 10 a.m. and at Marina del Rey Parking Lot 5\. At 11:30 a.m., the group will reach Dockweiler State Beach, where those who want to ride only the final 7 miles can join in. After a last hydration stop at Noble Park, participants will finish at Dive N' Surf to a cheering crowd.
A finish line party runs from noon to 4 p.m. with food from Wahoo's Fish Tacos, music, drinks, awards and a sponsor village, including vitamin C samples from presenting sponsor LivOn Labs.
Hudson described the ride as a day packed with emotion and energy.
"Hundreds of people in pink moving together along the coast, with the ocean beside you — there's music, laughter, cheering and lots of high-fives, but underneath it all is a powerful sense of purpose," she said.
She called it a day about community, purpose, remembrance, gratitude and nature.
"It's not a race — it's a collective push for prevention," Hudson said.
The event is open to riders of every age and ability, including skateboarders, cyclists, roller skaters and scooter riders.
"If you're on wheels, you're part of the crew," Hudson said.
Registration requires a minimum $50 donation and includes an event T-shirt, a goodie bag and raffle tickets. Riders earn 10 more raffle tickets for every additional $100 they raise, giving them a chance at prizes from event partners. Participants can fundraise as individuals or as teams.
Those who can't attend in person can register as virtual participants, ride a local trail or path and post a photo on social media tagged @b4bc and #SkateTheCoast. B4BC will pick a photo contest winner Monday, Oct. 26.
The weekend kicks off Friday, Oct. 23, with a registration party and 30th anniversary celebration from 3 to 8 p.m. at Firestone Walker Brewery in Venice. The party is open to the public and will feature event registration, breast health education, live music, a silent auction, raffles and cold drinks.
For many riders, Hudson said, the day is a way to honor someone they love.
"Whether you're rolling in memory of someone you love, celebrating survivorship, supporting someone on their journey, or simply showing up to be part of something bigger than yourself, there is a place for you in our B4BC family," she said.
Registration and more information are available at b4bc.org and on the event page at [https://pro.gofundme.com/campaign/b4bcs-19th-annual-skate-the-coast/c813861](https://pro.gofundme.com/campaign/b4bcs-19th-annual-skate-the-coast/c813861?ref=smdp.com).
### City leaders back plan to turn the Victorian into a membership club
URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-leaders-back-plan-to-turn-the-victorian-into-a-membership-club/
Last updated: 2026-10-10T16:26:49.000Z
City leaders are welcoming the planned conversion of the longtime Main Street restaurant and nightclub into a family-centered membership club, saying the deal keeps a historic city-owned building active while writing public benefits into its lease.
The Victorian will close after its annual Halloween Party this month and reopen as The Santa Monican, a membership club with dining, recreation, wellness and children's programming at 2640 Main St.
[City records show a plan to convert the Victorian into a members clubThe Victorian, which announced it would close Monday, is set to be converted into a members club with a pool, spa and fitness center, according to city records. The City Council voted 7-0 on March 24 to approve transferring the lease for the city-owned property at 2640 MainSMDPGabe Kaplan](https://www.smdp.com/city-records-show-a-plan-to-convert-the-victorian-into-a-members-club/)
"The Victorian holds 20 years of birthdays, dates and nights out with friends, and I understand why people are sad to see it go," Mayor Caroline Torosis said.
The change began with Garner Gerson and Adir Tal, the operators behind The Victorian, who approached the city in late 2025\. City Manager Oliver Chi said they came to the city with a clear assessment of their own business, saying the nightclub business had run its course and something new was needed.
"Our job in that moment was not to get in the way, but to help them get there," Chi said. "In a realigned Santa Monica, that is what working with our business community looks like – listening when an operator tells us the market has changed and moving quickly so that a historic property stays active, cared for and open to the community."
On March 24, City Council approved the new lease unanimously, [meeting minutes](https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1477&Inline=True&ref=smdp.com) show. That vote came at the same meeting at which the council adopted an update to its Realignment Plan, which prioritizes economic revitalization along commercial corridors including Main Street.
Plans for The Santa Monican include a pool, a spa and fitness center, a family and youth facility, a coffee bistro, a restaurant and bar, and gardens and gathering spaces. According to a city staff report, the operators will pay for the renovation without public subsidy or rent credits.
Source: City Staff Report 7614
Membership details and pricing will be announced in the coming months.
"This building belongs to the city, so we wrote public benefits into its lease," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. Under the lease, up to 20% of memberships will be reserved as free scholarship memberships for qualifying Santa Monica residents, including families, educators and small business owners. The Heritage Museum lawn and the site's 25 public parking spaces will remain open to the public. The Sunday Farmers Market will continue, and the operators have committed to providing restrooms, storage, power and water to support it.
The lease also requires the operators to retain existing Victorian employees, set local hiring benchmarks, create a "first job" program for local youth, host free community events and an annual charity gala, and report yearly on community benefits.
The lease is being assigned to Santamonican Club LLC from Ocean Park Restaurant Corporation, which has held it since 1978\. Garner Gerson and Adir Tal are listed as managers.
"The outpouring of memories about The Victorian over the past few days has been extraordinary," Tal said in the October 9th release. "We're proud of what The Victorian has meant to Santa Monica, and just as proud that this property has a future."
"We want kids growing up in Santa Monica today to have the same connection to Main Street so many of us had growing up," Gerson said.
Questions had been raised over connections to [Calamigos Ranch](https://www.calamigos.com/?ref=smdp.com) in Malibu, as Gerson’s family owns the property and Tal was employed there. Speculation grew due to a section of the Calamigos website titled "The House Bar Santa Monica," describing a lounge "conveniently located on Main Street, just a block from the beach \[...\] exclusive to members during the day and a full-service bar at night."
Source: Calamigos Private Members Club website, screenshot on October 7th, 2026
The page was taken down after the Victorian announced its closure and Calamigos Ranch said in an Oct. 7 statement that neither the Malibu property nor its owner has any ownership interest, management role, business relationship or other affiliation with The Victorian, its operators or the planned club.
The Victorian, originally known as the Kyte House, first stood at 1003 Ocean Ave. A private developer who had planned to demolish it instead donated the house, along with the neighboring Roy Jones House, and paid to move both to Main Street in the 1970s. The Roy Jones House is now home to the California Heritage Museum, across from The Victorian.
Renovation is expected to begin in late 2026, with an opening targeted for mid-2028\.
### Police seize ghost gun during traffic stop, arrest driver
URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-seize-ghost-gun-during-traffic-stop-arrest-driver/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T19:34:59.000Z
**CRIME:** Santa Monica police seize ghost gun with large-capacity magazine during Ocean Park Boulevard traffic stop. (Courtesy of SMPD)
Police arrested a driver and seized an untraceable ghost gun fitted with a large-capacity magazine during a traffic stop in the 2800 block of Ocean Park Boulevard.
Officers stopped the vehicle after receiving reports of a man with a gun and safely detained the driver, according to police. A search turned up the firearm.
Police said ghost guns pose a significant threat to community safety because they bypass serial number tracking and background checks.
“Every illegal firearm off our streets is one less potential tragedy,” police said in a statement.
Police did not release the date of the stop, the driver’s name or any charges.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### In response to Susan Sheu’s guest commentary
URL: https://www.smdp.com/in-response-to-susan-sheus-guest-commentary/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T17:48:24.000Z
After reading the guest commentary from Ms. Susan Sheu, I’d first like to speak more generally about this trend of individuals and groups irresponsibly spreading misinformation meant to manipulate voters and influence political opinions, with little to no prior research or knowledge on certain topics. I am a firm believer and strong advocate of our democratic process, which often includes intense discussion, debate, disagreement and criticism.
So, I’m going to give you the informed perspective, and the fact-based reality, which you can then use to analyze the approach and intentions of those that wish to influence you with poorly researched narratives aimed to manipulate.
Ms. Sheu’s recent commentary singled out two of the more than 100 investments Bison Capital has made since 2001 and presented them as my “track record.” She did not contact me before publishing, and her research was limited to Reddit posts and websites. I welcome scrutiny, because debate, disagreement and criticism are what our democratic process is for. But voters deserve scrutiny grounded in how these businesses actually work and the facts and circumstances around our investments.
**Electronic monitoring.** The company we invested in makes software and hardware. Its customer is the government, not the offender, and it makes no enforcement decisions. What it offers is an alternative to incarceration. A person who stays out of jail keeps their job, their family and their housing, and the city, county or state saves millions of dollars.
Los Angeles County is one of the largest electronic monitoring customers in the United States. Ms. Sheu votes on endorsements for the LA County Democratic Party. If she wants the county to end the practice or provide the service itself, she can support candidates who will do that.
**Financial wellness.** This business is employer-sponsored. The company works with employers to give employees tools and relief that help them avoid bankruptcy and rebuild their credit. Keeping someone out of financial disaster keeps them out of potential poverty.
I would love for cities and states to provide these services free of charge. They don’t, and they can’t: they lack the resources, the technology and the funding. So what is the alternative? Sending people to jail or financially ruining their lives?
**The full record.** Two investments are not a track record. Since 2001, Bison Capital has created more than 20,000 jobs and protected another 30,000 from being lost. We have invested in healthcare, mental health, long-term care, health insurance, court systems, renewable energy, recycling, logistics and seismic protection technology, among other fields. I am accountable for all of it, and our community impact should be measured across all of it.
Our investments are complicated. They require hands-on involvement, and they usually come with a regulatory, legal or financial problem we were brought in to fix.
Our purpose led investment thesis involves improving the outcomes for everyone, for example – How can we improve the timelines for judicial processes? How can we improve mental health outcomes in facilities? How can we do a better job of long-term care and hospice? How can we keep someone from incarceration for which societal costs are astronomical? How can we keep someone from financial distress or bankruptcy? How can we improve financial wellness for those who need it most? How can we improve efficiency of solar panels? How can we reuse automotive components? How can we take non-renewable resources and make them renewable? How do we make last mile delivery as efficient as possible to avoid the environmental impacts? How do we ensure people with pre-existing conditions get access to health insurance? These are just some of the questions I spend my time trying to answer.
Our investors include CalSTRS (the California teachers’ pension fund), General Electric, Northwestern Mutual, TIAA, Prudential, and numerous state pension funds and college endowments. Some have invested with me for more than 25 years. They would not still be here if my record needed to be “brought to light.”
I have always been open about the fact that our strategy involves challenging situations, and I will stay that transparent. Fixing difficult businesses is the experience I would bring to the challenges Santa Monica faces now.
If Ms. Sheu would like to sit down for a recorded interview about any of our investments, I am available immediately, and she is welcome to publish it in full. Until then, I’ll leave readers with two questions:
Do we want low-level offenders incarcerated with no other options?
Do we want people who are struggling financially pushed into further ruin, without the tools to recover?
My answer to both is no. I hope yours is too.
We have an important election on November 3rd. Let’s get serious about the challenges in front of us, have honest and well-intentioned discussions about how to address them, and right the ship together.
Doug Trussler
### Santa Monica's Realignment Plan cuts crime, narrows deficit in first year
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monicas-realignment-plan-cuts-crime-narrows-deficit-in-first-year/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T18:59:59.000Z
A one-year update to the city’s Realignment Plan says a variety of actions in recent months has increased safety and improved the city’s finances.
The report from City Manager Oliver Chi's office says the city needed $26.7 million in one-time reserves to close the 2025-26 fiscal year, $7.3 million less than the $34 million budgeted. Excluding $22.5 million in capital spending, the General Fund operating budget ran a $4.3 million deficit in a year when most of the plan's new revenue measures were only partly in effect.
The council adopted the plan Oct. 28, 2025, when the city faced a projected $29.6 million structural deficit, about $98 million in unobligated reserves and retail and office vacancy rates among the highest in Los Angeles County. The plan drew on $60 million in reserves while the city lined up new revenue.
Staff says those new revenues and cost savings now total about $28.8 million a year, above the $24 million originally targeted, and that the city remains on track for a balanced General Fund operating budget by July 1, 2027, without tapping reserves.
Serious Part I crimes fell 12.5% in 2025, from 4,793 to 4,194\. Violent crimes and burglaries dropped another 11.2% from January through September compared with the same period last year, while arrests rose 62% and traffic citations more than doubled. The City Attorney's Office now files charges in about 91% of legally fileable cases, up from 65% to 70% before the plan.
The city's Homeless Support Team collected 790 tons of debris over the past year, compared with 254 tons in all of 2024\. The $3.5 million downtown capital program is about 80% complete. Retail vacancy fell from about 16% to 11.8% and office vacancy from about 35% to 21%, the city's scorecard shows.
All branch libraries are open at least four days a week for the first time since 2020, and on-time first-round plan checks rose from about 51% in August 2025 to 87% in July. The 2026 Point-in-Time Count showed unsheltered homelessness down 18.1%, and during the last fiscal year 72 people moved from the street into interim housing while 107 were reunited with family.
Staff lists more than 90 of the plan's 179 tracked activities as complete. The report also cites an Oct. 1 RAND Corporation study that called the city's recent reforms "a meaningful break with the past," though interviewees told RAND the city's reputation as a hard place to do business persists.
Staff says the focus now shifts to revitalization and is asking the council to approve several initiatives.
A Downtown Catalyst Incentive Program would concentrate the city's $3 million Economic Development Fund on two or three high-visibility projects on and around the Third Street Promenade, offering forgivable loans of up to $1.5 million per project track and favoring businesses that pair food and drink with entertainment.
Parking pilots with operator Metropolis would bring ticketless, license plate-based entry and exit to Parking Structures 1 and 9 and the Main Library garage in early November, plus Promenade valet stations at Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona Avenue starting Nov. 27\. Metropolis would cover pilot costs through July 1, 2027\. A separate deal would let Amazon-owned Zoox lease up to 150 city parking spaces for its robotaxi fleet, generating an estimated $500,000 or more a year.
The council will also consider a contract with 3Di Systems to launch a rent registry in early 2027 for about 15,000 units not covered by rent control, at $52.35 a unit. Staff is separately developing a Promenade capital refresh ahead of the 2028 Olympics, with a concept plan due early next year.
The report also flags unfinished business: The city's roughly $12 million annual payment to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District expires June 30, 2027, and if voters reject the Measure ES parcel tax Nov. 3, the city plans to end it.
The council's consent calendar includes accepting a $49,895 federal Justice Assistance Grant, a contract of up to $700,000 with ComSonics for license plate recognition for parking enforcement, and Mills Act contracts for three historic properties. Also on consent is a resolution allowing ESPN to use the Pier deck and beach for 2027 Super Bowl programming.
Council members will hear a first reading of an ordinance extending the Off-Site Affordable Housing program's re-entitlement deadline to Dec. 31, 2027, and hold a public hearing on zoning updates to comply with state law. A closed session includes childhood sexual abuse litigation, negotiations over the sale of city property on 5th street and additional rental of property near the Pier for the Olympics, and the city manager's performance evaluation.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1685 Main St., Room 250.
### Malibu declares local emergency ahead of forecast strong El Niño
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-local-emergency-ahead-of-forecast-strong-el-nino/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T18:58:59.000Z
The Malibu City Council has declared a citywide local emergency because of the threat of extreme weather associated with the strong El Niño forecast for 2026-27.
The council approved the declaration Sept. 28, citing the risk of flooding, mudslides, landslides, debris flows, coastal erosion and coastal flooding.
"Malibu has experienced the serious impacts of powerful storms, including during El Niño years before, so we know how serious they are," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. "El Niño's impacts are already being felt. We are taking action now to be prepared so we can keep our community safe."
The declaration is a preventive measure based on threatened conditions of extreme peril, according to the city. It gives the city greater flexibility to respond without delay, coordinate with local, county, state and federal agencies, and obtain the resources needed to prepare for, mitigate and respond to emergency conditions.
The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center issued an advisory Sept. 10 stating that El Niño is strengthening. The advisory gave a more than 90% chance of a very strong event during fall and winter 2026-27\. It also gave a 75% chance of a historic event exceeding the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950.
The city's declaration notes that while the precise impacts cannot yet be known, such conditions are historically associated with increased risks of intense rainstorms, flooding, mudslides, landslides, coastal erosion and coastal flooding.
The declaration authorizes the city's director of emergency services to address impacts and conditions caused by the emergency and to obtain assistance from local, county, state and federal agencies.
The declaration will remain in effect until the City Council ends it. The council is required to review the need to continue the declaration at least every 60 days.
The city has been preparing for the 2026-27 storm season since early summer. It will continue monitoring weather forecasts and conditions, coordinating with partner agencies and taking steps to protect public safety and critical infrastructure.
For more information, visit the city's El Niño preparedness webpage at[ ](https://www.malibucity.org/ElNino?ref=smdp.com)[MalibuCity.org/ElNino](https://www.malibucity.org/ElNino?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### State Parks awards emergency contract for Malibu Pier repairs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/state-parks-awards-emergency-contract-for-malibu-pier-repairs/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T18:59:00.000Z
California State Parks announced that repairs will begin later this month on Malibu Pier in Malibu Lagoon State Beach, following the recent award of an emergency contract.
The work marks a major step toward safely reopening the end of the pier, which has been closed since January 2025 as a precautionary safety measure to address critical structural concerns. The rest of the pier has remained open to the public.
Cushman Contracting Corporation is expected to begin construction in mid-October, and the work is expected to last about three months. State Parks anticipates completing repairs by the end of January 2027.
The $2.125 million project, funded through Proposition 4, the 2024 Climate Bond, will repair or replace deteriorated and missing pilings and replace bracing to strengthen the pier.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's Sept. 21 emergency proclamation, issued ahead of the anticipated El Niño storm season, helped speed up the contract. State Parks said the proclamation cut red tape to streamline contracting and permitting for the project. It will also help state and local agencies take early, decisive action to protect critical coastal infrastructure ahead of what is projected to be a historic El Niño season.
After the end of the pier closed, above-water and underwater inspections confirmed the need for significant repairs. A specialized ocean engineering consultant completed a comprehensive structural assessment in June, identifying deteriorated and missing pilings that need to be repaired or replaced.
State Parks is coordinating with the State Fire Marshal, California Coastal Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, State Lands Commission and State Water Resources Control Board to expedite regulatory reviews and emergency permitting. The department also continues to work closely with the city of Malibu and other partners.
Malibu Pier offers fishing, dining and views of the surf. State Parks said it will post project updates and information about the closure on its FAQ webpage as major repair milestones are reached.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### New law aims to protect Californians from losing home insurance coverage
URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-law-aims-to-protect-californians-from-losing-home-insurance-coverage/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T18:58:59.000Z
A bill by state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, has been signed into law to help more Californians at risk of losing coverage on the private insurance market.
[SB 1301](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB1301&ref=smdp.com) requires insurers to explain why they are dropping a policyholder, including by identifying a specific risk to the property. Insurers must then give the policyholder a chance to keep coverage by addressing that risk to meet the insurer's underwriting standards.
"Californians are facing more expensive and fewer insurance options to keep their families secure right now, exacerbating the broader affordability crunch we're all feeling," Allen said. "With this new law, we will soon have commonsense protections that will prevent more people from being wrongfully or unnecessarily dropped by their insurer."
Insurers must send a nonrenewal notice to tell a policyholder they will not cover a property beyond the current contract term. Californians have faced the[ ](https://abc7news.com/post/california-home-insurance-renewals-here-are-top-bay-area-neighborhoods-affected/15846687/?ref=smdp.com)[fourth-highest rate](https://abc7news.com/post/california-home-insurance-renewals-here-are-top-bay-area-neighborhoods-affected/15846687/?ref=smdp.com) of nonrenewal in the country, and the notices often give little to no explanation. That can leave people scrambling for new coverage. Many are forced onto the heavily subsidized FAIR Plan, which has more than tripled its total exposure since 2022.
The added transparency will help consumers contest[ ](https://abc7news.com/post/bizarre-list-reasons-insurance-companies-dropped-california-homeowners-neighbors-toilet/15973925/?ref=smdp.com)[documented instances](https://abc7news.com/post/bizarre-list-reasons-insurance-companies-dropped-california-homeowners-neighbors-toilet/15973925/?ref=smdp.com) of faulty reasoning, such as mold or algae on a roof that never existed. It will also guide owners to take steps that lower their property's risk.
The law extends the required notice period to 90 days, with more time for people renovating their property to address a risk. That gives owners more time to fix their property or shop for new coverage before turning to the FAIR Plan.
The law also bars nonrenewals based solely on a policyholder inquiring about an existing claim, filing a claim that is not payable or within the deductible, or filing a claim not covered by the policy.
"SB 1301 gives families more notice before losing coverage and clear instructions on what it will take to stay insured," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog.
"This law says Californians deserve to be treated like customers, not liabilities to be shed," said Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor's Network.
The protections take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Bacio di Latte opens second Santa Monica gelato shop on Montana Avenue
URL: https://www.smdp.com/bacio-di-latte-opens-second-santa-monica-gelato-shop-on-montana-avenue/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T18:58:59.000Z
Italian gelato chain Bacio di Latte has opened its second Santa Monica shop and 30th U.S. location at 1510 Montana Ave.
Founded in 2011 by Edoardo Tonolli on Rua Oscar Freire in São Paulo, Brazil, the company has more than 250 locations in Brazil and calls itself the world's largest artisanal gelato chain. It expects to reach 35 U.S. locations by December, with shops planned in Mission Valley, Los Cerritos, Walnut Creek, Manhattan and Scottsdale, Arizona.
The shop offers more than 22 regular flavors, made in-house daily, including best-sellers Pistacchio, Giandujotto and Cioccolato Belga, plus rotating seasonal specialties such as Crema Positano, which launched in September. The gelato is made with milk from Clover family farms in Sonoma County, fruit from California farms and organic cane sugar.
Customers can also order a signature upgrade, with cups and waffle cones coated in hazelnut and pistachio spreads, or visit an affogato bar pairing gelato with espresso.
Each shop is designed to resemble an Italian country kitchen, with hand-glazed tile, exposed wood beams and white millwork meant to evoke milk. Shelves reached by a rolling library ladder hold milk bottles, copper bowls, whisks and other tools. Playlists change through the day, from jazz in the morning to bossa nova in the afternoon and tango and electronica in the evening.
"Our journey has been driven by a passion for sharing the authentic taste of Italian gelato with the world," Tonolli said. "Each new store represents not just a place to enjoy our creations but a new opportunity to connect with more people and spread the joy that gelato brings."
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Stop Losing Cases to Missing Defendants with Fast Publication of Civil Court Notices Made Simple
URL: https://www.smdp.com/publication-of-civil-court-notices-guide/
Last updated: 2026-10-19T17:54:28.000Z
**TL;DR**
When a defendant hides, relocates, or vanishes, your legal claim comes to an absolute halt. Obtaining a court order for the **publication of civil court notices** allows you to satisfy constitutional due process so your legal case moves forward smoothly. This complete guide demonstrates how to publish legal notices quickly, comply with strict court rules, avoid common mistakes, and secure certified affidavits without administrative stress.
SMDP strategic partner for hassle-free court notice publication and compliant legal documentation.
## **1\. Understanding the Process for Publication of Civil Court Notices**
The **publication of civil court notices** is a court-approved legal mechanism used when a plaintiff cannot locate or physically serve a defendant. Federal and state laws strictly protect due process rights, meaning judges will not issue default judgments unless a defendant receives proper legal warning. When traditional process servers fail after diligent effort, courts grant permission to give notice by printing legal ads in local newspapers.
If you skip this mandatory step or run notice ads incorrectly, judges can easily throw your entire legal case out of court. To protect constitutional rights, courts enforce strict rules on how legal notices are shared with the public. You can review official statutory requirements for public legal notices on the [National Archives Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-1/chapter-I/part-5?ref=smdp.com).
Legal cases often stall because finding a qualified local newspaper takes too much time. You must pick an approved newspaper, draft exact text, pay print fees, and submit proof to the court clerk. Working with experienced legal media specialists makes every step simple and reliable. You can review our full [Legal Advertising Services ](https://www.smdp.com/advertise/)to handle your entire newspaper filing process correctly.
## **2\. 5 Critical Problems That Stop Your Court Case Publication**
Serving legal documents by newspaper sounds simple, but small administrative errors create huge court delays. Judges routinely reject filings and deny default motions because of simple oversights during public notice runs. Here are five big problems legal teams face during notice placement:
1. **Choosing the Wrong Newspaper:** Courts require specific, legally qualified newspapers of general circulation within the exact city or county jurisdiction.
2. **Missing Strict Deadlines:** Notices must run for specific consecutive weeks without missing a single printing cycle.
3. **Incorrect Ad Formatting:** Missing mandatory court case details, such as case numbers, court names, or response deadlines, makes your public notice legally invalid.
4. **Delayed Proof of Publication:** Filing your sworn publisher affidavit late can cause your judge to deny your motion entirely.
5. **High Advertising Costs:** Printing legal ads without pre-negotiated legal rates leads to wasted litigation budget.
To avoid these painful roadblocks, explore our specialized [Court Notice Publication](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) solutions designed specifically for busy legal teams.
| Notice Problem | Impact on Case | Simple Solution |
| ------------------------- | --------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Wrong Newspaper Selection | Case Dismissal | Verified Local Newspaper Network |
| Missed Print Deadlines | Restart Legal Process | Automated Weekly Run Scheduling |
| Text Formatting Errors | Invalid Legal Notice | Expert Legal Copy Proofreading |
| Late Publisher Affidavit | Delayed Court Motion | Instant Affidavit Processing |
## **Why Hiring a Civil Notice Publication Service Saves Time and Money**
Handling legal ad printing in-house wastes valuable paralegal time and introduces risk. Managing newspaper communication, price negotiations, text formatting, and affidavit tracking requires constant follow-up. A professional **civil notice publication service** manages the entire legal process from start to finish. They format text, verify local paper eligibility, schedule print runs, and collect official publisher affidavits for court filings.
When you hire professionals, you stop worrying about complex court compliance rules. Check out our comprehensive [Civil Notice Publication Services ](https://www.smdp.com/how-to-serve-by-publication-summons-step-guide/)to learn how we streamline public notice steps for law firms and self-represented litigants.
According to public court administration standards published by the [Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts](https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies?ref=smdp.com), strict adherence to procedural rules for public service prevents cases from getting dismissed.
Using a specialized service helps you meet every rule on time. You can view our [Public Notice Placement ](https://www.smdp.com/)options to see how quickly your legal notice can go live in certified papers.
## **Essential Steps for Publishing Lawsuit Notices Correctly**
Filing a **lawsuit notice publication** requires precise compliance with local judicial rules. If you make a single error, you must restart the entire process and pay double print fees. Follow these simple steps to ensure success:
### **Step 1: File Your Search Effort Diligently**
You must prove to the court that you tried to find the defendant in person. Keep clear records of process server skip-trace reports, certified postal mailings, and background checks.
### **Step 2: Get a Signed Court Order**
Submit your formal motion for alternative service by publication to the court judge. Once approved, the judge issues a signed order permitting notice by newspaper publication.
### **Step 3: Select an Approved Newspaper**
Choose a local paper that meets statutory requirements for court notice ads. Discover our tailored [Lawsuit Notice Publication ](https://www.smdp.com/newspaper-legal-notices/)options for instant newspaper access nationwide.
### **Step 4: Run the Notice and Submit Proof**
Run your **court case publication** for the required consecutive weeks. Collect the notarized proof of publication and file it quickly with your court clerk.
## **Expected Costs and Timelines for Newspaper Court Notices**
Publishing **civil legal notices** requires careful budget planning and time management. Newspaper ad rates depend heavily on ad word counts, geographic location, and required printing frequency. Most civil courts demand that **newspaper court notices** run once a week for four straight weeks.
Missing a single publication date breaks the continuous print chain. If that happens, the judge forces you to start over and pay full print costs again. Using proven legal media channels keeps your case moving forward smoothly. Review our reliable [Newspaper Legal Notices](https://www.smdp.com/newspaper-legal-notices/) guide to get accurate print cost estimates today.
## **Next Steps After Your Legal Notice Runs in the Newspaper**
Once your notice completes its mandatory printing run, you must complete specific post-publication tasks to move your lawsuit forward. First, obtain the signed and notarized affidavit of publication directly from the newspaper publisher. This document acts as official legal proof that your notice appeared on the exact required dates in a certified newspaper.
Next, attach the affidavit to your formal court filing and submit it directly to the clerk of court. Once the mandatory waiting period expires after the final print run, you can petition the court judge for an entry of default or move forward with your scheduled court hearings. Having accurate proof prepared correctly ensures your legal standing remains unassailable.
## **Taking Control of Your Legal Service Process**
Proper legal notice publication protects your lawsuit from unnecessary delays and costly dismissals. By picking approved local newspapers and securing fast affidavits, you move your court case toward a quick resolution. Professional support ensures your filings remain compliant, accurate, and completely stress-free.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What does publication of civil court notices mean?**
It means running a court-approved legal notice in a local print newspaper. This informs missing defendants about active lawsuits when personal service cannot be completed successfully.
**How long must a court case publication run in newspapers?**
Most civil courts require legal notices to run once a week for four straight weeks. Always check local county rules for exact court publication requirements.
**Can I select any local newspaper for lawsuit notice publication?**
No, you cannot. Courts require legal notices to print in specifically qualified newspapers of general circulation located within the court’s proper geographic jurisdiction.
**What happens if a defendant fails to respond to civil legal notices?**
If the defendant does not respond after the publication period ends, you can ask the court judge to grant a default judgment in your favor.
**What is a legal proof of publication affidavit?**
It is a signed, notarized document provided by the newspaper publisher. It proves to the court clerk that your notice ran on the exact required dates.
**How much do newspaper court notices usually cost?**
Costs vary based on ad word count, local newspaper ad rates, and county location. Working with specialized legal ad services helps secure competitive print pricing.
**What causes a judge to reject a civil notice publication service?**
Judges reject notices for wrong newspaper selection, incorrect legal formatting, missing case details, or failing to file the publisher affidavit on time.
**Do I need a court order before publishing legal notices?**
Yes, you must submit a motion proving diligent search efforts. The judge must sign a formal order allowing publication before you print any notices.
**How do professional services speed up court notice publishing?**
Professional services format ad copy instantly, select qualified local newspapers, handle print scheduling, and deliver court-ready publisher affidavits directly to your legal team.
## **Key Takeaways**
- Proper legal notice publication prevents lawsuits from being dismissed by judges.
- Courts mandate printing notices in specific, legally qualified local newspapers.
- Missing print deadlines forces you to restart the four-week process entirely.
- Professional notice management ensures fast delivery of required sworn affidavits.
## **Get Fast and Compliant Notice Publication Services Today**
Do not let hard-to-find defendants stall your important court case. Trust SMDP to manage your legal notice formatting, newspaper placement, and affidavit delivery quickly and accurately. [Contact our legal advertising team today ](https://www.smdp.com/signup/)to publish your legal notice without hassle!
### Oops, SMMUSD Did it Again: A Big Surplus Instead of a Big Deficit
URL: https://www.smdp.com/oops-smmusd-did-it-again-a-big-surplus-instead-of-a-big-deficit/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:24:59.000Z
At the May 19, 2026 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board meeting, the District predicted a $9 million deficit for the 2025-26 school year ending in 2 months. On September 9th, they presented the 2025-26 unaudited actuals. The District ended up with an $8 million surplus of unrestricted and restricted funds. Why were they off by $17 million? Gerardo Cruz, the Chief Financial Officer, wrote: “The District uses conservatively estimated revenue and allocated expenditures during budget and interim reporting processes.”
With this conservative strategy, the District predicted an average $5 million deficit over the previous 5 years, yet ended with an average $14 million surplus. For the next 3 years, they are predicting an average deficit of $10 million. This current year’s deficit of $12 million has already been reduced by the announcement of an additional $11 million in revenues for this year. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I don’t believe your projections anymore.
These projected deficits are why the District says it needs a very high level of reserves: 33%, or $79 million. With all the past surpluses, reserves for the unrestricted and restricted funds are now $89 million, $10 million over that high target.
The District’s finances are in great shape, despite the story they are telling to justify passing a new $495 parcel tax, Measure ES. This was put forward by “citizens” who are the school board president, a past school board president, and the chair of the School’s PAC to get around the Prop 13 two-thirds vote required to increase property taxes. This loophole would be closed if Prop 43 passes in November. Most of the $300,000 raised to get this measure on the ballot came from District and City vendors and 24 individuals.
Measure ES transfers the $12 million the City has been paying the District for the Joint Use Agreement for the last 24 years, to Santa Monica residents. The District doesn’t get more money; it frees up $12 million for the City to spend with no restrictions. Measure ES is a tax for the City disguised as a tax for the schools. They want us to prioritize the schools, so the City can de-prioritize the schools, parks, and recreation. The City gets an additional $12 million by being called an unreliable partner.
The City's CFO said that if Measure ES doesn’t pass, the City may need to cut services. That implies they would continue to fund the schools. What doesn’t make sense to me is why they would need to make cuts if they are just not getting extra money.
Even though Measure ES funding replaces the Joint Use Agreement payments, the agreement for the City to manage the after-school programs and access does not continue. The fate of the after-school programs the City provides at the elementary and middle schools for our youth is in jeopardy. To continue City programming, another Joint Use Agreement needs to be put in place. Most likely the District will want the City to pay for this new Joint Use Agreement. We’d be paying twice for this access, to replace the funding and then through the City’s new agreement.
The proponents of Measure ES and the City are tone deaf to the financial situation of the Santa Monica residents who are struggling financially. This includes almost a third of the District’s students who come from lower-income families. Affordability is the number one issue for Californians. They say it’s just a little more, but we’re getting hit with just a little more from everywhere, including the City’s recent increases in water rates; parking, user, and credit card fees. These are regressive taxes and fees that disproportionately affect lower-income residents. Supporting this measure makes it harder for families to put food on the table for the District to continue its surpluses.
District bond property tax payments increased by 58% last year, up $432 for each $1 million of assessed value. Santa Monica’s median property tax bill of $14,328 is the third highest IN THE NATION! Now they want to add another $495 on top of that.
Another argument for supporting this measure is that good schools increase property values. That makes it harder for families to live here. It affects homeownership and rental affordability, and school enrollment. The District's enrollment has declined by 23% in the past 10 years. As a Basic Aid District, funding is not based on enrollment. Revenues have increased by 53%, beating the 34% inflation rate and moving the per-pupil spending from 23rd to 8th place in the County.
If Measure ES doesn’t pass and if the City decides not to fund the District, a $12 million decrease would not be devastating. The average surplus of $13 million over the last 6 years would cover this decrease with no impact. Since the reserves are above the target, there’s no need to add to the reserves, saving $7 million. What happened to the additional $10 million the District started getting 3 years ago from Measure GS, the property transfer tax? What are they doing with the projected increase of $15 million this year in Basic Aid excess taxes, which are projected to increase from $20 million to $35 million, money regular school districts do not receive?
While enrollment declined by 23% in the past 10 years and classroom teachers decreased 14% from 572 to 494, non-teacher staff and administration have increased by 9% from 703 to 768 positions. Seems like there are administration positions that could be cut. The threat that teachers would need to be cut if this measure doesn’t pass is just fear-mongering.
Another way to make up a potential deficit is to reduce the number of permit students. Of the 8623 students in the District, about 1000, 12%, are permit students who do not live in Santa Monica. Because funding is not based on enrollment, not only is the District not getting additional money for these students, it’s taking money away from LAUSD.
I support our public schools. I went to public schools, and our son went to Grant, JAMS, and Samohi. I’m against using our schools to pass a tax that benefits the City. A City poll a year ago showed that if this were put on the ballot as a City tax, it would not have the needed support. Don’t let them pull a fast one on us.
Karen Melick
### From scorching to soaked: LA weather swings as Rachel nears, tides rise
URL: https://www.smdp.com/from-scorching-to-soaked-la-weather-swings-as-rachel-nears-tides-rise/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T10:59:59.000Z
Southern California's extreme weather season is making a sharp turn, from a long, dangerous heat wave to the season's first widespread rain. Tropical Storm Rachel is churning toward the region, and forecasters are warning of coastal flooding, powerful surf and possible thunderstorms over the weekend.
The shift comes as an unseasonably cold trough of low pressure drops down the California coast and meets moisture and wind from Rachel. The National Weather Service called the setup "a very complex situation" and urged residents to keep monitoring forecasts.
Thursday was the predicted end of the heat wave and cooler air is on the way as onshore flow returns with the weekend expected to be at least 5 to 10 degrees cooler.
**Rain chances build through the weekend**
Showers could begin late Saturday. The weather service said widespread light to moderate rain is likely from late Saturday through Tuesday, with the greatest confidence for Sunday and Monday. Chances are highest south of Point Conception.
How much rain falls depends largely on Rachel's track, which forecasters called the main source of uncertainty as tracks have shifted farther south. Most computer model runs show at least some tropical showers south of Point Conception by Sunday, and about 10% show more than an inch of rain. The more likely outcome is a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with locally higher amounts in the mountains.
Sunday temperatures should be mostly in the 70s, but forecasters said a sharp rise in humidity from Rachel's moisture will likely make it feel much warmer. There is about a 10% chance of thunderstorms Sunday through Monday, though models suggest storms will stay mostly farther east and south.
An upper-level low is expected to move into Southern California late Sunday and Monday and could interact with leftover tropical moisture to produce more showers. Rain chances on Monday extend across the entire four-county forecast area, but most locations can expect only a tenth to a quarter of an inch. Highs Monday should fall to the mid-60s to low 70s.
Forecasters said a 20% to 30% chance of rain could linger into Tuesday, depending on how quickly the low moves out. Wednesday should be mostly dry, with 3 to 6 degrees of warming, though highs will still run about 6 degrees below normal.
**Coastal flooding is the biggest local threat**
A coastal flood advisory is in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday for the Malibu coast, Los Angeles County beaches, Ventura County beaches and Catalina and the Santa Barbara islands. The weather service expects minor to locally moderate coastal flooding, elevated surf and dangerous rip currents.
High tides are forecast to reach 7 to 7.5 feet over the weekend, 1 to 1.5 feet above astronomical predictions. Forecasters said the greatest risk is Sunday, especially during the morning high tide. If Rachel takes a more northerly track, stronger wind-driven waves and lower air pressure could push tides even higher.
Seawater is likely to flood vulnerable low-lying areas around high tide, including beach parking lots, bike paths and harbor walkways. Forecasters said moderate to significant beach erosion is likely and isolated damage is possible.
The weather service warned of an increased risk of drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea, and waves can wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore. Officials urged people to stay out of the water or near occupied lifeguard towers, stay off rock jetties and never drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
Conditions at sea are also expected to deteriorate. Winds will increase to at least 20 to 30 knots by Saturday afternoon, and there is a 40% to 50% chance of gale-force winds Sunday, mainly in nearshore waters off Los Angeles and Orange counties. Large, steep and choppy seas are expected from Saturday through at least Monday.
**Rachel turns toward the border**
As of Thursday, Rachel was about 915 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at about 7 mph.
Forecasters expect a sharp turn to the northeast Saturday, with an increase in speed, as an approaching trough steers the storm. The center of Rachel is forecast to approach northern Baja California late Saturday and could make landfall Saturday night or Sunday somewhere in northern Baja California or near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Dry air and cooling waters have been weakening the storm, and the hurricane center expects gradual weakening to continue. Rachel is still forecast to be at tropical storm strength as it nears land. A tropical storm watch could be needed for parts of extreme northern Baja California, the northern Gulf of California and Southern California as early as Thursday night.
"There is still a high degree of uncertainty on if Rachel will be a tropical or post-tropical system as it approaches northern Baja California and southern California," hurricane center forecasters wrote. Either way, they said, it is expected to bring heavy rain and tropical-storm-force winds. Moisture from Rachel could raise the threat of flash and urban flooding across the Southwest.
Farther south, Tropical Storm Simon formed Wednesday off southwestern Mexico, about 175 miles south-southeast of Lazaro Cardenas. Forecasters said it could become a hurricane by late Thursday and possibly a major hurricane by Saturday, with up to 25 inches of rain possible in parts of Colima and Michoacan.
**El Niño and a Kelvin wave raise the stakes**
The high tides are being pushed up in part by a Kelvin wave, a slow-moving bulge of warm ocean water that forms when El Niño weakens the equatorial trade winds. After crossing the Pacific, it travels north along the coast.
The Climate Prediction Center said Thursday that a strong to very strong El Niño is likely through March.
Malibu is already preparing. The City Council on Sept. 28 declared a citywide local emergency over threats tied to El Niño, including flooding, mudslides, debris flows and coastal erosion.
"El Niño's impacts are already being felt," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. "We are taking action now to be prepared so we can keep our community safe."
### Check Your 401(k) Before Casting Stones
URL: https://www.smdp.com/check-your-401-k-before-casting-stones/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T17:39:11.000Z
Susan Sheu asks whether voters should judge Doug Trussler by the companies he invested in. Fair enough. But the standard has to apply to everyone, including those who criticize him.
If you own a standard S&P 500 index fund, as tens of millions of Americans do, you co-own these companies:
Palantir builds the data and targeting software behind immigration enforcement. Sheu objects to ICE-linked work, yet index investors own it directly.
Lockheed Martin makes the F-35s and missiles at the center of the world's wars, and its dividends depend on the next one.
ExxonMobil modeled climate change accurately decades ago while funding public doubt about it. Santa Monica sits on a rising Pacific.
Meta built a fortune on harvesting personal data. Internal documents show it knew its products harmed teenagers. Sheu warns of big-tech surveillance, but she'd own it too.
Tesla faces a California civil-rights suit over alleged racial harassment at its Fremont factory, and its CEO spent 2025 helping gut the federal workforce.
Owning an index fund isn't a moral crime. But it shows that "you profited from something controversial" is a test no one with a retirement account passes.
The better test is what someone did with real control. By Trussler's account, Bison inherited Sentinel's problems, then eliminated most participant-paid monitoring, settled litigation and strengthened compliance. Passive holders of Palantir and Exxon reform nothing. They collect checks. Voters can ask which record shows more accountability.
Santa Monica deserves a campaign about housing, homelessness and public safety. If we litigate portfolios, let's do it consistently, for every candidate and every pension.
Dylan Nugent
Santa Monica
### Halloween goes secondhand as swaps and thrifting take center stage
URL: https://www.smdp.com/halloween-goes-secondhand-as-swaps-and-thrifting-take-center-stage-2/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T18:59:56.000Z
As shoppers look for ways to celebrate Halloween without overspending or adding to the landfill, swapping, thrifting and do-it-yourself costumes are emerging as a theme of the season, and two upcoming events give local residents a chance to trade in last year's getup for something new to them.
A Santa Monica resident will host a gothic-themed costume and trinket swap in Douglas Park on Saturday, while a costume donation drive that collected nearly 200 costumes in its pilot year returns with drop-off sites across the region and swap days Sunday and Oct. 16.
Peyton Valdovino will host the "Murder of Crows Trinket & Costume Swap" at 4 p.m. Saturday at Douglas Park, 2439 Wilshire Blvd. The event will feature trinket trading, crafts, sweet treats and photo opportunities, according to a flyer for the event, which invites attendees to "bring a costume, take a costume." The suggested dress code is "gothic, dark and elegant," and RSVPs are being collected through Partiful.
Valdovino said the idea for a "crow party" came from Pinterest, and their partner suggested adding a costume swap to the trinket trade.
"I was inspired by my love for Halloween, but did not want to indulge in consumerism," Valdovino said. "These prepackaged Halloween costumes made poorly of polyester that are thrown away on November 1st are not the vibe."
They said the swap is a way to find a good home for costume pieces that would otherwise go back to the thrift stores where they were found.
"I feel like Halloween gives people permission to do that in ways they might not be comfortable doing the rest of the year," Valdovino said. "I want to foster that without adding to the landfill so a costume and trinket trade seemed like the perfect party."
Valdovino, who described a habit of collecting junk that doubles as a supply of craft materials, said the event will include a bracelet booth with pony beads and letter beads, fabric markers for anyone who wants to start a DIY costume, secondhand tote bags to decorate and "trinket boxes" that attendees can decorate to carry home and display their new finds.
The event is open to all ages, though Valdovino said most of those who have RSVP'd so far are in their 20s and 30s. Valdovino said the swap is also meant to address isolation among young adults.
"Young adulthood can be very isolating," Valdovino said. "Most of my time is tied up in work or family obligations. It feels so hard to make friends in real life."
This is Valdovino's first attempt at a neighborhood event, and Valdovino said more may follow.
"If you want to see more of these types of events in your neighborhood, YOU have to be part of that change," Valdovino said. "In order to be part of a village, you have to be a villager."
RSVPs are required for the event at: https://partiful.com/e/Y12SIOZlcQ2tVzJSVKXR.
For those looking to swap on a larger scale, Lextober's Ultimate Halloween Swap lets families drop off costumes they no longer need and pick out new-to-them ones for free, including costumes for children, adults and pets.
Drop-offs and swaps are available through Nov. 15 at Heal the Bay, Opera Santa Barbara, Occidental College, Girls Inc. of LA, Knox Elementary and 93rd Street Elementary. Dedicated swap days are scheduled for Sunday at a Heal the Bay aquarium by the Santa Monica Pier and Oct. 16 at Occidental College.
Sustainable fashion advocate Lexy Silverstein launched Lextober as a pilot in California and Maryland in October 2025, partnering with environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay in Los Angeles and Clinical Associates in the Baltimore area.
The pilot collected nearly 200 costumes, which Silverstein estimated kept 200 to 400 pounds of textile waste out of landfills. Silverstein has said nearly 35 million Halloween costumes are thrown away in the U.S. each year, that 85% of textiles end up in landfills or incinerators and that most costumes are made of synthetic materials that do not biodegrade.
California has a new law aimed at keeping clothes out of landfills, but its statewide collection system is years away.
The swaps come as more shoppers turn to secondhand and homemade options. According to research commissioned by Goodwill, 85% of surveyed costume shoppers plan to incorporate thrift shopping or DIY elements into their costumes this year. The survey found 60% primarily create DIY costumes, and 71% are looking for costumes that can be reused or repurposed beyond Halloween.
More than half of respondents, 53%, said saving money is a key reason they shop thrift stores for Halloween, while 44% said they do so to create DIY costumes and 44% to find unique costume pieces. The survey also found 72% plan to use thrift or DIY elements in their Halloween decorations.
"Halloween is one of the best times of year to get creative," said Daniela Davis, chief marketing officer of Goodwill Southern California. "Whether you're building a costume from scratch, decorating your home or looking for a unique finishing touch, Goodwill offers affordable finds that help bring ideas to life."
The shift toward secondhand comes even as Halloween remains a major spending occasion. Consumer spending is expected to reach $13.5 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, holding near last year's record of $13.1 billion. Shoppers are expected to spend an average of $115.14 per person, in line with $114.45 in 2025.
"Consumers continue to make Halloween a spending priority, but they are also approaching the season with affordability in mind," said Allison Zeller, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights.
About 34% of consumers plan to look for items they can reuse in future years or repurpose for other occasions, according to the survey. Seventy-four percent of consumers plan to celebrate the holiday, and half plan to dress in costume.
Costumes account for $4.4 billion of projected spending, with 71% of shoppers expected to buy them. Shoppers are expected to spend $2 billion on adult costumes, $1.5 billion on children's costumes and $920 million on pet costumes.
Among children, 4.6 million plan to dress as Spider-Man, followed by superheroes, princesses, witches and ghosts. Witches top the list for adults at 4.8 million, followed by vampires, Batman, Spider-Man and ghosts. For pets, pumpkins lead at 11.6%, followed by hot dogs at 5.9% and ghosts at 2.8%.
Discount stores remain the top destination for Halloween purchases at 39%, followed by specialty Halloween and costume stores at 32% and online retailers at 27%. Thirteen percent of consumers plan to shop at local and small businesses, nearly double the 7% recorded in 2016.
The NRF survey of 7,889 consumers was conducted Sept. 1-9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
### Journey to LA28 Olympic Torch Relay begins in Atlanta, with flame set to visit all 50 states
URL: https://www.smdp.com/journey-to-la28-olympic-torch-relay-begins-in-atlanta-with-flame-set-to-visit-all-50-states/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T18:59:00.000Z
The journey to the 2028 Olympic Torch Relay kicked off Sept. 29 in Atlanta, home of the 1996 Games and the last U.S. Summer Games, as LA28 prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The relay will make history by traveling to all 50 states. Organizers said it will be one of the largest in Olympic history, passing iconic landmarks, stopping at major cultural and sporting events and hosting festival celebrations in select cities.
The flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, before traveling through all 50 states in spring 2028\. The full route will be announced in 2027.
The Paralympic Torch Relay will follow the conclusion of the Olympic Games in August 2028, with the flame originating in Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. Its U.S. starting location will be announced later.
"Every Olympic Games begins with a single flame, and carrying that flame to Los Angeles is an honor and privilege that we'll share with every corner of the country," said Casey Wasserman, LA28 chairperson and president.
The flame will return to Atlanta 32 years after the 1996 Games' flame was extinguished.
"Atlanta was proud to carry that flame in 1996\. We will be proud to welcome it back," said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
The relays will be powered by four presenting partners: Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity. They represent the deepest level of commercial partner investment. Partners will designate select torchbearers and host stops at partner locations along the route.
Coca-Cola has partnered with the Olympic Movement for nearly a century and first served as a presenting partner of the Olympic Torch Relay at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
"As the journey to LA28 begins, it's meaningful to welcome the flame to Atlanta, the hometown of Coca-Cola for nearly 140 years," said Henrique Braun, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Chase Consumer Banking, said supporting the relay reflects the firm's commitment to the customers, clients and communities it serves. Allstate's role builds on more than 20 years of supporting athletes. Comcast, an LA28 founding partner, will showcase Xfinity's broadband and mobile services along the route.
More information on torchbearer nominations and additional partners will be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit[ ](https://la28.org/en/torch-relays.html?ref=smdp.com)[https://la28.org/en/torch-relays.html](https://la28.org/en/torch-relays.html?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMC Foundation's 'Launch the Future' raises $166,500 for STEM students
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-foundations-launch-the-future-raises-166-500-for-stem-students/
Last updated: 2026-10-10T04:54:44.000Z
The Santa Monica College Foundation raised $166,500 toward its $175,000 goal at "Launch the Future," a Sept. 26 celebration of STEM at Santa Monica College. The event drew more than 150 community leaders, philanthropists, educators, students and supporters.
The money will help expand opportunities for SMC students pursuing STEM pathways.
The event was held throughout SMC's new 110,000-square-foot Math + Science Building. From the outdoor atrium to the rooftop, guests took part in interactive experiences and experiments led by students, explored specialized laboratories and met the students and faculty who use the building. Guests also visited the SMC Planetarium & Observatory, including a dozen research-grade telescopes, before gathering on the rooftop for panoramic views, food and drinks.
"'Launch the Future' provided our community with a firsthand look at the incredible work happening at Santa Monica College and the students at the center of it," said SMC Foundation President Lizzy Moore. "This evening was a wonderful reminder of what is possible when our community invests in the next generation of STEM leaders."
"People assume a community college is all lecture halls and intro courses, but SMC put real instruments in my hands and rewired my sense of the possible," said Jaxon Smith, a materials science and engineering major.
Many SMC STEM students are the first in their families to attend college and often juggle multiple life responsibilities. The campaign will support them through hands-on research, labs equipped and maintained with industry-standard technology, and access to scholarships, conferences and professional networks.
"Philanthropic support helps us create opportunities beyond the classroom that can make a meaningful difference in a student's academic journey," said SMC Foundation Development Director Katie Moe.
The Math + Science Building opened in November 2025\. The LEED Gold-certified facility features specialized laboratories, collaborative learning spaces, a planetarium and an observatory equipped with research-grade telescopes.
The foundation thanked its sponsors and supporters. Visionary-level sponsors were SMC Foundation Board President Margaret Sohagi and her husband, SMC alum Lauren Reager; Recharge; and the SMC Emeritus Program. Ava MD was a Catalyst-level sponsor, and many other donors contributed.
The campaign remains open, with $8,500 left to reach the goal. To make a gift, visit foundation.smc.edu/STEM.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Around Town: Brats, Blues & Block Parties
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-brats-blues-block-parties/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T17:54:13.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes a Off-the-Hook Pier Seafood Festival, Oktoberfest at the Miramar, Evan Funke back at Rustic Canyon, and much more!
**Friday Night Jazz Returns to SMC:** Jazz fans have a couple of good reasons to head to Santa Monica College this fall. The college’s long-running Friday Night Jazz Series returns Oct. 16 with the Marvin “Smitty” Smith Octet, led by the veteran drummer who spent 15 years behind the kit on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The series continues Nov. 13 with an all-star benefit concert celebrating more than 40 years of Friday night jazz at SMC. **Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., SMC Music Hall, 1310 11th St.** [smc.edu/tickets](http://smc.edu/tickets?ref=smdp.com)
**Navigate the Stars—Even After the Zombie Apocalypse:** Looking for something a little more out-of-this-world? Santa Monica College’s Planetarium is hosting live astronomy shows throughout October, exploring everything from exoplanets and the life cycles of stars to the latest happenings in space. The month wraps up with “Stellar Navigation (for the Zombie Apocalypse),” a look at how ancient navigators crossed oceans without GPS—because you never know when that skill might come in handy. **Fridays in October, 6 and 7 p.m., plus a Sunday Family Matinée Oct. 11, SMC Planetarium, 1900 Pico Blvd.** [smc.edu/planetarium](http://smc.edu/planetarium?ref=smdp.com)
**Wilmont Movies in the Park:** The Wilmont is wrapping up its free Movies in the Park series with a family-friendly night featuring live music, picnicking and a screening of The Lego Movie. Free popcorn is included, because apparently we’ve finally found a movie night with the right priorities. **Saturday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m., Reed Park, 1133 Seventh St.** Free. [wilmont.org](http://wilmont.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Bouquets, Bottles, & BENZz Autumn Social:** Looking for a unique Saturday date night? Head to goodboybob on Broadway for a neighborhood block party featuring showcase cars, live music, and local vendors. Sip on wine, beer, or matcha while grabbing smash burgers, floral bouquets, and specialty cakes from Atelier Pistache, plus live screen-printed merch. **Saturday, Oct. 10, 4 – 8 p.m. goodboybob coffee roasters, 2058 Broadway** [goodboybob.com](http://goodboybob.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Halloween Block Fest:** Third Street Promenade is turning into a giant Halloween party for the latest edition of Santa Monica Block Fest. The free, all-ages festival takes over all three blocks with multiple stages of live DJs, a food night market, vendor village, pop-up bars and plenty of Halloween atmosphere. There’s also an official after-party that keeps things going until 2 a.m. **Saturday, Oct. 10, 5 p.m.–midnight, Third Street Promenade.** [More details here](https://posh.vip/e/santa-monica-block-fest-vol-viii-free-halloween-music-festival?ref=smdp.com).
**Inspired Art: Paired Visions:** This exhibition showcases work from multiple artists in a free evening event at bG Gallery. **Sunday, Oct. 11, 4–9 p.m., bG Gallery, Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave., Space A2** Free. RSVP at [instagram.com/inspiredart\_shows](http://instagram.com/inspiredart%5Fshows?ref=smdp.com)
**Celebrating Belmar History & Black Santa Monica:** Historic Belmar Park will come alive with “Continuum”, a free, all-ages celebration honoring the history and legacy of Black Santa Monica. The afternoon features live music, KCRW DJs, a vendor village curated by Black Market Flea, art and historical exhibits, and conversations about Belmar’s history with journalist Sam Sanders and historian Alison Rose Jefferson. There will also be a Bloom Bar, family-friendly art activities and more. **Sunday, Oct. 11, noon–5 p.m., 1650 Seventh St. Free.** [More details here](https://www.smdp.com/around-town-brats-blues-block-parties/).
**Off the Hook Seafood Festival:** Seafood lovers, prepare to get shucking. This signature event returns to the Santa Monica Pier for its eighth annual celebration, featuring tastings from more than 20 local chefs and restaurants, wine and beverage tastings, live yacht rock, and oyster shucking and slurping competitions. The event also raises funds and awareness for Heal the Bay, making it a pretty good excuse to eat your way through a Sunday afternoon. **Sunday, Oct. 11, 4–7 p.m., Santa Monica Pier. 21+.** [offthehookseafoodfest.com](http://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Western Wednesday Returns:** Dust off those boots and head to Santa Monica Place for Western Wednesday, a free weekly line-dancing night with professional instructors leading lessons for beginners and seasoned dancers alike. Stick around for happy-hour specials at participating restaurants, and don’t miss the Halloween-themed finale on Oct. 28—costumes are encouraged. **Every Wednesday in October, 6–8 p.m., Center Plaza at Santa Monica Place, 395 Santa Monica Place** [santamonicaplace.com/events](http://santamonicaplace.com/events?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17); [Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com); [Perrys Beach House DJ Event](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays and Sundays in Sept.); [“Into the Woods” at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre](http://morgan-wixson.org/?ref=smdp.com) (through 10/18)
**WHAT'S NEW & DELICIOUS?**
**Oktoberfest at The Miramar - Forget Munich:** Oktoberfest is coming to Santa Monica. The Fairmont Miramar is transforming The Bungalow into a Bavarian beer garden with Paulaner and Sam Adams Oktoberfest beers, bratwurst, roasted chicken, pretzels, apple strudel, traditional games, polka and live bands. Admission is free, and lederhosen are presumably encouraged. **Thursday–Saturday, Oct. 8–10, 5–10 p.m., 101 Wilshire Blvd.** [fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar-2](http://fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar-2?ref=smdp.com)
**Wine Night at La Petite Monique:** Looking for a cute excuse to drink wine by the beach? Venice Beach Wine Club is taking over La Petite Monique for an intimate evening of wine, bites and good company at the Oceana. Expect a relaxed night of tasting and mingling in a beautiful Santa Monica setting. **Thursday, Oct. 8, 7:00 pm, La Petite Monique at the Oceana, 849 Ocean Ave.** [tickpick.com/organizer/event/wine-night-at-the-oceana-69669890](http://tickpick.com/organizer/event/wine-night-at-the-oceana-69669890?ref=smdp.com)
**Biscuits, Blues & Sweet Tea:** Fresh-baked Southern biscuits with vanilla-spiced honey butter, strawberry jam, sweet tea and live blues? Say less. This Santa Monica gathering brings together all the ingredients for a very good afternoon: buttery biscuits, cold sweet tea, live music and a little Southern hospitality. **Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m., 2421 Michigan Ave.** [instagram.com/p/Ddr06dKEo41](http://instagram.com/p/Ddr06dKEo41?ref=smdp.com)
**Rustic Canyon 20th Anniversary: “The Funke Years” Dinner:** Acclaimed chef Evan Funke (Felix, Mother Wolf, Funke) returns to the kitchen he led from 2008 to 2012, where he first crafted his signature approach to regional Italian cooking. Funke collaborates with the current kitchen team on a multi-course prix-fixe menu, accompanied by pours from former Rustic sommelier Jenna Isaac and Red Car Wines co-owners Richard and Allison Crowell. **Tuesday, Oct. 13 Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Blvd.** [resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/rustic-canyon](http://resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/rustic-canyon?ref=smdp.com)
**Penfolds & La Monique 75th Anniversary Dinner:** Celebrate a pair of major milestones as La Monique marks its first anniversary while teaming up with legendary Australian estate Penfolds for the 75th anniversary of Grange. Hosted by Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago, the intimate evening features rare library vintages, the new 100-point Grange and the 50-Year-Old Rare Tawny, paired with a curated menu by Chef David Fricaud featuring dishes like Beef Wellington and Butternut Squash Agnolotti. **Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m., 849 Ocean Ave., $500 per person.** [opentable.com/r/la-monique-santa-monica](http://opentable.com/r/la-monique-santa-monica?ref=smdp.com)
**Multiple SaMo Spots on The Infatuation's Best Happy Hours In LA List:** Fig, Rustic Canyon and Pacific Catch prove you don’t have to cross the 405 to find a good happy hour. Fig offers 50% off its food and drinks during “Fig at 5,” Rustic Canyon has $10 cocktails and wines plus discounted snacks, and Pacific Catch offers $9 cocktails and wine, $6 beer and $10 ceviche. Because sometimes the best way to celebrate making it through the day is to make your wallet slightly happier, too. [theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-happy-hour-deals-la](http://theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-happy-hour-deals-la?ref=smdp.com)
**Kogen Omakase Brings High-End Sushi to Santa Monica:** There’s a new omakase option in town—and this one is not exactly a casual Tuesday night sushi run. Kogen Omakase, a 10-seat sushi counter just steps from the ocean, features a seasonal 20-course experience from Chef Yasu Iwai, who previously worked at Taikun at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. Expect fish from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, seasonal California ingredients and plenty of high-end touches, including caviar and truffle. 109 Santa Monica Blvd.The 20-course experience is $295\. [More details here](https://www.smdp.com/around-town-brats-blues-block-parties/).
**Further Afield:** **CHAIN Takes Over Topanga Social:** B.J. Novak’s CHAIN has opened a six-month residency at Westfield Topanga’s Topanga Social, bringing together exclusive creations from chefs Roy Choi, Calvin Eng, Mason Hereford and Mei Lin. The menu mixes nostalgic chain-food favorites with a decidedly chef-y spin, alongside CHAIN classics and a new General Mills-inspired snack and dessert menu featuring Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. **Through March 2027, Westfield Topanga, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park.** [More details here](https://la.eater.com/restaurant-news/305792/bj-novak-chain-opening-westfield-topanga-residency?ref=smdp.com).
**More Further Afield: 130 Musicians, 10 Arts Organizations & One Big Experiment:** Experimental music collective Wild Up launches the inaugural Democracy Sessions, bringing together 10 of L.A.'s leading arts organizations for a month of performances exploring music as a collective practice. **Now through Nov. 4, various locations** [locations.wildup.org/series/democracy-sessions-2026](http://locations.wildup.org/series/democracy-sessions-2026?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18); [LA Times Food Bowl](https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl?ref=smdp.com) (10/23-24)**;** Montana Avenue Halloween Hop (10/31); [Día de los Muertos at the Pier ](http://santamonicapier.org/diadelosmuertos?ref=smdp.com)(10/31); SaMo Pier Swiss Winter Village (11/14 - 1/3)
**Know something I missed?** Send tips, events and questionable culinary decisions to [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com) or[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Check out my past Around Town columns here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com).
### Veteran broadcaster brings live interview series to the Santa Monica College quad
URL: https://www.smdp.com/veteran-broadcaster-brings-live-interview-series-to-the-santa-monica-college-quad/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T15:59:59.000Z
John Kerwin has built a broadcast career interviewing famous names. Now, he is turning his microphone toward a different kind of guest: his fellow students at Santa Monica College.
Kerwin, a longtime Santa Monica resident enrolled at [SMC](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-to-open-applications-for-cloud-computing-bachelors-degree/) as a Media Production student, will launch “Kerwin at SMC: Live on the Quad” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20\. The live outdoor interview series will place two armchairs and broadcast gear directly on the campus grass for unscripted, real-time conversations with Gen Z students.
“It boils down to real human connection,” Kerwin said. “We live in an era dominated by screens and digital distraction, so taking the production onto the main quad brings us face-to-face.”
Kerwin is the author of “Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You,” a book on the craft of interviewing. He has interviewed national figures ranging from Olivia Rodrigo to Steve Wozniak and Dick Cavett, and he has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly.
This time, he said, most of the people in the opposite chair will be new to the experience.
“I’m naturally curious, and my job as a host is simply to listen,” Kerwin said. “Throughout my broadcast career, I’ve interviewed celebrities who had been questioned a million times, but for almost all of these students, it’s their very first time being interviewed. That raw, unscripted vulnerability in an open-air setting is extraordinarily powerful to watch unfold live.”
According to Kerwin, the set will be surrounded by live campus music, dance, theater and art.
Being decades older than his classmates, Kerwin said, has turned out better than he expected.
“To be honest, I’ve been pleasantly shocked by how accepting and open they’ve been,” he said. “When I was 18, if a 61-year-old walked into my college classroom, back then it would have been like something straight out of ‘Back to School’ with Rodney Dangerfield. But today’s Gen Z students at SMC have been remarkably kind.”
He credits that reception to not putting on an act.
“I don’t try to dress like them, use their slang or pretend to be something I’m not,” Kerwin said. “I just show up as myself and respect them as peers. Because I don’t try to fake it, a genuine mutual respect naturally forms.”
For Kerwin, it is also a hometown project. His first television show was taped in Santa Monica, he said, not far from the Civic Auditorium, where the Academy Awards were held in the 1960s. He now lives within walking distance of the campus.
“It feels completely right,” he said. “I have immense affection for Santa Monica — it’s an absolute jewel of a city with an incredible history.”
Returning as a student, he said, connects him directly to the college’s legacy.
“Look at [SMC alumni](https://www.smc.edu/community/alumni/network-info.php?ref=smdp.com) like James Dean, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ryan Seacrest,” Kerwin said. “By the way, you rarely hear those three names in the same sentence, but it shows the extraordinary talent that has passed through these halls.”
“Being able to bring my broadcast background here and give back to the campus community as a current student is a true full-circle moment,” he added.
Kerwin sees the smartphone as the latest in a long line of technologies that older generations have worried about.
“When I was growing up, the prevailing warning was that television was going to rot your brain; for my father’s generation, people worried that listening to the radio too much was the threat,” he said. “Now it’s just a smaller screen in everyone’s hand.”
He said he hopes people who watch the live conversations walk away with “a real sense of community.”
“Watching these unscripted conversations happen live on the quad shows us that we’re all in this together,” he said. “Whether we’re navigating new technology, the future, relationships or career uncertainties, Gen Z and older generations are far less different than we think.”
“My hope is that a student, a community member or a viewer watching the interview sees a segment and thinks, ‘Hey, I’m going through that exact same thing,’” Kerwin said.
### Alcohol permit hearing signals Trader Joe's plans for former Rite Aid on Wilshire
URL: https://www.smdp.com/alcohol-permit-hearing-signals-trader-joes-plans-for-former-rite-aid-on-wilshire/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T09:59:59.000Z
Trader Joe's is scheduled to go before city officials next week seeking permission to sell alcohol at 1331 Wilshire Blvd., the clearest sign yet that the grocer plans to open a store in the former Rite Aid building it bought last year.
The hearing is set for Oct. 13 when “Trader Joe’s Company” is scheduled to request a Minor Use Permit to allow the sale of a full line of alcohol for off-premises consumption in conjunction with a 17,633 square foot grocery store.
Trader Joe's paid $22 million, about $1,236 per square foot, for the 17,800-square-foot building in December 2025\. The Rite Aid closed in June of that year and while the site is adjacent to a still operating Pavillion’s store, the Rite Aid side of the lot has been fenced off since closure. The location did require a small zoning update which was approved in September of 2025.
The company has not formally announced any plans for the location but the regulatory hearing is evidence the plan is ongoing. A store at 1331 Wilshire would be the fourth Trader Joe's in Santa Monica provided all three of its current stores remain open.
For decades, the store on Pico Boulevard at 32nd Street was the city's only Trader Joe's. A second location opened at 2300 Wilshire in 2019 and a third opened downtown in 2022.
Meanwhile, a Venice location at 620 S. Lincoln Blvd. is moving through Los Angeles' approval process.
The company filed an application in April of this year for a 12,585-square-foot store in the former Fox Venice theater. A Los Angeles zoning administrator approved full-line alcohol sales from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
### DA files murder charge in shooting of beloved Culver City bus driver
URL: https://www.smdp.com/da-files-murder-charge-in-shooting-of-beloved-culver-city-bus-driver/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T08:54:02.000Z
The man accused of shooting and killing Culver City Bus driver Bruce Rodriguez has been charged with murder and could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, Los Angeles [County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Wednesday.](https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/los-angeles-man-charged-murdering-culver-citybus-driver?ref=smdp.com)
Rodriguez drove a Culver CityBus for 12 years and was known for handing out Hot Wheels cars to his youngest passengers. He is survived by his wife, Sandy Sanchez, and two sons, one 3-year-old and one 6-month-old. He was shot and killed at the wheel on Oct. 1.
Source: [GoFundMe](https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-bruce-rodriguez-and-support-his-young-family?ref=smdp.com)
Hundreds gathered Saturday night for a vigil in his honor.
Jose Antonio Zayas, 55, is charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of murder of transportation personnel, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
****Source: Los Angeles Police Department Gang and Narcotics Division**
If convicted as charged, Zayas faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors said Zayas boarded the bus around 5 p.m. on Oct. 1 and later approached Rodriguez, asking him to stop so he could get off. Rodriguez was unable to stop because of heavy traffic and the position of the bus on South Centinela Avenue, according to the District Attorney's Office. Hochman said Zayas then fired a handgun at Rodriguez multiple times.
Zayas then allegedly took his bicycle from the rack on the front of the bus and fled.
[Culver City Bus Driver Shot Three Times in Head, Witnesses Say; Suspect at LargeA man was hospitalized Thursday evening after a shooting involving a Culver City bus near South Centinela and Mitchell avenues, and police were still searching for the shooter as of 6:30 pm. The Los Angeles Police Department said the shooting happened at about 5:15 pm near the intersectionSMDPGabe Kaplan](https://www.smdp.com/culver-city-bus-driver-shot-three-times-in-head-witnesses-say-suspect-at-large/)
Witnesses to the scene were interviewed by the Daily Press in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Zayas was arrested the next afternoon in the 3600 block of Motor Avenue, police said. Police have said they believe he was intoxicated at the time of the shooting.
Culver City Manager Odis Jones called the charges "an important step toward accountability and justice." The city suspended bus service over the weekend so employees could grieve.
The family's GoFundMe has raised more than $150,000 toward a $200,000 goal. Donations can be made at: [https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-bruce-rodriguez-and-support-his-young-family](https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-bruce-rodriguez-and-support-his-young-family?ref=smdp.com)
### LA County opens investigation into FAIR Plan's handling of wildfire claims
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-opens-investigation-into-fair-plans-handling-of-wildfire-claims/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T00:37:41.000Z
Los Angeles County has opened an investigation into how the California FAIR Plan handled claims from the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, county officials announced Wednesday. The FAIR Plan is now the third insurer the county is scrutinizing over its treatment of fire survivors.
County Counsel's inquiry focuses on possible violations of California's Unfair Competition Law. It follows complaints from residents who said the insurer delayed, underpaid and denied wildfire claims and refused to pay for testing and remediation of toxic contamination. County Counsel has formally notified the FAIR Plan that if it is engaging in unlawful or unfair business practices, it must stop immediately and comply with state law.
"Fire survivors who paid their premiums deserve fair and timely compensation — not delays, denials, or a choice between an unsafe home and financial devastation," said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, whose district includes Pacific Palisades and Malibu. "FAIR Plan is now the third insurer Los Angeles County is investigating over its treatment of fire survivors."
Horvath said the county would "use every tool available to protect survivors and hold accountable those who fail them."
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose 5th District includes Altadena, said survivors there "should not be victimized yet again by their own insurance company."
"For many survivors, the FAIR Plan is the last option they have for coverage — their last recourse — and it is inexcusable that people are struggling to get the relief and recovery help they need when they need it the most," Barger said.
A July 2026 survey by the Department of Angels found that 67% of FAIR Plan customers were dissatisfied, the highest share of any insurer. FAIR Plan customers were significantly more likely than other insurers' customers to report lowball estimates, poor communication, conflicting or inaccurate information and claim denials, according to the survey. More than half of respondents said multiple adjusters had been assigned to their claims.
The FAIR Plan said it has handled about 5,400 claims from the two fires, paid nearly $3.5 billion and is reviewing the county's letter.
The California FAIR Plan Association is a private association made up of all insurers licensed to write property insurance in the state. It is funded primarily through the policies it sells and is not a state agency. It serves as an insurer of last resort for homeowners who cannot buy coverage in the traditional market.
"The homeowners who rely on FAIR Plan are more vulnerable than others because their options for insurance are severely limited," County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison said. "FAIR Plan must treat them fairly."
County Counsel is authorized by statute to investigate and prosecute Unfair Competition Law violations on behalf of the people of California and may seek restitution, civil penalties and injunctive relief.
The FAIR Plan already faces a state case over smoke damage claims. In July 2025, the California Department of Insurance filed an order to show cause against the insurer after "hundreds of escalating consumer complaints," citing at least 418 violations tied to its "permanent physical damage" standard for smoke claims. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that standard illegal in June 2025.
The county's action against the FAIR Plan follows similar steps against two other major insurers.
The county opened a civil investigation into State Farm General in November 2025 and sued the company Aug. 31 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging unfair business practices, false advertising and suppression of smoke damage claims. Unlike the state's case against State Farm, the county suit seeks restitution for policyholders.
On Sept. 9, County Counsel opened an investigation into Farmers Insurance after policyholders said the company resisted paying for contamination testing by industrial hygienists. Farmers disputed the county's characterization.
At the state level, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara opened a market conduct exam of State Farm General after the department received "general allegations" from survivor groups and a letter from lawmakers including state Sens. Sasha Renée Pérez and Ben Allen. Examiners reviewed 220 claims and found 398 violations in 114 of them, according to a May 4 department news release. The violations included failing to begin investigations within 15 days, making unreasonably low offers and failing to provide written denials for hygienist testing.
The department filed an accusation and order to show cause citing those violations plus 34 from consumer complaints. It seeks fines of up to $10,000 per willful violation and a license suspension of up to one year.
State Farm called the action "a reckless, politically motivated attack" and said added payments tied to the exam totaled "about $40,000 in the context of more than $5.7 billion paid."
No penalties have been imposed on any insurer.
Residents filed 38,835 residential claims from the fires, about 11,300 of them with State Farm, and insurers had paid more than $23.7 billion as of March 3, according to the department.
### Kidnapping suspect dies by suicide days before court case begins
URL: https://www.smdp.com/kidnapping-suspect-dies-by-suicide-days-before-court-case-begins/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T00:20:27.000Z
A local man suspected of kidnapping and rape killed himself at his home on Monday, the day before his court case was set to begin.
Schecter, 24, of Santa Monica, was arrested at his residence on suspicion of rape by force, forcible oral copulation, robbery, extortion and battery following a monthslong investigation by the UCLA Police Department in March. He was released on bail and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
The investigation began after UCLA police responded to a reported kidnapping and false imprisonment. According to police, two female UCLA students were being dropped off when Schecter, who had no known university affiliation, prevented them from leaving his vehicle, threatened violence and drove about half a mile away.
Detectives identified Schecter four days later and arrested him March 12 on suspicion of kidnapping and false imprisonment.
Investigators later linked him to a previously unreported sexual assault of an adult woman with no known university affiliation.
Schecter’s family released a statement to the LA Times criticizing officials' handling of the case. Schecter’s attorney said even when investigating serious allegations, officials should show respect for due process.
“It brought necessary attention to sexual misconduct, but the pendulum has swung too far,” Schecter’s attorney, Debra S. White, said in a statement. “An accusation can do enormous damage before the full story is known, particularly when prosecutors overcharge and speak publicly as though guilt has already been decided.
The Westside Current contributed to this report
### Let's Bring Doug Trussler's Record to Light
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lets-bring-doug-trusslers-record-to-light/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T17:49:02.000Z
As Santa Monica homeowners for the last quarter century, my family and I have watched as our beautiful, funky beach community has become increasingly out of reach for working families, immigrants, students and young professionals like we were when we first moved here. Private equity, a federal government bent on punishing poor people and terrorizing immigrants, and the threat of unregulated big tech surveillance are all contributing to what tech writer Cory Doctorow calls “enshittification”: the process by which something that begins as beneficial to the public becomes little more than a profit center for investors.
That brings me to this year’s competitive election for three Santa Monica City Council seats. Candidate Doug Trussler is running in significant part on his business experience. Good—we need all kinds of professional and life experience in politics. But voters should also examine what that experience involved. Trussler co-founded private-equity firm Bison Capital and has served on the boards of numerous companies, including FinFit and Sentinel Offender Services. ([SMDP](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-deserves-a-straight-answer-about-its-finances/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com))
At FinFit, where Bison invested millions, a 2025 South Carolina filing listed rates of 36% on unsecured loans and as high as 102% on certain open-end loans. FinFit calls itself an alternative to payday lending, but whatever the label, triple-digit interest is extraordinarily expensive credit—offered to workers borrowing when they are financially vulnerable.
More troubling to me is Sentinel Offender Services.
Bison invested in Sentinel in 2012, eventually taking control and owning more than 90% of the company, according to Trussler’s own recent account. Trussler says Bison initially lent Sentinel money to finance an acquisition, later took control in 2018 and ran the business for eight years before selling it in 2026.
That acquisition included G4S Justice Services, which had worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on electronic monitoring and case-management services. Sentinel itself operated in the controversial business of for-profit probation and electronic monitoring, including arrangements in which people under court supervision paid fees associated with their own monitoring.
Human Rights Watch documented the human consequences of that model. Among its examples was a homeless man convicted of stealing a $2 beer who sold blood plasma twice a week trying to pay Sentinel’s fees, accumulated more than $1,000 in debt and ultimately returned to jail.
Trussler offers an important defense. He says Bison inherited many of Sentinel’s problems, eventually eliminated most participant-paid monitoring, settled litigation and strengthened compliance. He says he is proud that Sentinel’s monitoring allowed hundreds of thousands of low-level offenders to avoid incarceration.
Electronic monitoring may indeed be preferable to incarceration. But that doesn’t resolve the question that troubles me: **Why should keeping poor people out of jail be a profit center in the first place?**
And the concerns didn’t simply disappear when Bison took control. In 2019, civil-rights, labor and criminal-justice organizations raised concerns directly with Trussler about the industry’s impact on low-income and minority communities. In 2024, 19 members of Congress—including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—sought answers from Trussler and others about fees and alleged abusive practices in electronic monitoring.
Trussler presents his experience turning around troubled businesses as an important qualification for City Council. His campaign says he has spent his career “turning around complex organizations, managing costs, holding systems accountable, and driving measurable results.”
Voters can decide how much weight to give that argument. But they should know the other side of the record as well.
These weren’t abstract investments. They involved workers taking out extraordinarily expensive loans and people caught in the criminal-justice system paying private companies as an alternative to incarceration.
We talk a lot in Santa Monica about standing with working people and protecting Black, Brown and immigrant communities. Trussler has made his business experience central to his case for City Council. That makes the businesses he chose to invest in—and who bore their costs—fair subjects for voters to examine.
There is such a thing as too high a cost for a community to bear just so investors can turn a profit and call it good business.
Sincerely,
Susan Sheu
Los Angeles County Democratic Party Recording Secretary
### Newsom signs Zbur bill setting path to Santa Monica coastal plan
URL: https://www.smdp.com/newsom-signs-zbur-bill-setting-path-to-santa-monica-coastal-plan/
Last updated: 2026-10-07T18:59:59.000Z
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1740, a new law gives Santa Monica a defined path to a certified Local Coastal Program after more than 50 years without one. The once controversial measure also creates a statewide fast track for bike, pedestrian and transit projects that improve access to the coast.
The bill was authored by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Santa Monica. Once the city's program is certified, Santa Monica will be able to process most coastal development permits locally instead of requiring separate approval from the California Coastal Commission. The commission will keep oversight.
The city of Santa Monica and the advocacy group Streets For All sponsored the bill but its final version came out of negotiations among the city, the commission, and housing, environmental and mobility advocates.
"Getting to this agreement was no small undertaking. It took months of hard work, difficult conversations, and a willingness from stakeholders with very different perspectives to stay at the table and find common ground," Zbur said. "What we achieved is a solution that works for Santa Monica, strengthens the partnership between the City and the Coastal Commission, and creates new opportunities for communities across California to improve bike, pedestrian, and transit access to our coast."
The law requires Santa Monica to submit a complete proposed LCP to the commission by Jan. 1, 2029\. The commission must then:
\- give the city a written list of any identified issues within 45 days, and
\- act on the submission within six months of receiving it.
If the commission misses the six-month deadline, it must send quarterly written updates to the Legislature explaining the delay. It must also reimburse the city for reasonable costs of coordinating on suggested modifications. The reporting requirement expires Dec. 31, 2032.
The city has an incentive to move faster. If it submits a complete program by Dec. 31, 2027, it will get priority consideration for funding from the state's Active Transportation Program. That program supports bike lanes, pedestrian paths, safe-routes-to-school improvements and quick-build projects.
"I have a high degree of confidence that this is going to lead to an LCP within a short period of time," Zbur said.
The statewide part of the law works independently of the Santa Monica process. It amends Section 30610.91 of the Public Resources Code. Under the change, the commission's executive director may waive the coastal development permit requirement for projects that convert existing road right-of-way into bicycle, transit or pedestrian infrastructure. To qualify, the director must find that the project, on balance, provides commensurate or enhanced public access to the coast. Replacing lost parking is no longer an automatic requirement. The loss of parking near beaches has historically complicated or blocked bike lane approvals.
The law also requires more transparency around approvals, denials and pending applications.
Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis said the city is among the last coastal cities without a state-certified program.
"Cities up and down the coast make their own permitting decisions under coastal programs the state has certified,” she said. “Santa Monica is one of the last that doesn't. AB 1740 puts us on the clock to get there; now the work is ours. Thank you to Assemblyman Zbur for seeing it through, and to Governor Newsom for signing this important piece of legislation."
Michael Schneider, founder and CEO of Streets For All, said multimodal projects have long been too difficult to build in the coastal zone.
"I'm grateful to Assemblymember Zbur for authoring this critical bill, and to Governor Newsom for signing it, creating a streamlined process, which will allow cities to more easily install bike lanes, bus lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements," Schneider said.
Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge said the law supports the commission's current work with Santa Monica.
"It also expedites bike lanes and other multimodal projects that will improve public access to the coast without weakening Coastal Act protections," Huckelbridge said.
The signed law is much narrower than the bill Zbur introduced in February. That version created broad exemptions from coastal development permit requirements for multifamily housing, building renovations, outdoor dining, temporary events and parking changes. It applied to more than a dozen coastal cities that met specific urbanization criteria.
The Coastal Commission opposed earlier versions of the bill. Later amendments limited it to Santa Monica, which drew criticism from environmental groups and some residents who called it a targeted carve-out. The housing and commercial exemptions were eventually removed. So was the bill's original findings section, which had argued that the Coastal Act's permitting framework was poorly suited to dense, transit-rich urban communities.
Santa Monica's effort to get a certified program goes back decades:
\- 1992: The commission approved the city's Land Use Plan, which still serves as the standard of review for coastal permits in the city. The companion Implementation Plan, which works as the coastal zoning ordinance, was never approved.
\- 2014: The city started a new LCP process.
\- October 2018: The City Council adopted a revised Land Use Plan. The city later withdrew it before the commission acted.
\- May 2023: The city resumed the update.
\- May 2026: After AB 1740 was introduced, the council voted unanimously to direct staff to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the commission. The target is to complete both plans by June 2027.
### SMC's Friday Night Jazz Series returns Oct. 16
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smcs-friday-night-jazz-series-returns-oct-16/
Last updated: 2026-10-07T18:59:00.000Z
The Santa Monica College Music Department will open its fall Friday Night Jazz Series on Oct. 16 with the Marvin "Smitty" Smith Octet. A benefit concert, "Some of My Best Musicians Are Friends," follows Nov. 13.
Concerts begin at 7 p.m. in the Music Hall at the SMC Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St. (at Santa Monica Boulevard).
Smith, a renowned drummer, has performed around the world for the past 50 years with artists including Steve Coleman, the late Sonny Rollins, Dave Holland and Sting. He was also the drummer for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" for 15 years. Tickets are $10 general admission, plus a service charge, at[ ](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/tickets](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com). Admission is free for students with any student ID.
The Nov. 13 benefit supports the series and features an all-star lineup: Eric Scott Reed, Ralph Moore, Ira Nepus, Edwin Livingston, Smith, Gilbert Castellanos, Clay Jenkins and special surprise guests. The evening will present small ensemble and big band material, then evolve into a celebratory jam session.
The concert honors the series' more than 40-year history. Past performers include John, Jeff and Gerald Clayton, Kim Richmond, Dave Scott, Rich Perry, Francisco Aguabella, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Eric Person, Theo Saunders, Kevin Brandon, Paul Jackson, Justo Almario, George Bohanon, Oscar Brashear and Jon Mayer.
Tickets are $30 general admission and $10 for students with any student ID, plus a service charge, at[ ](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/tickets](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com).
Tickets may also be purchased starting 45 minutes before each performance at The Broad Stage box office at the SMC Performing Arts Center. Parking is free on the premises. Seating is strictly first-arrival.
For more information, call 310-434-4323\. Concerts are subject to change or cancellation without notice. The latest details are posted at[ ](http://smc.edu/events?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/events](http://smc.edu/events?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica-Malibu school board seeks another waiver from state classroom salary rule
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-malibu-school-board-seeks-another-waiver-from-state-classroom-salary-rule/
Last updated: 2026-10-07T15:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously Oct. 1 to ask county officials, once again, to excuse the district from a state rule requiring it to spend 55% of its expenditures on classroom salaries and benefits.
The district fell short of the mark by 7.66%, or $16,096,765.33, in the 2025-26 fiscal year. District officials attributed the gap to one-time state and federal money that must be spent on items other than teacher pay.
The request now goes to the [Los Angeles County Office of Education](https://www.lacoe.edu/?ref=smdp.com), which has approved the district's exemption each of the past six to seven years, said Gerardo Cruz, the district's assistant superintendent of business and fiscal services.
District leaders had expected the annual waivers to run their course through the 2028-29 school year. Cruz told the board that is no longer likely.
Board member Stacy Rouse recalled projections from when she began four years ago that the exemptions would end sometime between 2025-26 and 2027-28, and asked whether that still held.
"Good question and good memory," Cruz said.
He noted the district recently received about $12 million in additional one-time categorical funds for restricted purposes, money it expects to spend over at least the next six to seven years. As for whether the exemptions would end in 2028-29, "The short answer is no," he said.
"We're actually going to likely expand that runway for an additional five to six years," Cruz said.
Under Section 41372 of the California Education Code, a unified school district must devote 55% of its expenditures to classroom salaries and benefits. The requirement may be waived if the penalty would cause a district serious hardship.
Cruz said the district has "benefited greatly" from COVID-19 recovery and learning recovery funds, as well as newer state grants such as the Learning Recovery [Emergency](https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-citywide-emergency-ahead-of-forecast-historic-el-nino/) Block Grant and the Student Support and Professional Development Block Grant. Those dollars are largely restricted to technology, personal protective equipment, other equipment and instructional materials, he said.
Because the one-time money counts toward the state's calculation but generally cannot go to salaries, the district's percentage drops.
"The catch-22 is a lot of the time those categorical funds are not meant to be spent on teacher salaries because we don't have them forever and they're one-time funds, so we don't want to commit ongoing costs to one-time funds," Cruz said.
The district is far from alone, he said. When the state's Local Control Funding Formula took effect in 2012-13, 9% of California unified school districts missed the 55% mark. By 2024-25, the most recent year with data, that share had climbed to 31.3%. Elementary and high school districts have seen similar increases, Cruz said.
"This is a phenomenon not specific to us, but it's pervasive throughout the state," he said.
Board member Jennifer Smith said she was surprised the figure isn't higher and wondered whether other districts were spending the money on teachers in ways they could not sustain. She said districts that use the one-time money for staff later have to reduce staff, "and it's painful."
"It shocks me that the entire state doesn't apply for this," Smith said.
Cruz said she had "hit the nail right on the head." All districts face the same deadlines to spend the funds, he said, but many are using them to pay classroom instructional salaries. That lets those districts meet the 55% threshold while forcing them into the staff reductions that districts around the state carry out each March.
He credited the board for "not tying one-time revenues to ongoing expenditures like classroom salaries."
"We could absolutely move to that model. I'm not sure that we would want to," Cruz said.
No other questions were raised before the board voted to approve the application.
### Santa Monica gallery pairs art and healing in breast cancer show
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-gallery-pairs-art-and-healing-in-breast-cancer-show/
Last updated: 2026-10-07T16:00:00.000Z
A Santa Monica gallery that remade itself around patients living with illness will host a reception Oct. 17, opening with a free art meditation session, for a Ventura artist who painted her way through breast cancer.
The "Jill's Journey" event at dnj Gallery, timed to Breast Cancer Awareness Month and sponsored by Living Beauty Cancer Foundation, begins at 5 p.m. with CALM Art, a guided art meditation led by artist Jill Covell that requires no art experience. A reception follows from 6 to 8 p.m.
"I'll also be doing a book signing that evening, and the art in the gallery will be for sale, with 25% of the event's proceeds going to [Living Beauty](https://livingbeauty.org/?ref=smdp.com) so they can continue offering free programs to women with cancer," she said.
Living Beauty, a national nonprofit, has supported women with cancer for more than two decades. Covell said she has worked with the group "both as a survivor and to help create art programs for others."
Founder and director Pamela Schoenberg shifted dnj Gallery in 2024 from a solely commercial space to one with a charitable and educational mission centered on medical patients and artists, drawing on her background in nutritional science, preventive medicine and health coaching.
The gallery presents its current exhibition, "In Strength," through Art and Med, a program that pairs exhibitions with community events to increase awareness, further education and raise money for charity. The group show features artists connected to breast cancer and runs through Dec. 5.
Its title reflects the idea that strength is not the absence of fear or pain but something built in their presence, and that art can help build it.
Covell's installation traces her experience with breast cancer through spirit animals, displayed with a map and narrative guiding visitors through her experience and each animal's meaning.
"The real breakthrough came when I was going through heavy chemo and needed a way to visualize my white blood cells multiplying and going on the attack," Covell said.
Covell has aphantasia, which she said "might sound strange for an artist, but painting is how I visualize." A painting called "Healing Shower" started the collection.
"From that point on, I knew I was going to create a painting for each phase of the journey, and I really haven't stopped," she said.
A few months into treatment, a therapist helping Covell manage anxiety recommended an art therapy group at UCLA's Simms Mann.
"No doctor appointments, no calls, just an hour and a half every Wednesday that I blocked off for art," she said. "It was truly liberating."
"Many times I'd just want to paint a particular animal, and later, when writing the narrative, I'd understand why that animal mattered," Covell said.
One painting grew out of sunset clouds that looked like a dragon and a butterfly, a sight she said felt symbolic of what she was going through during radiation: "the dragon strong and fierce, the butterfly transformative and delicate." Gold lines in the painting represent the radiation rays, a reference to the Japanese art of kintsugi.
"I see my cancer journey as both a blessing and a curse," Covell said. "The curse part is obvious, no one wants cancer. The blessing is that it allowed me to reinvent myself and become the person I was really meant to be."
"I lost my business, I lost my boyfriend, my world was crashing, and yet I knew it wouldn't get the better of me," she said.
She hopes sharing her experience "gives a voice to others going through this devastating disease and offers them hope." People have told her the story and images brought tears to their eyes because they related to the words, she said, "and then a smile because of the beauty and healing in the images."
Covell, who began painting at 11, holds a [bachelor's degree](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-to-open-applications-for-cloud-computing-bachelors-degree/) in painting and drawing from UCLA and a master of fine arts in installation and sculpture from Claremont Graduate University, where she was the first student to receive a degree in that program. Her book, "Jill's Journey: A Cancer Story Told Through Art and Healing," is available on Amazon.
She met several of the show's other artists at the opening. One piece in the exhibition, "Making New Friends," explores the bond among people who have gone through cancer.
"Even though each of us has traveled a different path, there's a real camaraderie," Covell said.
Covell will also join a Nov. 15 conversation at the gallery with Ashley James and Dr. Evanthia Roussos Torres of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The gallery, at 3015 Ocean Park Blvd., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and by appointment. RSVPs for the reception are taken through the gallery's website.
More information is available at[ ](https://www.dnjgallery.net/current.html?ref=smdp.com)[dnjgallery.net/current.html](https://www.dnjgallery.net/current.html?ref=smdp.com).
### Heat wave prompts criticism and concern over conditions at local schools
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-students-protest-over-broken-ac-as-record-heat-strains-school-cooling-systems/
Last updated: 2026-10-07T21:42:53.000Z
Students at Santa Monica High School have raised concerns over the lack of air conditioning at the school this week as a record-breaking heat wave pushed temperatures along the coast well above normal.
Students organized an impromptu protest via social media after some said cooling systems in multiple buildings at the high school have failed to maintain a reasonable temperature for the second time this year. Students told the Daily Press that some individuals disrupted classes during the morning over their concerns but the district said there was no organized protest and no walkout
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said Tuesday that its facilities teams are responding to air-conditioning problems at its schools as the extreme temperatures put significant strain on the systems. Most systems are working and cooling classrooms, according to the district, while a small number of areas need repairs or replacement parts.
At Santa Monica High School portable air-conditioning units are providing temporary cooling in language and English classrooms while the district waits for parts, officials said.
Air conditioning in the campus' Exploration Building is running again after crews replaced a memory board that had been damaged by a leak in a condensation line, the district said.
In the Discovery Building, the air-conditioning system shut itself down overnight after detecting extreme temperatures, not due to a fire. Crews reprogrammed the system Tuesday morning, and it is mostly operating, though some problems continue.
The Innovation Building had air-conditioning trouble during August's unusually intense heat and humidity, including issues tied to coastal air and moisture, according to the district. Facilities staff have since replaced damaged dampers and updated the system's programming to make it more reliable.
"We are experiencing a record-breaking heat wave, and our facilities teams are working diligently to keep our schools operating," said Carey Upton, the district's chief operations officer. "Our technicians are responding across the district, putting temporary solutions in place where needed while also working on permanent repairs. Our focus is on addressing issues as they arise and keeping our schools comfortable and functional for students and staff throughout these extreme conditions."
The district said it expects some air-conditioning systems may continue to have problems for the rest of the heat wave. Its facilities team will respond quickly, putting temporary fixes in place where needed while working toward permanent repairs, officials said.
The heat has gripped the entire region. An extreme heat warning remains in effect for the coast and valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura counties until 8 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said Tuesday. Temperatures could reach 90 to 100 degrees at the coast and 106 degrees in the valleys.
The warning covers dozens of communities, including Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, Culver City, Beverly Hills and Long Beach.
The weather service also issued a beach hazards statement through 6 a.m. Wednesday for dangerous rip currents and breaking waves. A coastal flood advisory takes effect at 6 a.m. Wednesday and runs until 11 p.m. Friday, with minor to locally moderate flooding expected in low-lying areas such as beach parking lots, bike paths and harbor walkways, especially around high tide. Forecasters said Malibu is among the areas of greatest concern.
According to the weather service, two patterns combined to push the record heat to the shoreline: a strong dome of high pressure overhead and a steady flow of air moving from inland out to sea.
Normally, an afternoon sea breeze brings cool ocean air ashore and keeps beach towns mild. Offshore flow reverses that pattern, keeping cooler marine air away from the coast and limiting cooling at night. On Oct. 4, the third day of the heat wave, overnight temperatures stayed in the 70s and 80s.
The marine layer, which forecasters describe as the coast's natural air conditioner, disappeared. The weather service forecast highs 15 to 27 degrees above normal, with the most unseasonable heat over the Los Angeles Basin and the Los Angeles and Ventura county coasts.
Some relief has begun at the beaches. Coastal highs Tuesday were 3 to 6 degrees cooler than Monday as onshore flows are slowly returning, forecasters said.
The pattern is expected to break this weekend. A cold low-pressure system moving south from Canada is forecast to bring below-normal temperatures to the entire West Coast from Sunday through Tuesday, with highs mostly in the 70s by Monday.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the District's assertion that no walkout occurred.
### Santa Monica tribute to Gloria Steinem raises more than $80,000 for ERA
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-tribute-to-gloria-steinem-raises-more-than-80-000-for-era/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T18:59:00.000Z
More than 130 people gathered in Santa Monica on Constitution Day to honor Gloria Steinem. The event raised more than $80,000 toward recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The event, Unfinished: Cocktails & Conversation for Gender Equality, was among the first major Los Angeles gatherings for the ERA since Steinem died Sept. 2\. It benefited ERA Coalition Forward, a 501(c)(3) organization where Steinem was a co-founding board member.
Guests included board members Alyssa Milano and Lisa Ann Walter, along with Christine Lahti, Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins, Blair Imani and Sasha Farber. Katherine Spillar, executive director of the Feminist Majority Foundation and executive editor of Ms. magazine, also attended. Poet Yazmin Monet Watkins performed, and comedian Dulo hosted. Chair emerita Carol Jenkins appeared in a tribute video. A short film by Culture House was screened with its founders in attendance.
"The Equal Rights Amendment has waited over 100 years. Every dollar raised that night brings us closer to recognition of the ERA as the 28th Amendment," Milano said.
"Gloria spent her life on this amendment and did not live to see it recognized. That is the work we carry now," said Zakiya Thomas, president and CEO of ERA Coalition Forward. "The people in that room understood that this is not a commemoration. It's a campaign for our rights, and it continues."
Glass Ladder Group founder Sabrina K. Garba moderated a conversation about how long the fight for the amendment has already taken. Walter, the organization's board co-chair, said her commitment began with a childhood subscription to Ms., the magazine Steinem co-founded.
"It never made sense to me why we were not equal ... I took my babysitting money allowance, and I saved it up until I could afford the first year of subscription to Ms. magazine," Walter said.
Artist Mary Harris painted the scene as the evening unfolded. The finished work is titled "In Love & Memory of Gloria Steinem."
Range Media Partners donated the venue. Dia Natural Wine, Frenchwood, Le Great Outdoor, Pilate-ology, Pizanna and The Lip Bar provided in-kind support.
Donations to ERA Coalition Forward can be made at[ ](http://givebutter.com/c/unfinished-cocktails-conversation-for-gender-equality?ref=smdp.com)[givebutter.com/c/unfinished-cocktails-conversation-for-gender-equality](http://givebutter.com/c/unfinished-cocktails-conversation-for-gender-equality?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMC gallery to host free reception Oct. 13 for faculty exhibition 'Living Echoes'
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-gallery-to-host-free-reception-oct-13-for-faculty-exhibition-living-echoes/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T18:59:00.000Z
The SMC Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery will host a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, for "Living Echoes," an exhibition of work by Santa Monica College art faculty.
The free exhibition opened Sept. 22 and runs through March 13, 2027\. A free artist talk and panel is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the gallery.
Students in SMC's Art 80, 82 and 84 Gallery Exhibition & Display course series curated the show. Their instructor is Kim Garcia. The students conducted studio visits, produced a learning guide, and selected and mounted the artwork. The course series gives students hands-on experience in planning, researching, operating and managing exhibition spaces.
The exhibition brings together 27 faculty artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, installation and mixed media. It explores connections between memory, identity, material and place.
"The exhibition," Garcia said, "explores how artists process what is happening around and within themselves in a fast-paced world where constant change can feel overwhelming."
The featured artists are Rhiannon Aarons, Liv Aanrud, Amanda Artsy, Terri Bromberg, Jerrold Burchman, Nehemiah Cisneros, Ismael de Anda III, Rebecca Frantz, Kim Garcia, Nevada Hardman, Carlson Hatton, Robert Brian Huerta, Jorge A. Jimenez Jr., Amy MacKay, Robin Mitchell, Margaret Oakley, Nathan Ota and Risk, Holly Perez, Kaelyn Rodriguez, Reinhart Revilla Selvik, Jane Shibata, Svetlana Shigroff, Emily Silver, Matthew Thomason, Marc Trujillo, Gerald Michael Vicich, Natasha Wheat and John Zarcone.
The gallery is at the[ ](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=1310+11th+Street%2c+Santa+Monica%2c+CA+90401&sll=34.020066%2c-118.470469&sspn=0.007203%2c0.014291&ie=UTF8&ll=34.024121%2c-118.489974&spn=0.007203%2c0.014291&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1&ref=smdp.com)[SMC Performing Arts Center](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=1310+11th+Street%2c+Santa+Monica%2c+CA+90401&sll=34.020066%2c-118.470469&sspn=0.007203%2c0.014291&ie=UTF8&ll=34.024121%2c-118.489974&spn=0.007203%2c0.014291&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1&ref=smdp.com), 1310 11th St., at Santa Monica Boulevard. Visitors enter through the center's courtyard.
The gallery is a student-centered contemporary art space. It works to close equity gaps in higher education and in gallery and museum settings, and it hosts workshops and campus and citywide activities.
Information about the exhibition, related events and gallery hours is available at[ ](http://smc.edu/barrett?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/barrett](http://smc.edu/barrett?ref=smdp.com) or by calling 310-434-4165\. Gallery activities are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Would closing California’s corporate tax loopholes actually generate new revenue?
URL: https://www.smdp.com/would-closing-californias-corporate-tax-loopholes-actually-generate-new-revenue/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T15:59:59.000Z
California unions whose members depend on the state budget for their salaries celebrated last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation aimed at plugging corporate tax loopholes.
“Giant, highly profitable, global corporations often pay less in California taxes than a social worker or a teacher,” Arnulfo De La Cruz, president of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement. “That makes no sense at all, and we’re going to change that. Accountability for corporate tax credits is long overdue.
“Every year, caregivers, social workers, child care providers and state workers have to fight to justify funding for the vital work we do; yet, corporations walk away with billions in tax dollars and never have to justify a penny of it.”
[Senate Bill 1349](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb1349?ref=smdp.com), sponsored by SEIU and other unions and carried by state[ ](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lena-gonzalez-165452?ref=smdp.com)[Sen. Lena Gonzalez](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lena-gonzalez-165452?ref=smdp.com), a Long Beach Democrat, orders the Legislative Analyst’s Office to study major “tax expenditures,” the official name for tax laws that favor certain classes of taxpayers. The LAO would recommend changes or repeals of those that it deems to be cost-ineffective.
It’s the latest wrinkle in a yearslong political debate over whether tax laws should be used to subsidize specific economic sectors, thereby reducing revenue that could have been used for public services. But it’s tinged in irony.
The Department of Finance already publishes an[ ](https://dof.ca.gov/media/docs/forecasting/revenue-and-taxation/tax-expenditure-reports/2025-26-Tax-Expenditure-Report.pdf?ref=smdp.com)[annual report on tax expenditures](https://dof.ca.gov/media/docs/forecasting/revenue-and-taxation/tax-expenditure-reports/2025-26-Tax-Expenditure-Report.pdf?ref=smdp.com), the latest of which indicates that they cost the state budget about $100 billion a year, with $76 billion of that from personal income taxes.
Corporate tax expenditures, the obvious target of SB 1349, are a relatively small $8.2 billion, including a[ ](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/paramount-deal-california-film-incentives/?ref=smdp.com)[series of tax credits](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/paramount-deal-california-film-incentives/?ref=smdp.com) for Southern California’s film and TV production industry. In fact, the Democratic legislators who sent SB 1349 to Newsom’s desk also voted for[ ](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-expands-film-and-tv-tax-credits-with-new-legislation-creates-tax-credit-to-support-post-production-jobs/?ref=smdp.com)[two bills that expand the credits](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-expands-film-and-tv-tax-credits-with-new-legislation-creates-tax-credit-to-support-post-production-jobs/?ref=smdp.com) the industry says are needed to prevent production from fleeing to other states.
Moreover, the vast majority of the loopholes in the finance department report were enacted during the last 60 years when Democrats dominated the Capitol. If SEIU and other advocates of closing them are looking for villains, they needn’t go far.
The history of one relatively tiny tax expenditure, enacted nearly 40 years ago, illustrates the irrational nature of tax policy.
While purchasers of off-the-shelf computer software on optical discs, such as the Quicken personal finance program, must pay sales taxes, custom software purchased by corporations is tax-free, thanks to a bill passed nearly 40 years ago.
The measure was sponsored by custom software makers and carried by a legislator from Silicon Valley. The finance department says it costs state and local governments $56 million a year.
Software delivered or accessed electronically, rather than physically, also has been tax-free, regardless of who is buying it. This year, the Legislature[ ](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb122?ref=smdp.com)[erased that loophole](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb122?ref=smdp.com) for “prewritten” software that individuals download, but didn’t touch the loophole for custom software. It also continued to exempt downloaded music, movies and games.
Taxing downloaded software is estimated to increase state revenue — and cost consumers —[ ](https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/859?ref=smdp.com)[about $1 billion a year](https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/859?ref=smdp.com).
Unwarranted loopholes, such as the custom software tax exemption or the film industry tax credits, are welfare for the wealthy and should be closed as a matter of equity.
However, the tax expenditures with the largest price tags, such as the sales tax exemptions for food and drugs, the exclusion of employers’ healthcare and pension contributions from income taxes, or the deduction of mortgage interest are also those with the broadest popular support.
It’s highly doubtful that SB 1349 will produce the cornucopia of revenues its sponsors seek.
\_\_\_\_\_\_
By Dan Walters
### Deja vu all over again
URL: https://www.smdp.com/deja-vu-all-over-again/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T15:59:59.000Z
Close the doors and batten the hatches, because El Niño isn’t the only tempest on the horizon. Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) and its threat of upzoned neighborhoods is barreling towards us. That was the message from the last City Council meeting.
Residents from the Pico neighborhood lined up to plead for mercy from likely displacement, but they weren’t the only ones seeking protection. Council members also expressed distress about the impending SB 79 tsunami, which would suggest they’re also victims of the law, except for the minor detail that they’re the ones who eagerly opened the floodgates by endorsing it. And they rushed to do so before it was even a law, when it was a bill, only a bill, offering them a chance to get attention on Capitol Hill (if Sacramento had any hills).
Technically, it was Councilmember Dan Hall who demanded that the entire council endorse SB 79\. Giving the other council members credit, they caved quickly. It’s also worth mentioning that Hall recently questioned the legitimacy of any city commissioners appointed by previous councils (all those rightwing councils of yore in the People’s Republic of Santa Monica). Even among Hall’s supporters, of whom there are many in the old-guard of the city, there was shock and disapproval that he would say something from the dais so brazenly undemocratic and well, Trumpy.
The other council members didn’t criticize him. They were too busy doing damage control on SB 79, as was the city staff. The community development director, Jing Yeo, repeatedly spoke with urgency at the Council meeting about “closing the door on SB 79 as quickly as possible,” warning that if the Council didn’t pass the proposed legislation “that door would remain open,” for large-scale SB 79 applications.
Mayor Caroline Torosis was troubled by the prospect (and seemingly by the nomenclature), asking Yeo to confirm the Council could preclude such applications “if we were to close the window.”
“The purpose of these exclusion ordinances is to close the door,” Yeo responded.
With all the doors and windows opening and closing, residents could be forgiven for thinking they had wandered into a poorly written French farce.
Karl Marx said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy and then as farce, and our current dilemma seems to be playing out as proof of that. Five years ago, Santa Monica missed the deadline for passing a housing element compliant with state law, and the result was what is known as “builder’s remedy.” Builders could ignore city zoning laws and erect towers much larger than otherwise allowed, and we will all soon be living with the 34-story skyscraper and other highrises that will be the repercussions.
There was much blame to go around at the time and supposedly a major lesson was learned. Yet here we are again. The SB 79 deadline was July 1st, and the race to “close the door” is after the horse is already out of the barn, to mix metaphors. Once again, builders are free to submit projects that exceed the city’s limits, because the city missed a deadline. And once again no one is being held accountable.
To be fair, many council members have a sincere desire to do something about the dearth of affordable housing, and not all of the SB 79 projects will be towering ones. Councilmember Hall has expressed confidence that the result will be moderately priced townhomes. However, the latest townhomes for sale in Pico were listed at $3.25 million. I asked Hall if that’s what he had in mind, and he didn’t respond.
Facts on the ground are such pesky things, and forcing a politician to face reality is like telling a child that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
There’s a world of abundance, if we would all just close our eyes and imagine it. Perhaps that was a topic at the campaign fundraiser for Hall that was coincidentally paid for by the developer of the first SB 79 project in Santa Monica. We’ll skip over the fact that this developer is the owner of a sex app, because we’re a sex positive community, and we’ll also skip over the fact that he’s based on the East coast, because it’s a long-established progressive principle to act locally and think globally.
There’s an echo chamber in some political circles about the virtue of their goals that prevents real-world consequences from intruding. Is that a 34-story skyscraper or just one more mountain on the horizon? Are we closing a door or opening one?
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### City records show a plan to convert the Victorian into a members club
URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-records-show-a-plan-to-convert-the-victorian-into-a-members-club/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T15:00:20.000Z
The Victorian, which announced it would close Monday, is set to be converted into a members club with a pool, spa and fitness center, according to city records.
The City Council voted 7-0 on March 24 to approve transferring the lease for the city-owned property at 2640 Main St. to a new company, The Santamonican Club, LLC. The item passed on the consent calendar and was not pulled for discussion, [meeting minutes](https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1477&Inline=True&ref=smdp.com) show.
A [city staff report](https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail%5FLegiFile.aspx?ID=7614&MeetingID=1480&ref=smdp.com) says the operator plans to turn the restaurant and nightclub into "a family-based recreation, events, and wellness facility for members." Planned work includes "a new pool," a "spa and wellness center," a fitness center, a "family/youth facility," a coffee bistro and a restaurant and bar.
**A concept site plan for the Victorian property marks a "Family Park" and "Family Gardens" behind the two historic houses.*
The City Council voted 7-0 on March 24 to approve transferring the lease for the city-owned property at 2640 Main St. to a new company, **The Santamonican Club, LLC.**
A concept site plan in the report also shows a "Family Park" and "Family Gardens" on the property. The report does not say whether those would be open to the public or limited to members.
The plan states the lease would reserve up to 20% of membership capacity for free scholarship memberships for qualifying Santa Monica residents. The site's 25 public parking spaces and the lawn beside the California Heritage Museum would stay open to the public, and the operator must keep supporting the Sunday Main Street Farmers Market, which sets up on the property's parking lot.
**A concept drawing of the Victorian's exterior after renovation.*
The records do not say what a membership would cost or when the club would open. The Victorian's closing announcement did not mention the plan.
[The Victorian to Close After 20 Years on Main StreetThe Victorian, the restaurant and nightlife venue located in a historical Victorian-style house on Main Street, is closing after 20 years. The venue announced the news on Instagram on October 5th at approximately 4:30 p.m. “After 20 incredible years, The Victorian is closing its doors,” the postSMDPGabe Kaplan](https://www.smdp.com/the-victorian-to-close-after-20-years-on-main-street/)
The Victorian posted an announcement to Instagram on October 5th at approximately 4:30 p.m. "After 20 incredible years, The Victorian is closing its doors," the post read, "but not before we say thank you.”
\[The city did not immediately respond to requests for comment.\]
This is a developing story and will be updated.
### Off the Hook seafood festival returns to Santa Monica Pier, marks Route 66 centennial
URL: https://www.smdp.com/off-the-hook-seafood-festival-returns-to-santa-monica-pier-marks-route-66-centennial/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T17:20:47.000Z
More than 25 Santa Monica restaurants and chefs will serve oysters, lobster, caviar and other seafood on the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, Oct. 11, when the Off the Hook Santa Monica Seafood Festival returns for its eighth year with a salute to the 100th anniversary of Route 66.
The festival, held in recognition of National Seafood Month, takes place at the western end of the historic highway, a spot known as the "End of the Trail."
"What makes 2026 especially exciting is that we're celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 at one of the most iconic places associated with the Mother Road," said Kim Koury, president of Spin PR Group and the festival's producer. "We're incorporating some Route 66 nostalgia throughout the event, so it feels like a celebration of both Santa Monica's culinary scene and an important piece of the city's history."
Guests can sample more than 25 seafood tastings, including oysters, lobster, shrimp, tuna, caviar and sushi, along with craft beer and wine gardens and curated cocktails. The Windbreakers will play 1970s and '80s smooth rock at a yacht rock party, and the program also includes oyster shucking and slurping competitions, games, ocean-themed photo opportunities and artisan vendors.
Participating restaurants include Santa Monica Seafood, Water Grill, Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, Sushi Roku, Michael's Santa Monica, Mastro's Ocean Club, Fogo de Chão, Pacific Catch and The Lobster. Beverage tastings will come from producers including Duvel, Dulce Vida Tequila, Giesen Wines and Junipero Gin.
Koury said the festival began with a simple idea: bring the city's restaurants and chefs together to celebrate its seafood and culinary community while giving back. It has since grown into one of Santa Monica's signature food events, she said, drawing visitors from across Los Angeles and some who fly in for it.
"Even after taking a three-year hiatus after the pandemic, we were able to rebuild and get support from City of Santa Monica, [local community](https://www.smdp.com/tourism-rand-finds-santa-monica-hotels-filling-rooms-but-earning-less/) partners and sponsors," Koury said.
The festival raises money for Heal the Bay, which works to protect the coastline, restore local waterways and keep Santa Monica Bay clean.
"Heal the Bay has been a wonderful partner, and supporting its mission to protect our coastline, restore local waterways and keep Santa Monica Bay clean is such a natural fit for a seafood festival taking place literally over the ocean," Koury said.
New this year, the event will also benefit the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, helping fund free community programming on the pier. Koury said the Route 66 tie-in led organizers to support the pier, which she said many people don't realize is a nonprofit.
"For me, the goal goes beyond raising a specific dollar amount," she said. "It's about using the festival as a platform to support the organizations that help protect two of Santa Monica's greatest treasures — our ocean and our Pier — while bringing people to Santa Monica and supporting our local restaurants and businesses."
Koury, who has lived in Santa Monica for 25 years and has produced events in the city for 20, called the festival "truly a labor of love."
The festival is free of single-use plastics, and organizers said it highlights education and innovation around ocean conservation and sustainable seafood.
Two additions this year expand that focus. [Santa Monica College's](https://www.smdp.com/smc-planetariums-october-shows-feature-exoplanets-stars-and-stellar-navigation/) Life Sciences Department will be on-site promoting its aquaculture program, and OC Coastkeepers will collect oyster shells through its Shells for Shorelines program. The shells will be repurposed for native oyster restoration projects in Southern California.
Koury said the festival collected more than 70 pounds of oyster shells last year and expects to double that amount this year.
Asked whether sustainability and a luxury seafood festival are at odds, Koury said it is an important conversation to have.
"Celebrating great seafood and protecting the ocean it comes from shouldn't be opposing ideas," she said. "If we want to continue enjoying seafood for generations to come, we have to think about where it comes from, how it's harvested and what we can do to protect our marine environment."
She said the festival aims to make sustainability part of the experience "not in a preachy way, but in a way that gets people thinking and talking about it while they're enjoying themselves."
Koury also rejected the luxury label, saying organizers try to keep the ticket price low so guests get an all-inclusive experience with unlimited tastings and adult beverages for $115.
"I don't even think you can find a seafood buffet in Las Vegas for that price anymore," she said.
General admission tickets, called Little Fish, start at $115 and include seafood and beverage tastings, games and live music, with entry at 4 p.m. A cash bar and nonalcoholic options will also be available.
VIP tickets, called Big Fish, start at $175 and add early entry at 3 p.m. and access to the Sustainable Seafood VIP Lounge, presented by Santa Monica Seafood. The lounge offers curated cocktails and extra tastings from restaurants including Michael’s Santa Monica, The Penthouse at The Huntley, Shuck Brothers and Vibe Caviar. VIP guests also receive a Santa Monica Seafood tote bag and an unlimited amusement park ride pass at Pacific Park, valued at $50.
Tickets are available at offthehookseafoodfest.com.
"Ultimately, the message is pretty simple," Koury said. "We can celebrate the ocean while also taking responsibility for protecting it."
### The Victorian to close after 20 years on Main Street
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-victorian-to-close-after-20-years-on-main-street/
Last updated: 2026-10-06T17:35:41.000Z
The Victorian, the restaurant and nightlife venue located in a historical Victorian-style house on Main Street, is closing after 20 years.
The venue announced the news on Instagram on October 5th at approximately 4:30 p.m. "After 20 incredible years, The Victorian is closing its doors," the post read, "but not before we say thank you.”
Its final weekend will be its annual Halloween party, which leaves four more weekends before doors close for good.
SMDP Photo
"To everyone who has ever danced with us, drank with us, celebrated with us, brought your friends, met someone new, or made a memory under our roof, thank you," the announcement said. "You made The Vic what it was."
During the day, the Victorian operated as a restaurant, wedding and event venue. At night, it became a multi-level nightclub, offering DJs and live music in the basement, the main floor and in the upstairs on weekend nights. The venue was also known for its long-running “Salsa Thursday” nights.
The post did not provide a reason for the closure or what will happen to the building after the closure. The property, located at 2640 Main St. in Heritage Square, is owned by the City of Santa Monica.
[City records show a plan to convert the Victorian into a members clubThe Victorian, which announced it would close Monday, is set to be converted into a members club with a pool, spa and fitness center, according to city records. The City Council voted 7-0 on March 24 to approve transferring the lease for the city-owned property at 2640 MainSMDPGabe Kaplan](https://www.smdp.com/city-records-show-a-plan-to-convert-the-victorian-into-a-members-club/)
### Postal Service releases recommended 2026 holiday shipping dates
URL: https://www.smdp.com/postal-service-releases-recommended-2026-holiday-shipping-dates/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:58:59.000Z
The U.S. Postal Service has announced its recommended mailing and shipping dates for delivery by Dec. 25.
In the contiguous United States, the Postal Service recommends sending mail and packages by the following dates:
USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail: Dec. 17
Priority Mail: Dec. 18
Priority Mail Express: Dec. 19
For Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories, the recommended date for Ground Advantage is one day earlier, Dec. 16\. The recommended dates for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express are the same as in the contiguous states.
Recommended dates for military and international addresses will be posted on the USPS holiday shipping page starting in mid-October.
The Postal Service urges customers to mail and ship packages early to make sure they arrive by Dec. 25.
The Postal Service's website, usps.com, and its YouTube channel have tips on preparing packages, ordering free shipping supplies, packaging guidelines (including restricted and prohibited items) and post office hours. More holiday information is available at usps.com/holidaynews.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Brew Works moves 12th anniversary celebration to Oct. 10
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-brew-works-moves-12th-anniversary-celebration-to-oct-10/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:59:00.000Z
Santa Monica Brew Works has moved its 12th anniversary celebration to Oct. 10 because the Dodgers have a playoff game on Oct. 3, the original date.
The brewery said it has an obligation to uphold its title as "Santa Monica's Most Loved Place to Catch a Game."
The celebration will be held at the brewery's Tasting Room and Beer Garden, 1920 Colorado Ave.
For the occasion, the brewery is bringing back Hang 12 Hazy IPA, reimagined as a hazy double IPA made with real pineapple purée. Hang 12 will be available on draft and in 16-ounce four-packs to go. Guests who buy a pint on draft will receive a commemorative glass and koozie to take home, and those who buy a four-pack will receive a Hang 12 sticker, while supplies last.
From 2 to 6 p.m., Rock Live Karaoke returns for its third consecutive year at the anniversary celebration. Guests can take the stage, grab the mic and sing their favorites backed by a full live band.
Founded in 2014, Santa Monica Brew Works invites longtime supporters and first-time visitors to raise a glass to 12 years of beach-brewed beer and community.
For event updates, follow @santamonicabrewworks on Instagram and Facebook.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica market tragedy survivor's memoir 'The Peach' due Oct. 15
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-market-tragedy-survivors-memoir-the-peach-due-oct-15/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:59:00.000Z
"The Peach: A Memoir of Trauma, Survival, and Forgiveness" by Melissa H. Cronin will be released Oct. 15 by Mnemosyne Books, a new imprint of Saint Julian Press.
The memoir returns to an ordinary summer morning in July 2003, when Cronin was reaching for a ripe peach at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. In the next instant, an out-of-control vehicle tore through the crowd, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more. Cronin survived, but her recovery became a far longer journey.
Cronin chronicles the years that followed — shaped by traumatic brain injury, grief, fractured memory, resilience and the difficult work of forgiveness. The book moves beyond catastrophe toward a meditation on identity, compassion and rebuilding a life after loss. Throughout, she bears witness to acts of kindness from strangers, medical workers, friends, family and fellow survivors, suggesting that healing is rarely an individual achievement.
The memoir has drawn praise from fellow authors. Mira Bartok, author of "The Memory Palace," called it a reminder that some people still choose to turn toward the light. Carolyn Roy-Bornstein said Cronin captures the universal core of a brain injury's world-shattering, transformational experience. Marianne Leone described the book as a remarkable story of sudden loss, recovery and the redemptive power of forgiveness, written in luminous prose. Madeleine Tobias, a retired psychotherapist who treated trauma survivors for more than 30 years, said the book offers hope that healing is possible with the right support and time.
Cronin is a former neonatal intensive care nurse, gardener and nature artist. She earned an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and her work has received a Notable Mention in The Best American Essays and support from the Vermont Studio Center and the Vermont Arts Council. She and her husband live in Vermont's Champlain Islands.
The Peach will be available in paperback and e-book wherever books are sold starting Oct. 15\. Print and e-book editions can be pre-ordered now from major retailers.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Free Continuum festival to honor Belmar history and Black Santa Monica Oct. 11
URL: https://www.smdp.com/free-continuum-festival-to-honor-belmar-history-and-black-santa-monica-oct-11/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:59:00.000Z
Historic Belmar Park will host[ ](https://continuumfest.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Continuum: Honoring Belmar History & Black Santa Monica](https://continuumfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 11\. The free, all-ages celebration will feature KCRW DJs, live music, a vendor village curated by Black Market Flea and discussions with award-winning journalist Sam Sanders.
The event highlights Santa Monica's little-known history as home to one of the oldest African American settlements in a California seaside community.
KCRW DJ Tyler "Boogie" Boudreaux, a Los Angeles radio host, producer, organizer and activist, will perform. Sanders, host of "The Sam Sanders Show," will discuss Belmar history and Black Santa Monica through a lens of Black joy and preserving legacy. He will be joined by historian Alison Rose Jefferson, artist April Banks, archivist Carolyne Edwards of Quinn Research Center and Maurice Harris of Bloom & Plume.
Cure For Paranoia, this year's NPR Tiny Desk winner and a project of rapper Cameron McCloud, will also perform. So will Party In My Living Room, a 1990s- and 2000s-inspired house party and concert series presented with GV Black. That set will be hosted by founder THURZ with the jazz, hip-hop and soul collective Katalyst. Songs with Strings, led by conductor Vincent Ott and musician Andrew Loper, will be backed by the string quartet wholesoul, founded by violist Drew Alexander Forde. The set features Adanna Duru, My Favorite Color, NomBe, Ramir, Robyn L and VANS!
At a "Give Someone Their Flowers" Bloom Bar hosted by Santa Monica floral studio Viola Floral, participants can make mini bouquets for local elders. The bouquets will be donated through the Black seniors group Memories & Movement and Meals on Wheels West, which delivers food to homebound seniors.
Visitors can also explore historical panels developed by Jefferson and a monumental red sculpture by Banks titled "A Resurrection in Four Stanzas." Art-making activities and a photography and multimedia installation will feature archival images and works from Quinn Research Center, Santa Monica Conservancy and ZEAL, a worker-owned creative arts cooperative.
Continuum is produced by Go As If Productions. It is part of the 2026 Ocean Way Festival community benefits package developed with the city and the California Coastal Commission. Its partner is GV Black, an employee-led Goldenvoice initiative that supports Black, Indigenous and people of color voices in event production. The Ocean Way Festival is[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/09/11/beach-damage-from-hurricane-marie-forces-cancellation-of-inaugural-ocean-way-festival-to-2027?ref=smdp.com)[scheduled](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/09/11/beach-damage-from-hurricane-marie-forces-cancellation-of-inaugural-ocean-way-festival-to-2027?ref=smdp.com) to return to Santa Monica in 2027.
For more information, visit[ ](http://santamonica.gov/?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov](http://santamonica.gov/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Candidate profile: Phil Brock
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-phil-brock/
Last updated: 2026-10-15T19:07:17.000Z
Phil Brock is a defender of "neighborhood character" and a vocal critic of what he describes as "Sacramento overreach." As a former Mayor, he focuses on protecting the city's local control and restoring its historic charm.
Position summaries
Homelessness: Brock advocates for a "treatment-first" approach and the relocation of the Samoshel shelter away from the downtown core. He believes the city must stop being a regional magnet for services and focus on its own residents first.
Crime & Public Safety: He supports the prosecution of retail theft through Prop 36 and calls for increased law enforcement presence on the Metro lines. Brock is committed to making Santa Monica the "safest beach city" in the world.
Housing Construction: He is actively fighting state mandates like SB 79 and seeks to protect parks and neighborhoods from what he views as excessive densification. Brock believes that the city should fulfill its housing obligations without destroying its existing residential fabric.
Economic Recovery: His strategy centers on increasing hotel TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) revenues as the primary engine for municipal fiscal recovery. He is also committed to protecting the Bergamot Station arts district from redevelopment that would displace existing galleries.
Governmental Philosophy: Brock’s philosophy is defined by "servant-leadership" and a commitment to listening to his constituents above all else. He believes that the council should be a direct reflection of the will of the residents.
Qualifications & Narrative
A native resident and the current Mayor, Brock has spent a lifetime in Santa Monica, serving on the Recreation and Parks Commission and the DA’s Homeless Task Force. He frames his candidacy as a battle for the "soul of Santa Monica" against outside developers and state bureaucrats. Brock is a vocal opponent of what he calls "Sacramento mandates," arguing that the city should have the right to determine its own density and growth. He positions himself as a "servant-leader" who is always available to listen to resident concerns and has made street-level safety the centerpiece of his administration. Brock’s focus on the hotel TOT tax reflects his belief that the city’s economic future is tied to its status as a premier tourist destination, and he is committed to ensuring that the city’s historic assets, like Bergamot Station, are protected for future generations.
### Candidate profile: Wade Kelley
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-wade-kelley/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:22:25.000Z
Wade Kelley represents a homeless community activist perspective, running on a platform of human rights and anti-capitalist critique. He seeks to provide a voice for the most marginalized residents of Santa Monica.
Position summaries
Homelessness: Kelley advocates for the creation of "tiny home villages" and the immediate rejection of "no sitting" and "no lying" laws. He believes that the city’s current approach criminalizes poverty rather than addressing the lack of affordable housing.
Crime & Public Safety: He focuses on ending what he describes as police "harassment" of the poor and redirecting safety funds toward social services. Kelley argues that the current public safety model prioritizes property over people.
Housing Construction: His platform calls for the development of social housing in single-family neighborhoods and on the Santa Monica Airport land. He believes that every neighborhood should share the responsibility for housing the city's unhoused population.
Economic Recovery: Kelley proposes a new tax on vacant commercial buildings and speculative real estate to fund social programs. He seeks to penalize landlords who keep storefronts empty while people are living on the streets.
Governmental Philosophy: His philosophy is rooted in a civil rights-based approach to governance and an anti-capitalist critique of the city's economic system. He believes that the city should prioritize human needs over profit.
Qualifications & Narrative
Kelley has a ten-year history as a street performer on the Third Street Promenade and identifies as a community activist with lived experience. He views his candidacy as a way to challenge the "status quo" and bring a human rights perspective to the council dais. Kelley is a vocal critic of the city’s current approach to homelessness, arguing that it is both inhumane and ineffective. He positions himself as a champion for the marginalized, advocating for policies that prioritize social equity and the protection of civil rights. His platform is a direct challenge to the city’s traditional economic models, and he is committed to finding innovative ways to fund social programs. Kelley’s background as a street performer has given him a unique insight into the daily lives of Santa Monica’s most vulnerable residents, and he aims to use that knowledge to drive meaningful change in the city’s governance.
### Candidate profile Lindsay Davis
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-lindsay-davis/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:22:13.000Z
Lindsay Davis says she brings a "holistic" and "love-based" approach to the race, focusing on ecological development and systemic healing. Her platform seeks to transform Santa Monica into a model of regenerative governance.
Position summaries
Homelessness: Davis advocates for "love-based" pilot programs and the creation of universal needs systems that treat every individual with dignity. She believes that the city must address the trauma of homelessness to find lasting solutions.
Crime & Public Safety: She focuses on restorative justice and systemic trauma healing as the only ways to achieve long-term community safety. Davis believes that traditional policing models fail to address the underlying causes of conflict and harm.
Housing Construction: Her housing strategy emphasizes "ecological development" and the integration of food forests into new residential projects. She envisions a city where housing and nature are seamlessly integrated for the health of all residents.
Economic Recovery: She proposes the creation of a "regenerative economy" based on mutual aid and local sustainability. Davis argues that the current tourism-based economy is fragile and that the city must move toward self-sufficiency.
Governmental Philosophy: Her philosophy is centered on universal care and environmental restoration. She believes that government should be a vehicle for healing the community and the planet.
Qualifications & Narrative
Known locally as "Daisy the Venice Healer," Davis has a background in ecological initiatives and community healing. Her candidacy is defined by her desire to move Santa Monica toward a more compassionate and environmentally conscious future. She is a vocal advocate for what she calls "regenerative governance," which seeks to integrate environmental sustainability with social equity. Davis positions herself as a holistic alternative to the city’s traditional leaders, arguing that the only way to achieve true safety and prosperity is through systemic healing. Her platform includes innovative proposals like the creation of "food forests" and the development of a mutual aid-based economy. Davis’s background in healing and ecological activism informs her belief that the city should be a leader in environmental restoration, and she is committed to finding ways to make Santa Monica a more sustainable and compassionate place for all its residents.
### Candidate profile: Brett Morrow
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-brett-morrow/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:24:07.000Z
Brett Morrow is a public health professional and current Chair of the Human Services Commission, running on an "equity-driven" platform. His campaign emphasizes the needs of working families and labor, seeking to leverage his administrative experience to improve affordability.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Morrow supports the SaMo Bridge diversion program and advocates for expanding regional partnerships to stabilize the unhoused population. He emphasizes the importance of stable funding and expanding language accessibility and service hours for these initiatives.
Crime & Public Safety: He believes in addressing root causes through prevention while supporting visible, community-based policing to improve perceptions of safety. Morrow argues for a balanced approach that makes streets safer for families without sacrificing the city’s progressive values.
Housing Construction: His strategy prioritizes density along low-density commercial boulevards and general commercial zones to increase the housing stock. He is an "incrementalist" regarding residential areas, preferring to see how current mandates pencil out before pursuing further upzoning.
Economic Recovery: Morrow proposes supporting the economy through childcare subsidies for workers and exploring subsidized rental models for small businesses. He identifies the high cost of childcare as a primary barrier to economic stability for Santa Monica’s resident workforce.
Governmental Philosophy: His philosophy centers on connecting policy development to deep community engagement and simplifying government communication. He believes the city must operate in "plain language" to ensure all residents can navigate municipal bureaucracy and participate in democracy.
Qualifications & Narrative
Morrow serves as the Chief Communications Officer for the LA County Department of Public Health, a role that places him at the intersection of policy, operations, and community engagement. His career in public service spans the federal and county levels, including significant work in wildfire response and environmental hazard mitigation, such as lead paint removal. A renter and father of a young daughter, Morrow has been an activist in Democratic politics for over 25 years. He frames his candidacy as an extension of his work getting resources to populations that typically receive them last, stressing that his motivation is based on issues rather than ego. Morrow is particularly proud of his work consulting on the inception of SaMo Bridge, advocating for the stability of its funding. He believes his experience navigating complex public processes and coordinating across multiple agencies is the exact skill set required for a functioning City Council.
### Candidate profile: Caroline Torosis
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-caroline-torosis/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:23:49.000Z
As the incumbent Mayor, Caroline Torosis champions a "Renaissance" vision for Santa Monica, seeking to transition the city from post-pandemic recovery into a period of sustainable, equitable growth. Her platform combines legal expertise with a deep focus on economic justice and housing stability.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Torosis advocates for an in-house system of care that prioritizes the "Santa Monica priority population" for local beds and services. She believes the city must control the entire throughput of the system to effectively move individuals from streets into permanent supportive housing.
Crime & Public Safety: She supports utilizing mental health responders for non-violent crises. Torosis notes that violent crime has decreased by 12.5% recently, but she remains committed to full police staffing.
Housing Construction: Her strategy involves leveraging city-owned land at Fourth and Fifth Streets and Bergamot Station to build a diverse pipeline of affordable units. She is dedicated to protecting rent-controlled units and exploring community land trusts to foster generational wealth for working families.
Economic Recovery: She focuses on activating the Third Street Promenade through major global events like the FIFA World Cup and utilizing voter approved funds for tenant improvements. Torosis aims to repurpose large commercial storefronts to meet modern consumer demands and drive sustainable foot traffic.
Governmental Philosophy: Her philosophy is grounded in progressive governance that seeks to protect the most vulnerable members of the community. She believes in fostering innovative partnerships with higher education and think tanks to keep Santa Monica at the cutting edge of policy.
Qualifications & Narrative
Torosis is a public interest attorney with a distinguished background in labor and economic justice, having worked for Supervisor Holly Mitchell. Her academic credentials include a fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she studied the indicators of community success and wealth building. During her tenure on the Rent Control Board and as Mayor, she has focused on "righting the ship" by stabilizing the city's budget while expanding the social safety net. Torosis focuses on the city's realignment plan that was announced during her time on council and helped implement a predictive analytic pilot with the UCLA California Policy Lab to prevent homelessness before it begins. She frames her vision as creating a city that is "clean, safe, affordable, and fun," emphasizing that Santa Monica must move past its "exceptionalism" and proactively innovate to compete in the regional market.
### Candidate profile: Danny Ivanov
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-danny-ivanov/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:26:04.000Z
Danny Ivanov centers his platform on social mobility and leveraging his legal expertise to navigate the city's complex regulatory and housing environments. As a member of the Rent Control Board, he emphasizes pragmatic solutions to the city's housing crisis.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Ivanov supports prevention subsidies to keep people in their homes and advocates for regional coalitions to share the service burden. He believes that preventing homelessness at its source is the most cost-effective method for managing the ongoing crisis.
Crime & Public Safety: He focuses on addressing root causes of criminal behavior while simultaneously pushing for a fully staffed and resourced police department. Ivanov advocates for a safety strategy that balances traditional enforcement with community-based social interventions.
Housing Construction: His platform encourages high-density development in the downtown core and along commercial boulevards to meet state mandates. He remains opposed to the upzoning of single-family neighborhoods, preferring to concentrate urban growth in already developed areas.
Economic Recovery: Ivanov proposes utilizing the Local Coastal Program (LCP) to cut red tape and expedite the revitalization of coastal business zones. He seeks to remove bureaucratic hurdles that currently prevent small businesses from thriving in the downtown and beach areas.
Governmental Philosophy: His philosophy is centered on pragmatic consensus-building and the belief that government should function as a ladder for social mobility. He aims to bring a collaborative spirit to the council to break through long-standing ideological deadlocks.
Qualifications & Narrative
Ivanov currently serves as the Chair of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, where he has applied his legal background to protect the city's rental stock. His personal narrative is a core component of his campaign; as the son of refugees, he views municipal government as a critical engine for economic opportunity. This background informs his focus on social mobility and his desire to ensure the city remains a place where working families can find a foothold. Ivanov emphasizes pragmatic, consensus-driven leadership, arguing that his experience on the Rent Control Board has prepared him to handle the city's most contentious debates with a focus on legal compliance and resident stability. He positions himself as a bridge-builder who can translate complex state mandates into local policies that protect the interests of current residents while fulfilling regional obligations.
### Candidate profile: Derrick Townsend
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-derrick-townsend/
Last updated: 2026-10-11T17:59:47.000Z
Derrick Townsend runs on a "law-and-order" platform, representing a sharp departure from the city’s recent harm-reduction strategies. His campaign is defined by a deep skepticism of current municipal models for managing homelessness and public safety.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Townsend advocates for mandatory treatment for those suffering from addiction and mental health issues on the streets. He explicitly rejects current harm-reduction models, such as needle distribution, in favor of a recovery-first approach.
Crime & Public Safety: He calls for strict enforcement of all laws and the return of robust local prosecution to deter criminal activity. Townsend believes that a lack of legal consequences has led to the current safety challenges facing the city.
Housing Construction: His housing platform emphasizes the development of market-rate condominiums and opportunities for homeownership over rental density. He believes that increasing the number of homeowners will lead to more stable and engaged neighborhoods.
Economic Recovery: Townsend proposes significant tax reductions for small businesses and is a vocal advocate for preserving the Santa Monica Airport as a city asset. He views fiscal discipline as the primary tool for restoring the city’s economic health.
Governmental Philosophy: His philosophy is rooted in fiscal discipline and the protection of resident property rights. He believes the council should prioritize the interests of tax-paying residents over regional social service obligations.
Qualifications & Narrative Townsend brings 18 years of experience in the healthcare industry, a background that heavily informs his views on addiction and mental health treatment. His motivation for entering politics is deeply personal, stemming from a family tragedy that drives his commitment to making Santa Monica a safer place for all residents. He frames his candidacy as a necessary correction to what he perceives as a decade of misguided social policy. Townsend argues that his professional healthcare background gives him a unique insight into the failures of current addiction-management models, advocating for a shift toward "treatment mandates" rather than "service magnets." He positions himself as a voice for the taxpayer, emphasizing that the city’s first priority must be the safety and property rights of its residents. His platform is a direct challenge to the "Housing First" status quo, arguing that without a foundation of order and ownership, the city cannot achieve a true economic recovery.
### Candidate profile: Doug Trussler
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-doug-trussler/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:23:00.000Z
Doug Trussler positions himself as the "non-political outsider" and finance expert with a mandate to fix the city’s budget. With 35 years of experience in private equity, he views the city’s current fiscal state as a crisis requiring professional intervention.
Position summaries
Homelessness: Trussler proposes a rigorous audit of all non-profits receiving city funds and the implementation of curfews on the city’s beaches. He believes the city should pay only for "outcomes" rather than servicing the population indefinitely.
Crime & Public Safety: He argues that lowering crime is the prerequisite for restoring tourist confidence and ensuring the city’s long-term economic survival. Trussler credits the current chief with making progress but insists that crime levels remain unacceptably high compared to regional neighbors.
Housing Construction: His platform supports high-density downtown construction of 3,000 to 5,000 units to meet state requirements without straining residential infrastructure. He advocates for replacing lost office workers with new downtown residents to revitalize the local retail economy.
Economic Recovery: He focuses on maximizing tourism tax revenue and has proposed the creation of a "community bank" to provide local liquidity. Trussler believes the city must diversify its revenue streams to protect against future economic shocks.
Governmental Philosophy: Trussler’s philosophy is entirely data-driven, treating municipal governance with the same rigor as a private business turnaround. He believes the "best ideas" have been discarded in favor of politics and seeks to restore meritocracy to the dais.
Qualifications & Narrative
A 20-year resident and co-founder of Bison Capital, Trussler specializes in "fixing" complex business situations. His motivation for running was triggered by the city's declaration of fiscal distress and his belief that the city is currently the "Hawaii of homelessness"—a service magnet that attracts rather than resolves the crisis. Trussler is heavily involved in youth sports, spending hours each week with AYSO, and uses this community connection to argue that the city lacks a coherent five-year plan. He contends that his professional experience with pension funds and insurance companies makes him uniquely qualified to address the city’s $30–35 million annual shortfall. Trussler frames his candidacy as a "pure perspective," free from developer affiliations or political aspirations, focused solely on using data to right-size expenses and maximize the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). He asserts that the ship doesn’t move without a data-driven leader willing to challenge the status quo.
### Candidate profile: Eli Gill
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-eli-gill/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:26:18.000Z
Eli Gill brings "dad energy" to his campaign, focusing on family-centric operational excellence and the functional execution of city services. He positions himself as a pragmatic parent and tenant who wants the city to work for everyday people.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Gill advocates for moving service magnets away from high-traffic areas and implementing a 24/7 placement system for those in need. He believes that services should be accessible but not at the expense of the quality of life in residential and business districts.
Crime & Public Safety: He supports strict quality-of-life enforcement and the creation of public dashboards to track crime metrics in real-time. Gill believes that transparency in data will hold the police department and the council accountable for safety outcomes.
Housing Construction: His strategy focuses on "gentle density," such as the construction of townhomes and duplexes, to increase housing without altering neighborhood character. He aims to find a middle ground that provides more housing options for families while respecting historical zoning.
Economic Recovery: He emphasizes the activation of the Third Street Promenade and providing direct support to local retail businesses. Gill believes that a vibrant retail sector is essential for a healthy municipal tax base.
Governmental Philosophy: His philosophy is focused on functional execution and the use of transparent metrics to measure the success of city departments. He wants to move the council away from ideological debates and toward the delivery of high-quality services.
Qualifications & Narrative
Gill has a background in insurance operations, which he believes provides him with the necessary skills to manage the city's complex logistics and measure departmental performance. As a local tenant and parent, he frames his candidacy as a voice for the "forgotten" middle-class families who are struggling to remain in the city due to the rising costs of living. He emphasizes "operational excellence" over ideological posturing, arguing that the city’s primary role should be the efficient delivery of services. Gill is a vocal advocate for transparency, proposing real-time public dashboards for both crime and fiscal metrics. He positions himself as a pragmatic outsider who understands the daily struggles of Santa Monica residents and wants to restore the "glow up" of the city through functional, responsive government. His platform seeks to move the conversation toward "kindness and vitality," ensuring that Santa Monica remains a place where families can thrive and businesses can profit.
### Candidate profile: Ericka Lesley
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-ericka-lesley/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:22:43.000Z
Ericka Lesley focuses her campaign on the working class and marginalized communities, bringing a grassroots perspective to the council race. She emphasizes the need for inclusive advocacy and economic justice for all residents.
Position summaries
Homelessness: Lesley advocates for a needs-based categorization of the unhoused and insists on regional burden-sharing for services. She believes that Santa Monica cannot solve a regional crisis alone and must demand more support from neighboring cities.
Crime & Public Safety: She supports full staffing for the police department but emphasizes the need for a community-centered approach to safety. Lesley believes that true safety comes from trust between the police and the residents they serve.
Housing Construction: Her platform focuses on developing underutilized commercial zones for housing while strictly protecting R2 residential zones. She is committed to ensuring that new development does not lead to the displacement of long-term residents.
Economic Recovery: She proposes aggressive local hiring initiatives and the strict enforcement of AirBnB regulations to recapture lost tax revenue. Lesley views illegal short-term rentals as a direct threat to both the city's housing stock and its fiscal health.
Governmental Philosophy: Her philosophy is rooted in inclusive grassroots advocacy and the belief that every resident deserves a seat at the table. She aims to be a champion for those who have historically been left out of the city's decision-making processes.
Qualifications & Narrative
Lesley made history as the first Black woman on the Santa Monica Rent Control Board and has a long record of advocacy for domestic violence survivors. Her campaign is defined by her commitment to social equity and her experience in representing the interests of the city's diverse working-class population. She frames her candidacy as a battle for economic justice, arguing that the city must prioritize the needs of renters and low-income workers who are being priced out of their homes. Lesley’s leadership on the Rent Control Board has focused on ensuring that tenant protections are robust and that the city’s housing stock remains accessible to all. She is a vocal advocate for community-based safety models, believing that the city can be both safe and equitable. Her background as a grassroots activist informs her belief that the council should be a direct reflection of the community’s diverse voices, and she aims to bring that perspective to every decision made on the dais.
### Candidate profile: Ashley Oelsen
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-ashley-oelsen/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:24:23.000Z
Ashley Oelsen enters the race as an independent conservation biologist, positioning herself as a data-driven alternative to the established political blocs. Her campaign emphasizes a science-based methodology for policy evaluation, aiming to dissolve ideological silos in favor of empirical transparency and measurable results.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Oelsen advocates for a system of care anchored in quantifiable data and retention rates to ensure participants move toward stability rather than perpetual dependency. She emphasizes the necessity of tracking individuals through the system to determine the actual return on investment for municipal spending.
Crime & Public Safety: She identifies the restoration of public safety as the mandatory prerequisite for rebuilding business confidence and revitalizing the downtown core. Oelsen supports equipping the police department with the necessary staffing and resources to repair the city's "dismal" post-COVID safety reputation.
Housing Construction: She maintains that no significant upzoning should proceed without comprehensive infrastructure and evacuation studies to assess the city's actual carrying capacity. Oelsen is committed to protecting the integrity of single-family neighborhoods while ensuring residents retain a direct voice in local land-use decisions.
Economic Recovery: Her strategy focuses on providing tangible business incentives and restoring street-level safety to return vibrancy to the Third Street Promenade. She asserts that a clean and safe environment is the only pathway to re-capitalizing on Santa Monica’s status as a global destination.
Governmental Philosophy: Oelsen’s philosophy is rooted in "radical transparency" and the application of the scientific method to legislative decision-making. She believes elected leaders must be honest about policy outcomes and be willing to pivot when empirical evidence reveals failure.
Qualifications & Narrative
A conservation biologist and environmental advocate, Oelsen holds degrees from the University of Southern California and a Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania. Her professional pedigree includes a Directorate Fellowship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and lobbying on Capitol Hill for international conservation causes. Locally, she serves on the Commission on Sustainability and the Environment and chaired the Clean Oceans and Beaches Measure V Oversight Committee. Oelsen brings a unique "boots-on-the-ground" realism to her scholarly approach; she notably sampled sand and sediment post-Palisades fire to identify community toxins and led the effort against the toxic sorting site at Will Rogers.
Perhaps her most significant narrative differentiator is her stated "lived experience" of having lived in her car in Santa Monica for a period, an experience she uses to illuminate the "layers" of homelessness that often elude traditional policy models. As the first in her family to go to college, raised by a single mother who worked as a flight attendant, she frames her candidacy around social mobility and transparency. Oelsen founded "Santa Monica Neighbors" to educate residents on civic engagement and charter rules, driven by the belief that the current council has failed to reflect the actual voices of the resident base.
### Candidate profile: Lana Negrete
URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidate-profile-lana-negrete/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T17:24:41.000Z
Lana Negrete advocates for a "resident-first" leadership style based on her lived experience as a small business owner and former Mayor. She positions herself as a pragmatic leader who is not afraid to take "tough" stances on the city's most pressing issues.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Negrete supports "tough love" policies and advocates for closing or reforming the current model at the Samoshel shelter. She believes the city should prioritize residents' safety and quality of life while offering services to those who are willing to accept them.
Crime & Public Safety: She is a strong proponent of using "Flock" camera technology and strictly enforcing anti-camping ordinances to clear public spaces. Negrete views technology and proactive enforcement as the keys to restoring order to the city's streets.
Housing Construction: Her strategy encourages high density in the downtown area while maintaining a strong commitment to the historic preservation of the city's neighborhoods. She believes that growth should be strategic and should not come at the expense of Santa Monica’s unique character.
Economic Recovery: She proposes transitioning City Hall back to a five-day-a-week schedule to improve service delivery and increase foot traffic downtown. Negrete believes that a more active and present local government will foster a more vibrant business environment.
Governmental Philosophy: Her philosophy is centered on transparency and the use of modern tools like her "MyGovTools" to increase resident engagement. She believes that residents should have easy access to information and a clear understanding of how their tax dollars are being spent.
Qualifications & Narrative Negrete is a lifelong Santa Monican and owner of the Santa Monica Music Center, a local small business that informs her perspective on economic recovery. As a current council member and former Mayor, she has been a vocal advocate for public safety, earning endorsements from the city’s public safety unions. Negrete frames her candidacy as a fight to return the city to its residents, arguing that her lived experience as a business owner and mother gives her a unique insight into the city’s challenges. She was the only council member to oppose the letter in support of SB 79, citing a lack of resident representation in the decision. Negrete is committed to using technology like "Flock" cameras to enhance safety and has been a leading voice in the push for "tough love" homelessness policies. She positions herself as a pragmatic leader who is willing to make the difficult choices necessary to ensure Santa Monica remains a safe and vibrant community for everyone.
Our Take...
Negrete has stood outside the City’s established channels of power since first being appointed and the city’s sycophants and power brokers have been desperate to silence her dissenting voice ever since. While some candidates would happily turn Santa Monica into a vassal state of the County or State, she genuinely focuses on what she thinks is best for current residents. It’s also worth noting that the policy positions she’s been lambasted for by the establishment (such as increased police enforcement, moving homeless services out of Downtown and a focus on businesses) are now foundations of the city’s realignment plan. Her opposition to transitional housing on Ocean Ave. was an outlier from the other six councilmembers that proved to be widely supported by residents and where the other councilmembers have to account for being hypocrites over backing SB 79 and then exempting the city from it, Lana opposed it from the start. Her politics aren’t for everyone and her style can be grating but there’s value to having a rabble rouser on the dais and she’s one of the best choices for voters who are dissatisfied with the status quo.
### Yes on Measure ES: Protecting the School Funding Santa Monica Can No Longer Afford to Lose
URL: https://www.smdp.com/yes-on-measure-es-protecting-the-school-funding-santa-monica-can-no-longer-afford-to-lose/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T15:59:59.000Z
As a longtime resident and your City Councilman, I'm writing to urge you to
support Measure ES on the upcoming November 3rd ballot. Measure ES is the only
way to ensure our public schools continue to receive a reliable and essential funding
stream —funding in the amount of $12 million a year that has kept our schools
among the best in California as state and federal funding have diminished. So, as
someone whose day job is accounting, let me explain why.
For two decades, the City has allocated significant funding to our school district.
But today, the City is in the midst of a serious financial crisis. This is an indisputable
fact and anyone who says otherwise, doesn't know how to crunch numbers. Sure,
the City Council is working its way out of "financial distress,” but the upswing is slow,
given the state of local and national economy. So, come next year, when the City's
agreement with the school district expires (the Master Facilities Use Agreement—
MFUA), the City Council will face extremely tough budgetary decisions—cut city
services such as police, fire and library hours to maintain academic excellence in our
schools, or eliminate school funding, forcing the school district to make serious cuts
of their own in teachers, math and art programs, and early childhood education.
The numbers speak for themselves. Without Measure ES funding to replace the current
$12 million dollars a year our schools depend on, the previously mentioned budget
cuts will be made by the City Council. And none of us should want that. A strong
school district benefits the entire community, as do the level of police, fire and other
critical city services that make Santa Monica special.
Measure ES is critical. It isn't additional school funding. It merely protects the existing
amount of school funding that the City's own budget can no longer sustain.
At $495 a year for property owners, or roughly $1.36 a day, Measure ES is an
inexpensive way for residents to secure our children's future.
I also want to highlight how carefully this measure was crafted. Seniors on fixed
incomes are exempt. Affordable housing, nonprofits, and religious organizations are
exempt. Thanks to local rent control protections, many renters will pay little or
nothing. This is not a one-size-fits-all tax — it's designed to protect those least able
to pay while asking property owners to invest in the community's future.
I understand hesitation around any new tax, especially when the city is already
under fiscal pressure. But that's precisely the point: the city cannot be relied upon to
backfill this gap; voters must act directly to protect our schools. Measure ES was
placed on the ballot by residents, not politicians, specifically because they recognized
this risk and refused to wait for a crisis to arrive.
Santa Monica has always taken pride in strong public schools. We don’t want a citywide
budget crunch to unravel that legacy. I'll be voting yes on Measure ES, and I hope
you will too.
Barry Snell
### Awareness Film Festival returns to Santa Monica for 17th year
URL: https://www.smdp.com/awareness-film-festival-returns-to-santa-monica-for-17th-year/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T09:59:59.000Z
The Awareness Film Festival will mark its 17th anniversary this fall with a six-day run of more than 100 independent films, panels and gala events, continuing a mission its organizers say is rooted in social impact rather than spectacle.
The festival runs Oct. 13-18 at venues clustered around Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, including the Laemmle Monica Film Center, the Miles Memorial Playhouse and the Illusion Magic Lounge. It is presented by Heal One World, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and features shorts, features, narrative films and documentaries drawn from filmmakers around the world.
Organizers say the event's staying power comes down to the people behind it.
"What's kept it going is pure devotion," said Skye Kelly, the festival's director and founder. "Devotion from the volunteers, some of whom have been volunteering for over 14 years. Even the festival director is a volunteer, and each year we have an amazing team of interns."
Kelly said the festival has expanded in both scale and reputation over its 17 years. "The festival has grown not only in the number of films, but in the quality of films and the recognition of the audience to how important it is to come out and see these films each year," she said.
Selecting the lineup is a sprawling effort. Kelly said more than 50 programming assistants and volunteers help review and rate over 700 submissions, which are then narrowed by a handful of lead programmers. What sets the event apart from a conventional festival, she said, is its priorities.
"The awareness factor is the number one factor," Kelly said, though she added that films must still be entertaining and of good quality. "We will show films that might be controversial or not be quite as polished, but do an amazing job of expressing the story at hand and really creating that awareness."
This year's slate includes "Solidarity," a film by [Santa Monica College](https://www.smdp.com/smc-planetariums-october-shows-feature-exoplanets-stars-and-stellar-navigation/) alum Dustin Brown, along with shorts by Alci Rengifo and Salvador Carrasco, and roughly 100 other titles. Many filmmakers are local, Kelly said, which boosts attendance and makes post-screening question-and-answer sessions "even more special."
Each screening is paired with a nonprofit partner — a deliberate choice, Kelly said, meant to give inspired audiences somewhere to channel that energy. Partner organizations table at the festival and sometimes join panels so that moviegoers leaving a theater and "looking for a place to volunteer, donate or be engaged with the organization" find one waiting.
Proceeds support Heal One World's free and low-cost wellness programs, including classes at its yoga studio on Pico Boulevard. Kelly said the festival aims to raise $20,000 each year to cover the studio's rent and overhead, a goal complicated by rising venue costs, even with an all-volunteer staff. "At the yoga studio, we have free wellness classes that are open to everyone no matter their background, ability to pay or knowledge," she said. The studio, nearly 18 years old, added online classes in 2020.
The festival's return to Santa Monica follows a decade in downtown Los Angeles, where it was hosted by Regal theaters before prices climbed. Kelly said the organization is glad to be back and part of what she called "a resurgence of the promenade area." The Illusion Magic Lounge offers two theater spaces plus room for a red carpet and filmmaker mingling, while the newly renovated Miles Memorial Playhouse will host the Wednesday opening event.
Programming also includes industry panels, media presentations, networking events and an awards ceremony where attendees vote on their favorites. The closing-night gala features a celebrity guest DJ and donated gourmet vegan food.
For newcomers unsure where to start, Kelly kept it simple. "There really isn't a reason to not come. Every film block is something special," she said, recommending panels and networking for aspiring filmmakers and encouraging others to "find a film that you think you need to see, come out to see it and stay for the Q&A."
Individual tickets are $25, with day passes at $30 and an all-access pass for $125; student discounts are available. More information and tickets are at [awarenessfestival.org](http://awarenessfestival.org/?ref=smdp.com).
### Crime: RAND finds Santa Monica violence rose downtown, but most crime stable citywide
URL: https://www.smdp.com/crime-rand-finds-santa-monica-violence-rose-downtown-but-most-crime-stable-citywide/
Last updated: 2026-10-03T14:23:02.000Z
Aggravated assaults and robberies in Santa Monica roughly doubled over the past decade, but the increase was overwhelmingly a downtown problem, and most other crimes have held steady across the rest of the city for two decades, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The report, "Santa Monica's Recent Economic and Social Trends: A Case Study with Regional Comparisons," examined 20 years of Santa Monica Police Department records for eight offenses. It found that aggravated assault rose more than 100% starting in 2013, peaked in 2018 and has stayed high. Robbery also roughly doubled from 2013 to a 2018 peak, though it remains less common than 20 years ago. Report authors said the timing showed the increases "were not simply a result of the pandemic."
Grand theft auto spiked around 2020, consistent with national trends, and that increase occurred citywide. But when RAND broke the data down by ZIP code, it found the rise in assaults and robberies was almost entirely driven by downtown. Elsewhere in the city, violent and property crime are as low as they have been in two decades. "Declines in public safety in Santa Monica are primarily a downtown phenomenon," the authors concluded.
Crime is also tightly concentrated. RAND covered the city with a grid of 1,144 hexagons, each 500 feet across, and found that the 5% with the most aggravated assaults accounted for 50.6% of those crimes from 2023 to 2025\. The hotspots cover a highly condensed area between Broadway and Colorado from 5th to Ocean.
Robbery was even more concentrated, with 71% occurring in 5% of the city. Burglary, car theft and vandalism were more spread out, with burglary hot spots in western Wilshire-Montana and vandalism in Ocean Park.
Santa Monica's trends are not exceptional, the report found. Compared with Venice and West Hollywood from 2010 to 2023, Venice had an even larger proportional increase in aggravated assault, while West Hollywood had none. Burglary and car theft rose earlier and more sharply in Santa Monica. Because neighboring Venice most closely mirrors Santa Monica, the authors said municipal policing or governance differences may not play a large role.
The authors cautioned that crime data miss disorder that is not criminal but may feel threatening, and that fewer people downtown could mean higher risk for those who remain even if crime levels hold steady. They could not obtain reliable foot-traffic data to measure overall activity downtown.
The report said concerns over drug use could be connected to drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County roughly doubling, from 1,123 in 2016 to 2,298 in 2025, which likely shaped perceptions, though several crime increases predated fentanyl's arrival.
Interviewees described sweeping police changes in recent times: a new chief with strong rank-and-file support, full staffing for the first time in 20 years, a substation at Santa Monica Place, more foot and bike patrols, a real-time crime center, license plate readers and closer work with city attorneys to increase prosecutions. The effects "remain unclear," RAND said, noting that many changes are recent and that crime shifted across much of the country.
Researchers Jason M. Ward, Roland Neil and Lizhong Liu analyzed SMPD records from 2006 through 2025, along with Los Angeles Police Department data for Venice and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department data for West Hollywood, and mapped where crimes occurred. SMPD switched record systems in 2024, and the authors adjusted the newer data to match earlier years. They also interviewed 14 people from government, business and development. The study used no statistical models, cannot establish causation and did not include police department representatives among interviewees.
SMPD's figures have shown serious crime falling in their most recent report. Part I crimes dropped 12.5% in 2025, from 4,793 incidents to 4,194, the lowest in at least a decade, according to the department's annual report. Robberies fell 24% to 142, burglaries 20% to 593, larceny 9% to 2,654 and aggravated assaults 13% to 329\. Homicides fell from six to four. Part I crime had risen from 4,303 in 2021 to 4,884 in 2023\. Nationally, the FBI reported violent crime fell 9.3% in 2025.
However, perception lags the numbers. In a Sept. 5-9 poll of 250 likely voters commissioned by the city’s public safety unions, 71% said the Promenade area is not safe after dark, and 43% said they feel less safe than two years ago. EMC Research conducted the poll for the Santa Monica Police Officers Association and Santa Monica Firefighters Local 1109, both of which are endorsing City Council candidates in the Nov. 3 election.
RAND recommended that the city focus on downtown, where crime and homelessness are concentrated, by proactively engaging high-risk populations there, which it called a likely resource-efficient approach. The authors said maintaining a visible presence at the highest-risk hot spots, through patrols or technology and especially at high-risk times, is important, along with programs that connect high-risk people to services. Arrests and prosecutions can be useful, they wrote, but prevention efforts "have the added benefit of not waiting until offending has occurred to act."
Because not all downtown crime is committed by homeless people, the authors said the city should also pursue more general crime-reduction measures. They urged the city to consider restarting its Homeless Community Court for high-need repeat offenders and to adopt more frequent, public measurement of homelessness to track results.
### Western Wednesday line dancing returns to Santa Monica Place for October
URL: https://www.smdp.com/western-wednesday-line-dancing-returns-to-santa-monica-place-for-october/
Last updated: 2026-10-02T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica Place is bringing back Western Wednesday, a free weekly line dancing event in Center Plaza, every Wednesday in October from 6 to 8 p.m.
Professional instructors lead lessons for beginners and seasoned dancers alike. Complimentary giveaways are available while supplies last.
Guests can start the evening with happy hour at Santa Monica Place restaurants. LouLou Restaurant offers Golden Hour from 3 to 6 p.m., with special cocktail prices and a complimentary bite with the first drink. The Cheesecake Factory offers discounted drinks and bites in its bar area from 4 to 6 p.m. Curious Palate offers discounted craft beer and wine.
Attendees can also receive 20% off at Tenshoppe when they shop on the day of the event. The offer is valid only on Western Wednesdays.
The final October edition, on Oct. 28, will have a Halloween theme. Guests are encouraged to come in costume. The guest with the best costume will receive a $50 Tenshoppe gift card.
Western Wednesday takes place in Center Plaza, Level 1, at Santa Monica Place, 395 Santa Monica Place. Admission is free. For event updates, visit[ ](https://theaceagency-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/2QyVngGnfJWmTYwmiAF67RbVce97Tct3s0S1z%5FpBdx2m%5FrlbvoAHhlx%5FELws-sBWCiz7D610oAQOp9KwVwG%5FV16t58uhTfjco0kccT%5FUGztLRowbs64JvCt9iwqTnPsQq20Rsfa-zIpconJVItkHWSH2JFKoa4cue9ALSHXDR5-4s8F8i1T%5FimOz7rbLQczjA11OQs7AyHyrMb15r-mycmMYlx37k7UGVOI79d7P7mYbku%5F91M8K5?ref=smdp.com)[SantaMonicaPlace.com/events](https://theaceagency-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/2QyVngGnfJWmTYwmiAF67RbVce97Tct3s0S1z%5FpBdx2m%5FrlbvoAHhlx%5FELws-sBWCiz7D610oAQOp9KwVwG%5FV16t58uhTfjco0kccT%5FUGztLRowbs64JvCt9iwqTnPsQq20Rsfa-zIpconJVItkHWSH2JFKoa4cue9ALSHXDR5-4s8F8i1T%5FimOz7rbLQczjA11OQs7AyHyrMb15r-mycmMYlx37k7UGVOI79d7P7mYbku%5F91M8K5?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA County braces for strong El Niño season, but forecaster warns outcomes remain uncertain
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-braces-for-strong-el-nino-season-but-forecaster-warns-outcomes-remain-uncertain/
Last updated: 2026-10-02T15:59:59.000Z
Los Angeles County officials said Thursday they have cleared flood channels, readied dams and begun going door to door in wildfire burn areas as the region braces for what could be an exceptionally strong El Niño winter, even as a weather forecaster cautioned that no one knows how much rain will fall.
"This is not about predicting exactly where or when a storm will hit," said Supervisor Hilda Solis, chair of the county Board of Supervisors, at a news conference at the Hall of Administration marking the start of the 2026-27 storm season. "It's about making sure that we're prepared for what could come and have the resources and coordination in place, ready to meet those challenges."
Solis proclaimed a local emergency Sept. 23, and the board ratified it this week. She said the proclamation lets the county move resources quickly, coordinate mutual aid and seek state and federal assistance. The governor has also proclaimed a statewide emergency.
"We're not going to wait for flooded roads, evacuation orders or power outages to figure out who is responsible for what," Solis said.
Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge of the National [Weather](https://www.smdp.com/storm-damage-forces-cancellation-of-santa-monicas-ocean-way-festival-city-and-goldenvoice-vow-2027-return/) Service's Los Angeles office, said ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific are significantly above normal, but how that will shape Southern California's weather is far less certain.
"El Niño is an oceanic temperature signal," Cohen said. "It is not a storm, it is not an atmospheric river, and it is not a weather forecast for Los Angeles County."
Very strong El Niño events historically raise the odds of wetter-than-normal conditions, flash floods, burn scar debris flows and coastal flooding, he said. But the pattern does not guarantee rain, and a significant heat wave is on the way.
"A strong El Niño shifts the probabilities," Cohen said. "It does not determine exact outcomes."
Mark Pestrella, director of LA County Public Works, said the department began assessing flood risk in about April. They have emptied debris basins, cleared channels and readied the county's 14 dams, working with the Army Corps of Engineers. The system is designed for about a 100-year event, one with a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.
The top priority is land burned in the past five years, including the Palisades and Eaton fire areas, where hillsides have not healed enough to handle heavy runoff. Public Works staff are advising property owners there door to door about their risk, and some vulnerable roads may be closed during storms.
Pestrella urged drivers to obey closures, noting serious incidents in North County last year, including some fatalities, when people tried to cross a waterway or go through mud.
"Last year, we lost 140 people in the United States to flooding," he said. "More than half of those people were driving their vehicles."
Sheriff Robert Luna said deputies will patrol regularly near burn scars, and the department's homeless outreach team will contact people living in riverbeds and washes before major storms.
Jon O'Brien, chief deputy of emergency operations for the county Fire Department, spoke on behalf of Fire Chief Anthony Maroney. He said ready-to-fill sandbags are available at all 176 county fire stations, with sand at select sites. Residents can check availability at [ready.lacounty.gov/rain](http://ready.lacounty.gov/rain?ref=smdp.com).
"If officials tell you to evacuate, leave promptly," O'Brien said. "A rescue becomes much harder once roads and access ways are flooded."
Kevin McGowan, director of the Office of Emergency Management, said the county will activate its emergency operations center early. He warned that red flag fire weather remains possible, typically peaking from November through January.
"If you receive an alert, follow it, heed the alert, regardless of who's sending it," McGowan said.
Leepi Shimkhada, chief program officer for the Department of Homeless Services and Housing, said outreach teams are working to move people near flood channels indoors. When winter shelters scale up, people can call 211 for motel vouchers and bed information.
The Aging and Disabilities Department will deliver home meals ahead of expected storms, Director Maral Karaccusian said. Jackie Contreras, director of Public Social Services, said about 1,000 county employees have completed American Red Cross shelter training.
Gary Jones, director of Beaches and Harbors, said crews will begin building seasonal berms at Dockweiler, Venice and Zuma beaches next week, a month and a half earlier than the usual mid-November start.
Dr. Muntu Davis, the county health officer, urged residents who rely on powered medical equipment to plan for outages, to run generators only outdoors and to stay out of the ocean for at least 72 hours after rain.
"It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it," Davis said, recalling his father's advice.
Officials directed residents to ready.lacounty.gov.
"The cost of being unprepared can be much greater than the cost of being overprepared," Cohen said.
### Olympic champion Gable Steveson brings a lesson in resilience to Pali High wrestlers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/olympic-champion-gable-steveson-brings-a-lesson-in-resilience-to-pali-high-wrestlers/
Last updated: 2026-10-02T15:59:59.000Z
A visit to the newly opened LUDUS gym gave student-athletes a close-up look at elite training and another place to reconnect as Pacific Palisades rebuilds
Olympic wrestling champion and UFC heavyweight Gable Steveson stepped onto the mats at LUDUS in Palisades Village on the evening of Sept. 16, but the gathering was about more than watching an elite athlete prepare for competition. For members of the Palisades Charter High School wrestling team, it marked a return to their neighborhood and a reminder that the community spaces lost after the January 2025 fire are beginning to come back.
Steveson had been training at LUDUS ahead of his Sept. 19 bout against Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. He opened a session to the Pali High wrestlers, giving the students an opportunity to watch his preparation and meet the Olympic gold medalist in the gym, which opened in August.
LUDUS grew out of the fire's disruption. MAX Impact, the gym that preceded it, was destroyed, along with the homes of instructors James Gavsie and Freddy Cerrato and LUDUS co-founder Justin Caruso. Members continued training together in temporary quarters before Gavsie, Cerrato and Caruso opened LUDUS on Aug. 15\. “LUDUS was created with a lot of care and passion for the Palisades community,” Caruso said. “Our goal is for everyone who walks through our doors to leave with greater confidence and resilience. Many of our students are local families who experienced tremendous loss in the fires, so being able to return to their community, come together, and train and learn is incredibly meaningful. We’re proud to be part of that.”
Caruso said Steveson and his team responded immediately when they learned what the Palisades and its young athletes had endured. “I reached out to his team, to Gable, we got connected,” Caruso told the students. “Told them about the Palisades, what happened, and right away they were down to come here to train, to meet you guys, to bring awareness to it.”
The visit carried particular weight for the Pali High team. The fire displaced the school’s roughly 2,400 students to a converted department store beside the 10 Freeway and left its wrestlers without their regular campus and home gym. Students returned this fall for their first full school year on campus since the disaster.
Even amid that instability, the wrestling program won the Marine League championship last year and this year, qualified 17 boys and girls for the City Championships and produced an individual champion. With LUDUS now open, the athletes again have a neighborhood place to train, see friends and build toward the coming season.
Rick Caruso welcomed the students back to both their school and community and told them the adversity they survived would remain a source of strength. “So many people, including our family, view you as courageous,” he said. “You’re strong. You’re tough. You’re disciplined, and in some way, you’re going to be better because of this experience that you had.”
He also pointed to discipline as the connection between Steveson’s career, the students’ athletic ambitions and the work of rebuilding. “Good habits, good things happen,” he said. The evening offered something simple, but important: young athletes back on local mats, together, learning from one of the sport’s best.
### New Abbot Kinney art space spotlights neurodivergent artists, offers free fall workshops
URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-abbot-kinney-art-space-spotlights-neurodivergent-artists-offers-free-fall-workshops/
Last updated: 2026-10-02T09:59:59.000Z
A new community art space on Abbot Kinney Boulevard is inviting the public to make art alongside the work of artists with autism and other neurodivergences, and this month it is offering free weekend workshops.
Limitless Art Space, which the nonprofit Help Group opened a few weeks ago at 1639 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, is housed in a space generously donated by Help Group Board Chair Howard Tenenbaum. The space combines a gallery, a shop and free drop-in art tables under one roof. All proceeds support the organization’s student arts and enrichment programs.
"Limitless is a place to explore, create and connect," said Dr. Susan Berman, CEO of Help Group.
A [free workshop](https://www.smdp.com/grow-with-google-closes-route-66-tour-with-free-ai-workshop-for-santa-monica-small-businesses/) runs Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3-4, from noon to 3 p.m. Participants can drop in anytime during those hours to make their own glass marble magnets, cutting and collaging images and patterns from thrifted magazines and books into one-of-a-kind designs.
The following weekend, Oct. 10-11, the workshop shifts to fall tissue paper wreaths. During the same noon to 3 p.m. window, visitors can crinkle, twist and layer tissue paper, then decorate with twine and seasonal embellishments to make a festive wreath ready to hang at home.
Registration for both workshops is through Eventbrite, with details available at limitlessartspace.org.
Beyond the workshops, visitors will find original artwork by Help Group students and alumni, as well as neurodivergent artists from the wider community, according to Dr. Berman. The shop offers art-inspired goods, greeting cards, apparel and merchandise featuring the artists' work. Free walk-in activities designed for all ages include bracelet making and air clay.
"More than anything, we want Limitless to feel welcoming, creative and joyful," Dr. Berman said. "You can come in with your family, bring a friend, make it a date, or simply stop in while you're walking down Abbot Kinney."
The idea, organizers said, is for the space to be more than a store or gallery.
"It's a gallery, but it's also a community space and a place where people can experience art, make something of their own and connect with one another," Dr. Berman said.
The featured artists come from Help Group's own classrooms and beyond.
"Our artists are both Help Group students and alumni with a wide range of ages, interests and artistic styles, as well as artists from the larger neurodivergent community," Dr. Berman said. "The students come from across our network of schools and after-school programs, and each brings a unique perspective and way of expressing themselves through art."
Berman said the work on display is chosen to reflect the artists themselves rather than classroom requirements.
"We look for work that reflects the individuality, creativity and perspective of our students and alumni," she said. "These aren't simply pieces created as part of a school assignment. They reflect the interests, imagination, humor and experiences of the young people who created them."
"We want the community to see the incredible range of talent and possibility within our neurodiverse community," she added.
Sales from the gallery and shop go back into the organization's programs.
"Every purchase and donation supports arts education across Help Group schools while creating more opportunities for neurodivergent artists," Dr. Berman said.
For visitors who wander in off the street, Berman said she hopes they leave with a new understanding of neurodivergent artists.
"I hope they walk away seeing possibility rather than limitation," she said. "Neurodivergent people have tremendous talents, perspectives and ways of seeing the world, and art can be a powerful way to share that perspective."
"We want people to see the artist first, to appreciate the creativity, skill, humor and individuality in the work, and to recognize that neurodivergent people have much to contribute to our communities," she said.
"Our goal is not simply to create a gallery where people can see beautiful art; it's to create a space where people can see the gifts and potential of the people behind that art," Dr. Berman said.
Limitless Art Space, 1639 Abbot Kinney Blvd., is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information is available at [limitlessartspace.org](http://limitlessartspace.org/?ref=smdp.com).
### Culver City Bus Driver Shot Three Times in Head, Witnesses Say; Suspect at Large
URL: https://www.smdp.com/culver-city-bus-driver-shot-three-times-in-head-witnesses-say-suspect-at-large/
Last updated: 2026-10-08T01:23:03.000Z
A man was hospitalized Thursday evening after a shooting involving a Culver City bus near South Centinela and Mitchell avenues, and police were still searching for the shooter as of 6:30 pm.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the shooting happened at about 5:15 pm near the intersection of South Centinela and Mitchell avenues. The victim is a man in his 40s and died at the hospital.
Police have not publicly identified the victim. Witnesses at the scene told the Daily Press the man shot was the bus driver.
Katty and her daughter Isabella, who live on the intersection, said they were inside their home when they heard what sounded like gunshots. Isabella heard the gunshots before her mom did.
"I told her I heard gunshots, but then I didn't hear anything else," Isabella said. She said she first assumed the noise was someone going through the trash.
When they went outside a few minutes later, they said they saw passengers running from the bus and firefighters attending to the driver. Katty spoke to a woman on the bus and was told an unidentified man had shot the driver three times.
Katty saw the driver taken off the bus and said he was convulsing on the gurney. Police have not confirmed the nature or extent of his injuries.
“I couldn't even believe it. When I heard the gunshots, I was in disbelief. Like, it can't be that. This is a quiet neighborhood,” Katty said.
The women said the intersection has seen many car crashes, but nothing like Thursday's shooting. They did not see the shooter flee the scene.
No arrest had been announced as of 6:30 pm.
Police have not released a motive or a detailed suspect description.
This story was updated on October 7, 2026:
[DA files murder charge in shooting of beloved Culver City bus driverThe man accused of shooting and killing Culver City Bus driver Bruce Rodriguez has been charged with murder and could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Wednesday. Rodriguez drove a Culver CityBus for 12 years and was known forSMDPGabe Kaplan](https://www.smdp.com/da-files-murder-charge-in-shooting-of-beloved-culver-city-bus-driver/)
### Tourism: RAND finds Santa Monica hotels filling rooms but earning less
URL: https://www.smdp.com/tourism-rand-finds-santa-monica-hotels-filling-rooms-but-earning-less/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T23:30:00.000Z
Santa Monica's hotels are filling rooms at a higher rate than their regional competitors, but they are taking in less money to do it, and the city's broader tourism economy has lagged its neighbors since the pandemic, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The report, "Santa Monica's Recent Economic and Social Trends: A Case Study with Regional Comparisons," found that Santa Monica's hotel occupancy reached 76% by March 2026, the highest of any hotel submarket the researchers examined. The comparison group included the combined West Hollywood-Beverly Hills submarket, the Los Angeles International Airport submarket that includes Culver City, downtown Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego. None of the submarkets has returned to its pre-pandemic occupancy rate, the authors wrote.
The rebound followed one of the steepest drops in the region. At the February 2021 low point, Santa Monica's occupancy had fallen to 38% of its 2015 level, second lowest among the submarkets, while Santa Barbara's fell only to 63%, according to RAND. Santa Monica climbed back to within 10% of its 2015 occupancy by September 2022 and stood at 93% of that level in March 2026.
Revenue tells a different story, the researchers concluded. Using transient occupancy tax data from the California State Controller's Office, RAND found that inflation-adjusted short-term lodging revenue in Santa Monica initially recovered by fiscal 2022 and then began a gradual decline. Beverly Hills followed a similar downward path, while Culver City and West Hollywood took in more real revenue in fiscal 2024 than in fiscal 2017\. The authors said the gap between rising occupancy and falling revenue suggests Santa Monica hotels have cut prices in real terms to fill rooms, a practice that may be helping sustain spending at shops and restaurants.
RAND also found that the city's tourism sector as a whole has underperformed. From 2019 through 2024, the number of tourism-related businesses in Santa Monica declined by 1% to 2% a year on average, apart from a small increase in 2021, while the comparison cities mostly grew, some by as much as 8% in a year. Santa Monica had the weakest tourism employment growth of the four cities in three of the five year-over-year periods studied. In 2024, tourism employment in the city fell about 16%, compared with a 5% decline in West Hollywood, the best performer that year.
Annual visitors stand at 58% of a pre-pandemic baseline of 7.5 million, according to city staff cited in the report, after bottoming out at roughly 25% in 2020\. The authors said nationwide declines in U.S. tourism since 2025, especially among Canadian visitors, have likely weakened the recovery. They noted that their data do not capture the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when Santa Monica hosted six weeks of special events that drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, activity that "may mark a break with the recent downward trend."
Taxes are another factor. Santa Monica has the highest city tax rates among many tourism-oriented Southern California cities, RAND found, including a 15% hotel occupancy tax, a 17% home-share tax and an 18% tax on private parking, compared with 14% hotel taxes in Beverly Hills and Culver City. A hotel-industry interviewee told researchers the taxes matter less to individual tourists than to conference planners booking large blocks of rooms when rates in Laguna Beach or Newport Beach run 20% to 30% lower. City staff said a high local minimum wage and hotel-worker wage and benefit requirements may also put Santa Monica at a disadvantage.
The study combined data analysis with interviews. Researchers Jason M. Ward, Roland Neil and Lizhong Liu compared Santa Monica with Beverly Hills, Culver City, West Hollywood and, in some analyses, other Southern California markets, drawing on CoStar hotel data, state transient occupancy tax records, DataAxle business and employment data and state sales tax data. They also conducted semi-structured interviews from March through August 2026 with 14 of the 19 people they invited, including city staff, current and former elected officials and a candidate, business owners, attorneys, architects and a developer. The authors describe the work as descriptive: it cannot establish causation, did not analyze tourist visitation trends directly and centers business and development perspectives. The study was funded by gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations.
The Rand report mirrored earlier data provided by local officials as part of the annual tourism report. Santa Monica Travel and Tourism have previously reported that the Covid era shutdowns reduced tourism in the city by about 76% and while there were incremental gains over time, the total actually dropped in 2025 and the city reported less than half as many visitors compared to 2019.
In the 2025 report, spending rose 9% to $996.6 million as visitors spent more per day, according to Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. Lodging tax revenue fell 13% to $54.4 million. Day-trippers made up 88% of visitors, up from 77% in 2023, but generated only 27% of spending, and the number of hotel guests fell 21%. U.S. visitation fell 17%.
Santa Monica's 8% visitor decline was steeper than the roughly 1% dip in Los Angeles, which drew 49.5 million visitors in 2025\. SMTT projected hotel revenue would top $400 million in 2026, putting it on track to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2027.
RAND recommended that the city pursue several low-risk ways to draw more visitors and foot traffic, including more festivals, events and other activities, building on World Cup events and the planned but eventually delayed Ocean Way Festival. The inaugural festival was canceled in mid-September because of storm surf and runoff from Hurricane Marie.
The authors also suggested filling vacant space with temporary "pop up" stores, pursuing larger redevelopment projects such as the Civic Auditorium as an anchor for foot traffic, and actively courting employers in sectors where the city could grow. They urged the city to expand its new business concierge service and to comprehensively review its recently adopted right-to-rehire and labor peace law for businesses on city-owned land, including the Santa Monica Pier, citing "substantial concerns" from city staff and business owners.
### Retail and office: RAND says Santa Monica sales down a third, vacancies among region's highest
URL: https://www.smdp.com/retail-and-office-rand-says-santa-monica-sales-down-a-third-vacancies-among-regions-highest/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T23:30:00.000Z
Santa Monica's retail sales have fallen by about one-third from pre-pandemic levels and are still declining, while its storefront and office vacancy rates remain among the highest in the region, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The report, "Santa Monica's Recent Economic and Social Trends: A Case Study with Regional Comparisons," found that taxable sales at Santa Monica businesses recovered to only 89% of their 2015 level in mid-2021, after adjusting for inflation, then fell to almost 60% of that level by early 2026\. Beverly Hills, Culver City and West Hollywood all returned to pre-pandemic sales by late 2021\. By the end of 2025, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood were down 10% to 15% from 2015, and Culver City was down 25%.
The decline hit nearly every category. In 2015 dollars, taxable sales fell 32.8%, from $3.24 billion in 2015 to $2.18 billion in 2025, a loss of about $1.06 billion, according to California Department of Tax and Fee Administration data analyzed by RAND. Clothing and accessories sales fell 75%, or $327.7 million, the largest drop in both dollars and percentage. Restaurant and bar sales fell 23.8%, or $151.7 million. Home furnishings fell 66.9% and gas stations 48%. Only building materials and garden stores grew. The authors said business closures, including the departure of large retailers from the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place, are likely a major source of the decline.
Vacancies tell a similar story, the researchers concluded. Santa Monica's retail vacancy rate has been the highest of the four cities since late 2021, according to CoStar data. It was rising before the pandemic, as in peer cities, but kept climbing afterward while the other cities leveled off or improved. RAND estimated that at least 45% of the city's retail vacancy is tied to the Promenade and Santa Monica Place.
The Promenade's vacancy rate was 31% as of August 2026, based on 37 retail properties, the report said. Empty space is concentrated in large buildings: Those over 30,000 square feet are 47% vacant, compared with 12% for those under 10,000 square feet. Four properties are completely vacant, including three of the largest spaces on the street.
On offices, Santa Monica had the second-highest vacancy rate of the four cities, at more than 20% in June 2026, behind Culver City's 25%, according to RAND. Culver City added a large amount of new office space from 2021 to 2024\. Santa Monica has the most office properties and the largest volume of office space available for rent among the four.
Interviewees from both city government and the private sector attributed high vacancies to an oversupply of retail and hospitality space. A local architect described multiple jobs converting vacant specialty spaces back to generic layouts or subdividing large spaces. Interviewees said the Promenade's many separate owners make coordination hard, and one business owner said the city and owners needed a "come to Jesus" moment. The authors warned that a "vacancy spiral" may exist, in which closures and remote work reduce foot traffic, leading to more closures.
Nearly all interviewees described a past "extractive mindset" toward business at City Hall, though most agreed it has changed. Business owners said the sanitation and transportation departments still make costly, unexpected demands for upgrades during tenant improvements, even when a new business has the same use as the previous tenant. The report also cited a new right-to-rehire and labor peace law for businesses on city-owned land as a potential obstacle to growth.
Researchers Jason M. Ward, Roland Neil and Lizhong Liu analyzed state sales tax data, CoStar retail and office vacancy data and DataAxle business data, comparing Santa Monica with Beverly Hills, Culver City and West Hollywood. They also interviewed 14 of the 19 people they invited between March and August 2026, including city staff, elected officials, business owners and development professionals in Santa Monica and peer cities. The authors call the study descriptive; it cannot establish causation and did not analyze tenant improvement projects or commuting patterns. Interviews were organized by theme with help from an AI tool, according to the report.
The report’s findings mirror previous reporting from various sources. Downtown Santa Monica Inc. counted 346,147 Promenade visitors in March 2026 about half the amount counted in 2019\. Ground-floor occupancy was 75% in April, ranging from 62% on the 1200 block to 83% on the 1300 block and 78% on the 1400 block.
Santa Monica Place went to a receiver in the first quarter of 2025 after owner Macerich defaulted on a $300 million loan. Nordstrom closed and the mall's vacancy rate was almost 70%. The mall now has new owners who have begun a series of events to draw customers back alongside promises of new businesses including a recently opened high-end gym.
The most recent HdL Companies sales tax report posted by the city shows adjusted sales fell 4.5% in the first quarter of 2025, during the Palisades Fire, and 1.6% in the second quarter, with fine dining down 11.3%. City staff project growth of 2.1% in fiscal 2025-26 and 3.6% in fiscal 2026-27.
In March 2026, the council approved an eight-point economic development package that includes a $3 million recruitment fund, eliminates the $1,000-per-seat wastewater fee for restaurants and expands the Entertainment Zone to Main Street and Montana Avenue. The city closed fiscal 2025-26 with an $8.95 million surplus, a year after declaring fiscal distress.
RAND recommended that the city expand its business concierge service so it systematically addresses recurring problems, and develop clear guidance for sanitation and transportation staff to reduce "idiosyncratic judgments" about compliance during tenant improvements. To cut vacancies and draw foot traffic, the authors suggested temporary "pop up" stores, which West Hollywood has used to incubate permanent businesses, along with more events and festivals, large redevelopment such as the Civic Auditorium and courting employers in target industries.
The authors also urged incentives beyond the city's 2024 adaptive reuse ordinance to convert offices and other commercial buildings to housing, and a comprehensive review of the labor law for leases on city-owned land, which they said the council appears to have adopted "without substantial research" into its benefits or costs.
### Homelessness: RAND finds Santa Monica's homeless count stable, but concentrated downtown
URL: https://www.smdp.com/homelessness-rand-finds-santa-monicas-homeless-count-stable-but-concentrated-downtown/
Last updated: 2026-10-09T19:02:55.000Z
Santa Monica's homeless population has held relatively steady for a decade but it remains heavily concentrated downtown, where it has more impact on businesses and visitors, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The report, "Santa Monica's Recent Economic and Social Trends: A Case Study with Regional Comparisons," found that homelessness in the city has been stable since 2017, both overall and among people living unsheltered. The highest count in that period came in 2019, before the pandemic, at 1,026 people. Counts rose again from 2020 to 2023\. The lowest came in 2026, at 793, though the 2026 data are preliminary, the authors wrote.
RAND's totals come from its own analysis of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority data and differ from LAHSA's published count. The researchers counted each tent, vehicle and makeshift shelter as 1.7 people, roughly the average weight LAHSA has used in recent years.
The researchers also found homelessness is not new to Santa Monica. A 2006 city-funded Urban Institute report estimated the city hosted 2,000 of the roughly 66,000 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, suggesting a meaningful decline over two decades, though counting methods may have changed.
While the numbers have remained relatively steady, the city's homeless population is consistently concentrated in a single census tract covering downtown, RAND found, and that tract drives much of the change in citywide counts.
However, other tracts together contain more homeless people than downtown, while areas near the airport and toward Brentwood have essentially none. Among comparison areas, only Venice had similar levels. Culver City, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood counted far fewer people, and Culver City's increase from 2020 to 2022 has faded.
The authors concluded that business concerns may have more to do with the severity of individuals' problems than with their numbers. Business owners pointed to unsheltered people with serious mental illness or untreated substance use disorders and the frustration of dealing with serial offenders who were not handled by public safety services. Every private-sector interviewee who was asked ranked disorder and crime tied to homelessness as the top problem downtown.
RAND said it is unlikely those perceptions are "entirely imagined." Although it lacked data to measure acuity, the report said problem behavior may have worsened even as numbers held steady or fell. Separate RAND research in Los Angeles found acuity stayed constant as unsheltered numbers declined.
The report cited several pandemic-era factors: a more permissive tent policy adopted over virus concerns, the Metro E Line's "end of the line" policy at its Santa Monica terminus and encampment policies used extensively in neighboring Venice. Officials in Beverly Hills and Culver City told researchers their cities are more inclined to move homeless people out of commercial districts, which they acknowledged simply shifts the problem. RAND said it could not verify that. Local interviewees also cited county decisions on siting facilities and harm reduction, over which the city has little control.
Researchers Jason M. Ward, Roland Neil and Lizhong Liu analyzed LAHSA point-in-time counts at the census tract level from 2017 to 2026, excluding the canceled 2021 count, and compared Santa Monica with Venice, Culver City, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. They interviewed 14 of 19 people invited, including city staff, elected officials, business owners and development professionals, between March and August 2026\. The authors note that the study did not include people with lived experience of homelessness or police representatives, relies on an annual count subject to measurement error and cannot establish causation.
LAHSA's own 2026 count found 718 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica, down 11.6% from 812 in 2025 and the lowest since LAHSA took over the count. Unsheltered homelessness fell 18.7%. Over the same year, homelessness rose 3.4% to 45,194 in the city of Los Angeles and 1.2% to 73,040 countywide. Culver City's raw count fell from 105 to 74, and Beverly Hills' unsheltered count rose from 17 to 30, according to LAHSA.
Santa Monica has ended its contract with LAHSA or counts and will now pay for a monthly count administered by RAND.
A separate RAND report released in October 2025 found LAHSA's count was 26% too low in 2024 and 32% too low in 2025 in Hollywood, Venice and Skid Row.
City policy has shifted sharply in recent years. The council declared a local emergency in February 2023 and has alternated between counting sleeping bags and bedrolls as evidence of illegal camping and allowing them. This year, the council voted to close the SaMoShel shelter, run by The People Concern, and build a city-controlled "Housing Focused System of Care." The SaMo Bridge diversion hub, funded by a nearly $8 million state grant, was designed to serve about 260 people a year but logged 462 referrals in its first year,
The city publishes no current total of homelessness spending across departments. The last one, a Moss Adams LLP audit of fiscal 2020-21, found $42.5 million a year, including $25.4 million in public safety costs. SMPD has historically reported about 70% of its arrests involve homeless victims or suspects.
The issue weighs on the city's reputation. In a 2025 visitor survey 19.2% of repeat visitors said the city had gotten worse, and 60.8% of those cited homelessness.
RAND recommended more frequent and detailed measurement of homelessness, including public-facing key performance indicators, noting that existing data give "only a minimal portrait" once a year. Because homelessness and crime are concentrated downtown, the authors said proactively engaging high-risk people there is likely a resource-efficient way to improve safety and reduce disorder, pointing to the new police substation at Santa Monica Place and the Homeless Liaison Program as steps in that direction.
The authors also urged the city to consider restarting its Homeless Community Court, which began in 2007 and ran for more than a decade. The voluntary court used progressive plea bargaining and flexible, non-carceral sentences to steer participants with the most severe mental health needs into treatment and reduce repeat offenses. Research and interviews point to a small number of people who use an outsized share of public services and criminal justice resources, the report said, and a similar county program now operates in Los Angeles.
### Housing: RAND says Santa Monica reformed approvals, but homes still take 6 years to build
URL: https://www.smdp.com/housing-rand-says-santa-monica-reformed-approvals-but-homes-still-take-6-years-to-build/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T23:30:00.000Z
Santa Monica has overhauled the way it approves housing, but the reforms have not yet produced more construction, and a typical project still takes more than six years to go from application to move-in, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The report, "Santa Monica's Recent Economic and Social Trends: A Case Study with Regional Comparisons," found that from 2018 to 2025, Santa Monica built fewer new homes per resident than any of eight comparison jurisdictions except Beverly Hills. The group included Culver City, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Long Beach and Pasadena. Santa Monica issued about 10 to 15 building permits per 10,000 residents a year from 2018 to 2024, fewer than Culver City, and was overtaken by Beverly Hills in 2021.
Using city permit records, RAND calculated that a project takes an average of 403 days to win entitlement, 726 more days to receive a building permit and 965 more days to reach a final permit, usually a certificate of occupancy. Comparable projects in the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission area take an average of 4.9 years. The difference lies mainly in the entitlement and permitting stages, which are largely within the city's control, the authors wrote.
The California Coastal Commission adds delay, RAND found. Because Santa Monica lacks a fully certified Local Coastal Program, projects in the coastal zone, which runs four to eight blocks inland, need state approval as well as the city's. Projects there took 77% longer to win entitlement, 701 days compared with 396, and 12% longer to move from entitlement to building permit.
The 2022 "builder's remedy" produced a surge in applications. Between February and October 2022, while the city lacked a state-approved housing plan, developers filed 16 applications proposing 4,260 units, according to RAND. A May 2023 settlement let the projects be refiled with expedited processing but many of those units have not shown up in permit numbers.
The city has since made substantial reforms, RAND found. It eliminated its tier system in 2023, raised height and floor-area limits, expanded administrative approval and adopted a pilot program that lets builders pay fees or build affordable units off-site. The pilot has been credited with reviving several stalled projects. "I would rather propose a housing project in Santa Monica than literally any other jurisdiction in the entire state of California," an experienced land-use attorney told researchers.
Interviewees blamed many stalled projects on Measure GS, the 5.6% transfer tax on sales of $8 million or more. The tax represents more than 30% of a typical expected return on a development project, enough to make many projects infeasible, according to the report. A separate RAND study found a similar Los Angeles tax led to a major decline in apartment construction.
Bottlenecks remain, the researchers concluded. Interviewees described a two-step architectural review in which the architectural review board appeared to disregard the urban designer's earlier review. They said inspectors apply discretion inconsistently, departments such as sanitation and public works make costly demands late in construction, and permits are routed to every department whether or not they need to weigh in. City staff said experienced inspectors often leave for the private sector. A developer estimated that a two-month construction delay "could cost $600,000 at the peak of the construction loan," and an architect said new construction pencils out only at rents of $3,500 to $4,500 a month for a one-bedroom.
Researchers Jason M. Ward, Roland Neil and Lizhong Liu analyzed state Department of Housing and Community Development progress reports, Los Angeles County assessor data and Santa Monica and Los Angeles permit records, with help from USC and MAREA.AI analysts. They interviewed 14 of 19 people invited, including five development-sector participants, city staff, elected officials and business owners. The authors note the study is descriptive, did not include affordable housing developers and did not test the effects of the reforms with data. Timeline data may include delays by developers between permit and construction start.
Santa Monica must plan for 8,895 units by 2029, more than five times the prior requirements. It permitted about 1,034 units, roughly 11.6% of the goal, through 2023, and just 37 in 2024, according to state data. Only 265 affordable units were permitted through 2023, 4.3% of that target. Meanwhile, 3,296 market-rate and 878 affordable units held approvals without permits.
City staff have cited high interest rates, volatile material costs, labor shortages and flat rents as impacts on the housing construction ecosystem.
RAND recommended that the city expedite certification of its Local Coastal Program and publicly commit to a timetable, which would let applicants get coastal permits directly from the city. It urged the city to reconsider its two-stage architectural review, reduce the number of required reviewers and stop sending every application to all departments when routine items were already approved in plan check.
The authors also called for earlier interdepartmental coordination, bringing in sanitation and transportation at the start as Los Angeles does, and more inspection resources, including retaining experienced inspectors and using deputy inspectors. They recommended additional incentives, such as fee waivers, to convert offices to housing beyond the city's 2024 adaptive reuse ordinance; a transparent open data portal showing stage-by-stage timelines and how much time applications spend with the city versus applicants; and outreach to builders and investors to dispel the city's outdated reputation as "a place to avoid."
### Warning phase for Malibu's PCH speed camera program delayed to November
URL: https://www.smdp.com/warning-phase-for-malibus-pch-speed-camera-program-delayed-to-november/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T19:19:59.000Z
The city of Malibu has delayed the warning period for its upcoming Pacific Coast Highway speed camera program from late September to November.
The city said the extra time allows for necessary installation adjustments and ensures the program is ready to operate as intended.
The city is also continuing a traffic study in eastern Malibu to evaluate existing speed limits, specifically affecting the speed cameras in Carbon Canyon and Tuna Canyon. The study is expected to conclude in November. The city described it as an important part of its ongoing work to promote safe travel for residents, visitors, pedestrians and cyclists.
City officials said they appreciate the community's patience and will share more information about the November warning-period launch as it becomes available.
Several cameras are already operating as part of a testing and data-gathering phase. They are not issuing warnings or citations, accessing driver information from the Department of Motor Vehicles or taking enforcement action. Instead, they are collecting preliminary information on speeding to help the city assess existing conditions and guide its traffic-safety efforts.
Drivers may see a camera flash when a speeding violation is detected during testing, but the flash does not result in a warning or citation.
From Sept. 16 to Sept. 24, preliminary testing data recorded about 100,000 speeding violations across four camera locations. About 86% occurred in eastern Malibu.
The city said it will continue to evaluate the data as it completes the installation changes and traffic studies. Its goal is to ensure the program is implemented thoughtfully and in support of public safety.
For more information, visit[ ](https://malibucity.org/pchsafetycameras?ref=smdp.com)[https://malibucity.org/pchsafetycameras](https://malibucity.org/pchsafetycameras?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Around Town: Art, Gott’s Burger Opening, Montana Art Walk & Bubbly on the Boardwalk
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-art-gotts-burger-opening-montana-art-walk-bubbly-on-the-boardwalk/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T18:58:59.000Z
**From Montana Avenue’s annual Art Walk to Northern California’s iconic burger import, here is your weekly guide to Westside food, art, champagne, and therapy cats.**
**Club Solaire Comes to Venice:** Veuve Clicquot is bringing Champagne, ice cream and a whole lot of yellow to Venice Beach with Club Solaire, a three-day celebration of food, music, culture and, naturally, Champagne. The weekend includes ticketed culinary experiences plus free-to-explore boardwalk attractions, including a Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar, a concept shop, yellow bike rentals and a pop-up from cult-favorite Parisian ice cream shop Folderol featuring special soft-serve flavors inspired by Veuve Clicquot. **Friday, Oct. 2 – Sunday, Oct. 4, 12–6 p.m., 619 Ocean Front Walk. 21+.** [instagram.com/p/DdCLC-fFKwg](http://instagram.com/p/DdCLC-fFKwg?ref=smdp.com)
**First Friday on Abbot Kinney:** The Venice street turns into a street-food playground, with dozens of rotating food trucks serving everything from international favorites to creative new bites. Local shops and businesses also stay open late, making it an easy excuse to eat, browse and people-watch your way down the boulevard. **Friday, Oct. 2, 5–9:30 p.m.,**[](http://abbotkinneyblvd.com/firstfridays?ref=smdp.com)[abbotkinneyblvd.com/firstfridays](http://abbotkinneyblvd.com/firstfridays?ref=smdp.com)
**Opening Reception: "There Once Were Millions":** Celebrate the western monarch butterfly at an evening featuring the "There Once Were Millions" exhibit, a short film, interactive workshop and conservation expert panel. Registration required. **Saturday, Oct. 3, 5 – 8 p.m., Airport Arts Center, 3026 Airport Ave.** [More details here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-reception-for-there-once-were-millions-tickets-1999060877899?ref=smdp.com).
**Montana Ave. Art Walk Returns:** The annual Art Walk returns with 10 blocks of art, live music, artisan vendors, wellness experiences, family activities, food and shopping, plus a classic car showcase and interactive installations. The street will close to cars, turning Montana into an open-air celebration of art and the Mother Road as it goes big for Route 66’s 100th anniversary. **Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Montana Avenue from 7th to 17th streets. Free.**[](http://montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com)[montanaave.com/events/art-walk](http://montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com)
**Pier Play Returns to the Santa Monica Pier:** The family festival returns with its first-ever two-day edition. The expanded lineup features interactive kids' activities, live music, dance performances, games, and local community pop-ups stretching across the historic landmark, celebrating play, creativity, and Westside youth programming. **Saturday, Oct. 3 & Sunday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.**[](https://rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival?ref=smdp.com)[rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival](https://rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival?ref=smdp.com)
**Sunset Club Returns:** The weather is cooling down, the sun is setting earlier, and Sunset Club is back on the beach. **Sunset Club** returns for its first Sunday of October, inviting locals to kick back, meet some new friends, reconnect with old ones and watch the sun go down together. **Sunday, Oct. 4, 4:30 p.m., Ocean View Park, 2701 Barnard Way** [More details here](https://partiful.com/e/bWxJFFtHUu8ERUXTbJmS?c=VV3Z64HM&ref=smdp.com).
**Santa Monica History Museum Annual Gala - Roots & Vines:** Support local history preservation at the Santa Monica History Museum's annual fundraising benefit at the iconic Annenberg Community Beach House. The evening includes fine wines, hors d'oeuvres, a live auction, and a celebration of community history alongside the presentation of the 2026 Spirit of Santa Monica Award. **Sunday, Oct. 4, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m., Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Hwy.**[](http://santamonicahistorymuseum.betterworld.org/events/roots-vines?ref=smdp.com)[santamonicahistorymuseum.betterworld.org/events/roots-vines](http://santamonicahistorymuseum.betterworld.org/events/roots-vines?ref=smdp.com)
**Need a Break? Try Some Therapy Cats:** Feeling stressed? Put down the phone and pet a cat. Cat Chow’s Therapod is bringing a mobile, phone-free relaxation experience to Westwood, where visitors can spend 10 minutes hanging out with certified therapy cats from Pet Partners. Adoptable cats from Meow Squad will also be on hand, along with Purina animal behaviorist Dr. Annie Valuska. The free pop-up makes two Westside stops: **Tuesday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., UCLA’s Wilson Plaza, 405 Hilgard Ave.; Wednesday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Broxton Plaza, 1036 Broxton Ave.**
**ONGOING:**[](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com);[ ](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com)[The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com);[ ](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com)[Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com);[ ](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com)[Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17);[ ](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com)[Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com);[ ](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com)[Perrys Beach House DJ Event](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays and Sundays in Sept.);[ ](http://morgan-wixson.org/?ref=smdp.com)[“Into the Woods” at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre](http://morgan-wixson.org/?ref=smdp.com) (through 10/18)
****Gott’s Roadside Grand Opening** at 401 Wilshire Blvd.
**WHAT'S NEW & DELICIOUS?**
**Gott’s Roadside Grand Opening:** The famous James Beard Award winning Northern California burger favorite and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” regular is finally making its way to Santa Monica, bringing burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood, shakes and plenty of wine-country hospitality. The sexy 6,600-square-foot restaurant will also feature a sprawling patio, full bar and dedicated soft-serve counter with toppings and nostalgic sundaes. **Soft open Thursday Oct. 1 with ribbon on Friday, Oct. 2, open 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, 401 Wilshire Blvd.**[ ](http://gotts.com/?ref=smdp.com)[gotts.com](http://gotts.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Tiki & Fire Comes to Marelle:** Marelle is trading its usual coastal-Mediterranean vibe for something a little more tropical with a one-night “Coastal Roast” featuring ahi tuna, miso-glazed pork belly, char siu short rib, island-inspired sides, pineapple rum cake and tiki cocktails. **Thursday, Oct. 1, 5–10 p.m., 1740 Ocean Ave.** [marelle.com/event/tiki-fire-a-coastal-roast](http://marelle.com/event/tiki-fire-a-coastal-roast?ref=smdp.com)
**Burger She Wrote Opens in Brentwood:** The cult-favorite smashburger spot is opening its third and largest location, bringing its Oklahoma-style burgers made with Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef and King’s Hawaiian buns to San Vicente Boulevard. The grand-opening celebration features DJs Don “Nuge” Nguyen and Blake Anderson, merch giveaways, and more. **Saturday, Oct. 3, 2–10 p.m., 11686 San Vicente Blvd., LA** [burgershewrote.com](http://burgershewrote.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Coffee Bean Birthday Celebration:** The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is turning 63, proving that coffee shops can have birthday parties too. Stop by for complimentary beverage samples, live music from a Power 106 DJ, giveaways, a prize wheel, photo ops with Mr. Ice Blended and a first look at the brand’s upcoming Paul Frank holiday collaboration. **Sunday, Oct. 4, 1–4 p.m., 1312 Third St. Promenade.** [More details here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-coffee-bean-tea-leaf-turns-63-birthday-bash-in-santa-monica-tickets-2002459997758?ref=smdp.com).
**Rustic Canyon 20th Anniversary: “How It Started” Dinner:** Rustic Canyon kicks off its 20th-anniversary dinner series by recreating the intimate, communal-style family dinners hosted by founder Josh Loeb that inspired the Santa Monica landmark. The special evening reunites Loeb, co-owner and original head baker Zoe Nathan, opening chef Samir Mohajer, and current executive chef Elijah Deleon for a family-style feast paired with pours from regenerative winemaker Steve Matthiasson. **Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1119 Wilshire Blvd.** [resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/rustic-canyon](http://resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/rustic-canyon?ref=smdp.com)
**Coucou Launches Apéritif Club:** Looking for an excuse to have a drink before dinner? Coucou is launching its three-week Apéritif Club, bringing a different L.A. bar to its bistros for one night each week. The series kicks off with Bar Next Door at their Main St. spot, with a welcome cocktail plus passed bites including fried olives, zucchini beignets and crudités. I’ll definitely be there! **Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5–7 p.m., 218 Main St., Venice** [More details here](https://resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/venues/coucou-venice/events/coucou-aperitif-club-2026-10-07-6?ref=smdp.com).
**Further Afield:** **James Beard Foundation's Taste America:** This signature national culinary series returns to LA for a high-profile walk-around tasting celebrating the city's independent restaurant culture. The evening features signature bites and drink pairings from over 10 celebrated local kitchens, including Bridgetown Roti, Camélia, Azizam, Komal, Ki, and Maydan LA. Proceeds directly support the foundation’s national programming for independent restaurants. **Tuesday, Oct. 6, 7:00 p.m., The LINE LA, 3515 Wilshire Blvd.**[](http://jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica?ref=smdp.com)[jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica](http://jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica?ref=smdp.com)
**Even Further Afield:** **Del Mar Wine + Food Festival:** If you're looking for a quick culinary road trip further down the coast later this month, San Diego’s premier food and wine gathering offers five days of chef collaborations, spirit tastings, and beachside events. Capped off by a massive two-day Grand Tasting at the Del Mar polo fields (Surf Sports Park), the festival gathers top regional talent, Michelin-starred guest chefs, and international wineries. **Wednesday, Sept. 30–Sunday, Oct. 4** [delmar.wine](https://delmar.wine/?ref=smdp.com)
****Del Mar Wine + Food Festival This Weekend**
**Looking Ahead:**[](https://www.fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar-2/?ref=smdp.com)[Oktoberfest at the Fairmont](https://www.fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar-2/?ref=smdp.com) (10/8-10);[ ](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11);[ ](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com)[Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18);[ ](https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl?ref=smdp.com)[LA Times Food Bowl](https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl?ref=smdp.com) (10/23-24)**;** Montana Avenue Halloween Hop (10/31)
**Know something I missed?** Send tips, events and questionable culinary decisions to sean@smdp.com or[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Check out my past Around Town columns here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com).
### 'The Cigarette Surfboard' returns online after successful premiere
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-cigarette-surfboard-returns-online-after-successful-premiere/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T18:58:59.000Z
"The Cigarette Surfboard" is back online starting Oct. 1, along with all of the recorded question-and-answer sessions, after what its filmmakers called a resounding success at the film's online premiere.
The filmmakers said they are putting the film back online because of the overwhelming number of requests to see it. It is available at[ ](https://watch.eventive.org/thecigarettesurfboard?ref=smdp.com)[https://watch.eventive.org/thecigarettesurfboard](https://watch.eventive.org/thecigarettesurfboard?ref=smdp.com)
The team said it has been grateful for the overwhelmingly positive responses to the film over the past few weeks.
Professional surfer and ocean activist Rob Machado praised the film and the people who supported it.
"Congratulations on making a freakin' awesome film that brings so many issues to light. And it speaks very highly of your guys' vision, just all the people that jumped in to get behind it and believed in it. And look, I take my hat off to you guys, I was blown away and honored to be a part of it," Machado said.
Jake Howard, editor-in-chief of Surfer magazine, recommended the film.
"For those with as much disdain for cigarette butts on the beach as I do, this is a must-see film," Howard said.
Diane Fraser, executive director of the Emerald Coast Science Center, said, "I watched the movie last night. OMG, it is brilliant."
Lauren Oaks, a chemistry teacher at Hampton Roads Academy, said the film connected with her students.
"I have a really unique Oceanography class with some of the top students at our school and some who have one foot out the door and in college already. The film has appealed to all audiences! They're even talking about it in their government class... We are all hooked!" Oaks said.
A review on Rotten Tomatoes said, "We absolutely loved the thoughtfulness and enthusiasm behind this film. I know it has touched and inspired both young and old."
The filmmakers also shared an earlier response from the Bend Film Festival: "An eye-opening and unexpectedly fascinating film. This passionate surfer takes this simple and quirky idea to reach corporate companies and international politics. An entertaining eco-doc with a solid and powerful message."
Edited by SMDP Staff
### RAND study: Santa Monica's economy lags peers, but crime and homelessness picture more mixed
URL: https://www.smdp.com/rand-study-santa-monicas-economy-lags-peers-but-crime-and-homelessness-picture-more-mixed/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T16:02:11.000Z
Editor's Note: The RAND report is detailed and SMDP will publish additional stories in the coming days with more specifics on each of the study areas and recommendations.
A new study by RAND has put empircal data behind several longstanding assumptions about the City and while some are verifiably true, such as Santa Monica's economy declining more sharply than those of neighboring cities, others are more nuanced, such as assumptions about crime and homelessness finding support in specific parts of the city but not over the whole.
The report found that concerns about tourism, retail sales and other business indicators are warranted, with Santa Monica performing worse than most peer cities. It also found that the city's new leadership has recently made substantial policy reforms that may improve its economic trajectory.
Researchers analyzed data from Santa Monica and several comparison cities in the Los Angeles area and interviewed 14 people from the public and private sectors. Some of the city's negative trends may stem from macroeconomic conditions, changing commuting preferences and other factors beyond City Hall's control, interviewees said. The authors describe their findings as descriptive and note that their interview sample centers business and development perspectives.
**Economy**
Many parts of Santa Monica's economy declined more than in Beverly Hills, Culver City and West Hollywood over the last decade, the study found. From 2015 to 2025, clothing and accessories sales fell 75% and food services sales fell 24%.
Sales began falling around the COVID-19 pandemic and, after an incomplete recovery, resumed a downward trend that continues, according to the report. Visitor counts were recently at only 58% of the pre-pandemic peak, and vacancies remain high on the Third Street Promenade and at Santa Monica Place. Some interviewees suggested the city may have a structural oversupply of commercial space. Hotel occupancy has held up well compared with peer cities, but hotel revenue is declining, and tourism employment fell more than in several comparison cities.
Santa Monica drew 8.41 million visitors in 2019\. In 2025, it drew nearly 3.9 million. Day visitors made up 88% of 2025 visitors but generated only 27% of spending. Ground-floor occupancy on the Promenade was 75% on April 30, 2026\. Santa Monica Place went into receivership in early 2025, and its Nordstrom closed that August.
Interviewees described a past "extractive mindset" at City Hall toward businesses, though they said that has changed meaningfully. They also cited ongoing obstacles. These include a recently adopted law requiring rehiring and labor peace agreements for lessees of city-owned commercial property, high regional parking and hotel taxes, and unexpected discretionary upgrade requests from the sanitation and public works departments. Those requests can come even when a new business does the same thing as the previous tenant.
RAND recommended that the city expand its new business concierge service and give departments such as transportation and sanitation clear guidance to reduce idiosyncratic decisions in the field. It also urged the city to fill vacant space through pop-up shops, more festivals, redevelopment of disused properties and recruitment of employers in targeted sectors. Finally, it called for a comprehensive review of the right-to-rehire and labor peace law.
In March 2026, the City Council approved an eight-point economic development package that includes a $3 million recruitment fund and eliminates a $1,000-per-seat wastewater fee for restaurants.
**Homelessness**
Citywide homeless counts have been relatively stable over the past decade and declined modestly in 2026, the study found. Homelessness is heavily concentrated downtown and along the beachfront, however, where businesses and visitors see it most. Of the comparison areas studied, only Venice had similar levels.
The 2026 count found 718 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica, down 11.6% from 812 in 2025\. Over the same period, homelessness rose 3.4% in the city of Los Angeles and 1.2% countywide.
Business owners told researchers that unsheltered people with significant mental health problems or untreated substance use disorders make it harder to attract and keep customers. The city is relocating key homelessness services out of downtown, which the report said may help reduce that concentration. On Aug. 4, the council voted to close the SaMoShel shelter and build a city-controlled "Housing Focused System of Care."
RAND recommended more frequent and detailed homeless counts, including public performance indicators. It also recommended proactive outreach to high-risk populations downtown and a possible restart of the Homeless Community Court program for the small number of people who use an outsized share of public services and criminal justice resources.
**Crime**
Aggravated assaults and robberies have roughly doubled since the early 2010s, peaked in 2018 and remain elevated, the study found. The increases were overwhelmingly downtown. Half of aggravated assaults and 71% of robberies occur in the 5% of the city with the most crime, mostly downtown. Venice saw similar increases over the same time.
Most other property and violent crimes have been stable for two decades, the report said, though car thefts spiked citywide during the pandemic. The opioid epidemic likely shaped perceptions of disorder. Drug overdose deaths in the county have more than doubled since 2016.
Interviewees pointed to several policing changes: full staffing for the first time in 20 years, a downtown substation, more foot and bike patrols, and closer coordination with city attorneys on prosecutions.
Recent Police department figures show progress. Part I crime fell 12.5% in 2025 to 4,194 incidents, the lowest in at least a decade. Robberies fell 24% to 142, and aggravated assaults fell 13% to 329\. Perceptions have lagged behind the numbers. In a September poll paid for by the police and firefighter unions, 71% of likely voters said the Promenade area is not safe after dark.
The report said the long term effect of those changes on public safety remains unclear.
**Housing**
From 2018 to 2025, Santa Monica built less housing per resident than any comparison city except Beverly Hills, the study found. Projects take more than six years on average to reach occupancy, with most of that time spent before a building permit is issued.
Production is poised to rise temporarily because of the state's "builder's remedy" policy that allowed thousands of units to be approved in 2022 while the city's zoning rules were effectively suspended. Interviewees called the entitlement process dramatically improved. One land-use attorney said they would "rather propose a housing project in Santa Monica than literally any other jurisdiction in the entire state." The reforms have not yet produced more construction, however.
The city's state target is 8,895 units by 2029\. It permitted 37 units in 2024.
Interviewees cited inconsistent inspector discretion, late-stage demands from city departments and a cumbersome two-step architectural review as barriers the city can address. Coastal Commission review of development in much of the city's densest area is beyond local control.
RAND made several housing recommendations:
- Finish the city's Local Coastal Program on a public timetable.
- Expand incentives for converting commercial buildings to housing.
- Reconsider the two-stage design review and reduce the number of required reviewers.
- Coordinate departments earlier in plan review.
- Build an open data portal tracking development timelines.
- Reach out to builders and investors about recent reforms.
- Add inspection resources, including more experienced inspectors and greater use of deputy inspectors.
### Delta LAX expansion opens new options for Travelers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/delta-lax-expansion-opens-new-options-for-travelers/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T15:59:59.000Z
For Santa Monica and Westside travelers, Delta Air Lines' latest expansion at Los Angeles International Airport will bring a new way to reach California's Central Coast while adding more choices across the country.
Delta will launch twice-daily nonstop service between LAX and Monterey Regional Airport on Dec. 19, 2026, timed for the holiday travel season. The route, operated by Delta Connection on an Embraer 175, will give Westside travelers direct access to Monterey, Carmel and the Pebble Beach area without the long drive north.
The Monterey service is one piece of a broader expansion that will make summer 2027 Delta's largest operation in LAX history. Delta and its partners plan to offer more than 200 daily departures at the summer peak, expanding access both for Angelenos traveling elsewhere and for visitors arriving in Southern California.
Stephanie Gordon, Delta's managing director of domestic network planning, said the carrier is adding approximately 10 daily domestic flights, increasing its own domestic schedule from roughly 170 to 180 departures. With its partner flights included, the overall operation will exceed 200 departures per day.
The expanded schedule will make Delta the only airline at LAX serving all 10 of the airport's highest-demand domestic destinations with multiple daily flights, Gordon said. "This allows for greater connectivity into California and gives Angelenos more opportunities to explore what the rest of the United States has to offer," she said.
Monterey was selected in part because it aligns with Delta's focus on premium travel, Gordon said. The new route will provide direct access to one of California's best-known leisure destinations and give Monterey passengers a connection through LAX to Delta's broader domestic and international network. Delta will also begin daily nonstop service from Salt Lake City to Monterey on Dec. 19.
For the Westside, the announcement creates a closer link between two of California's major coastal visitor destinations. Although Delta did not provide a Santa Monica-specific economic projection, additional passengers moving through LAX could create opportunities for local hotels, restaurants, cultural destinations and tourism businesses competing for visitors extending their stays beyond the airport.
"We're continuing to invest in more ways for customers to experience everything California has to offer," Amy Martin, Delta's vice president of network planning, said in announcing the routes. "With new service to Monterey from both Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, alongside our continued growth at LAX, we're creating more opportunities for customers to connect to the places they want to go while building on our long-term commitment to Los Angeles and the West."
Delta is also adding a new daily nonstop flight between LAX and Philadelphia beginning June 7, 2027\. The airline will increase service to Boston to five daily flights, Raleigh-Durham to two, San Diego to five, Seattle to eight, Houston to three, Cincinnati to two and San Antonio to three.
The added flights will arrive as LAX continues a multibillion-dollar transformation intended to make reaching and moving through the airport easier. Delta has already expanded its gate footprint and premium facilities, and Gordon said the airline plans to add another Sky Club in Terminal 2 around 2027 as it continues building out its lounge offerings ahead of 2028.
Courtney Moore, chief revenue and experience officer at Los Angeles World Airports, said airline investment in connectivity reinforces LAX's role as the gateway to a city with global reach. "Los Angeles shapes, transforms and influences the world, and LAX is proud to be the gateway connecting travelers to our city," Moore said. "Our airline partners' investment in connectivity helps strengthen Los Angeles' position as a leading global destination."
The expansion also serves as an early step in Delta's preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Delta is the official airline of LA28, but Gordon emphasized that the larger schedule is designed to serve Los Angeles beyond the Games by building lasting frequency and access. "This is a stepping stone along the path as we continue to grow the schedule leading up to the Olympics," Gordon said. "We want people across America to have access to the Olympic Games as Delta passengers."
Gordon said Delta observed stronger passenger loads between FIFA World Cup host cities and through connecting airports, offering an indication of how major events can influence travel. That experience is informing the airline's planning as Los Angeles moves closer to 2028.
For Santa Monica residents, however, the most immediate change comes this winter: a short flight replacing hours on the highway and providing a new gateway to the Central Coast. Tickets for the newly announced routes and added frequencies are on sale.
### Bringing the Promenade Forward: DTSM Reports Visitor Boost, Elects New Leadership
URL: https://www.smdp.com/bringing-the-promenade-forward-dtsm-reports-visitor-boost-elects-new-leadership/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T15:59:59.000Z
Last Thursday night, the Third Street Promenade was bustling with people, providing visible evidence of the progress being reported at the Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) board meeting.
“What I see anecdotally with my own two eyes is there is just a lot of people enjoying the late summer here,” said Debbie Lee, the CEO of DTSM, who oversaw a productive meeting that included a report on the future of the Promenade, the swearing in of Council-appointed board members, executive elections, and committee restructuring.
Lee has said she wants to make DTSM a more data-driven organization, and she started the meeting with the latest visitor numbers. According to Lee, there were 3.3 million visits downtown during the period of World Cup events, from June 11 to July 19, which represents a 26% increase over the same time period in 2025\. The precise correlation with the sports events wasn’t clear, since the data wasn’t very specific. There was also a 20% increase in visits in August, when the World Cup was long over, but Lee described that as a residual effect.
“I think after the World Cup people were kind of buzzing,” she said of the response from visitors, including locals. “A lot of people came down here, not sure what to expect.” She suggested they liked what they found.
After years of diminished foot traffic, any improvement is clearly welcome, though no one would claim that the Promenade has returned to its heyday. But that’s not the goal according to Peter James, the deputy city manager and DTSM board member, who delivered a preliminary presentation of a plan to reimagine the pedestrian thoroughfare. “We don’t want to bring the Promenade back, we want to bring it forward,” James said.
He praised the Promenade’s history but said it was “designed for an era that doesn’t exist anymore,” referring to the pavement style, dinosaur sculptures and reliance on retail businesses. “We talk about reinvention, not restoration,” he said as he shared the city’s goal for the Promenade to once again be a financial engine and community centerpiece.
Several board members expressed apprehension about the city potentially excluding DTSM and other stakeholders, including residents, from the planning process, and board members Gleam Davis and John Warfel emphasized the need to balance big-picture concepts with attention to nuts-and-bolts details, such as working elevators in the parking structures.
“Infrastructure is not sexy,” Davis said, before affirming its importance.
The internal infrastructure of DTSM was the subject of much of the remainder of the meeting. On September 8, the Council voted to reappoint board members Sean Besser and Hodge Patterson, who had only served one year since the Council’s unprecedented purge of the previous board. Also appointed at that time was Judy Kruger, the former CEO of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, but the Council voted this month to replace her with Michael Dubin. All three of the newly appointed board members were sworn into office.
After two years as chair, Michele Aronson made it clear she wished to step down, but she was asked to stay on the executive committee as Treasurer. Joshua Gilman was unanimously elected as the new chair, and Besser was also unanimously elected as Secretary. They will be joined on the executive committee by three vice chairs: Davis, Patterson, and Warfel.
Additionally, the board voted to replace the two longstanding committees on placemaking and marketing with three task forces, which would focus on major events (including the Olympics), the next generation of the Promenade, and the upcoming 20-year renewal of DTSM’s business assessment district. The task forces, unlike the committees, will be informal bodies that are not subject to Brown Act or quorum requirements. Therefore, they will not be able to take any actions of their own other than making recommendations to the full board.
### Complete Guide to DBA Publication Glendale Burbank for Small Business Owners
URL: https://www.smdp.com/dba-publication-glendale-burbank-guide/
Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:23:12.000Z
**TL;DR:** Registering a fictitious business name requires strict legal steps to stay compliant in California. Filing your paperwork with the county clerk is only the first step. You must complete your **DBA publication Glendale Burbank** in an approved legal newspaper within 30 days to protect your business identity and keep your bank account open.
Starting a new business brings excitement, but legal paperwork can slow you down. Many business owners in Southern California complete their county filings and think their job is finished. However, skipping the public notice phase can freeze your business operations, clear your trade name rights, and lead to heavy legal penalties.
Glendale and Burbank DBA publication services helping entrepreneurs meet California business registration requirements.
Completing your **DBA publication Glendale Burbank** is a mandatory step under California law. When you operate under a name other than your legal personal name, local regulations require you to inform the community. Partnering with a reliable **DBA newspaper publication in Glendale, Burbank** service ensures that your legal notices run accurately, on time, and without unexpected delays.
## **Understanding Los Angeles County DBA Publication Requirements**
California Business and Professions Code Section 17924 states that every fictitious business name statement must be published after filing. Once the county clerk processes your application, a legal clock starts ticking immediately. You must publish your notice in an adjudicated newspaper located within the same county as your principal place of business.
**Los Angeles County DBA publication requirements** demand strict adherence to state timelines:
- **30-Day Deadline:** You must start your publication within 30 calendar days from the date stamped on your filed statement.
- **Four Consecutive Weeks:** The legal notice must run once a week for four straight weeks in an approved publication.
- **Proof of Publication:** After the final run, the newspaper publisher must execute an affidavit. This document must be filed with the county clerk within 30 days of the last publication date.
Failure to meet these exact deadlines makes your original filing completely invalid. If your statement expires, you must restart the entire process, pay the county filing fees again, and publish a brand-new notice.
## **How to Publish a Fictitious Business Name Notice in Glendale Smoothly**
The process to **publish fictitious business name notice Glendale** involves specific steps to maintain full legal protection for your enterprise. Following these organized steps prevents common paperwork mistakes that trip up new business owners.
To complete your **fictitious business name publication Glendale** without errors, use this straightforward step-by-step checklist:
1. **Obtain Your Certified Copy:** File your original statement with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Receive your stamped, certified copy containing your official file number.
2. **Select an Approved Newspaper:** Choose an adjudicated legal newspaper that serves your specific geographic area within Los Angeles County.
3. **Submit Your Filing:** Send your stamped court documents to the newspaper staff. Ensure all spelling, addresses, and owner names match your county record line for line.
4. **Confirm the Run Dates:** Review the publication schedule provided by the newspaper to verify that four consecutive weekly printings will occur without interruption.
5. **Obtain Proof of Service:** Ensure the newspaper sends the completed Affidavit of Publication directly to the county clerk's office, or obtain a physical copy to hand-deliver yourself.
Using established legal notice partners like the [Santa Monica Daily Press Legal Notices ](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/)guarantees that your filings comply with all court standards and local rules.
## **Navigating Specific DBA Publication Requirements Burbank**
Business owners operating in Burbank face the exact same legal standard as those in surrounding areas. However, choosing the right local publication remains critical. Your chosen outlet must hold official legal adjudication status from the Los Angeles County Superior Court to publish legal notices.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of standard county requirements versus potential risks if steps are skipped:
| Filing Requirement | Standard Legal Timeline | Risk of Non-Compliance |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| Initial Newspaper Submission | Within 30 days of the county clerk's filing date | Fictitious name filing becomes void |
| Notice Duration | 1 time per week for 4 consecutive weeks | Mandatory restart of the 4-week cycle |
| Proof Filing Submission | Within 30 days after the final publication date | Banking freezes and legal identity loss |
| Filing Renewal Schedule | Every 5 years before the expiration date | Forfeiture of exclusive local name usage |
Understanding these timelines helps you protect your brand name. Government resources like the [California Secretary of State Business Programs](https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs?ref=smdp.com) provide additional context on entity naming rules and state regulations.
## **Avoiding Common Mistakes in Legal Name Publishing**
Filing errors cause frustration and waste valuable money. Small business owners often make minor mistakes on their paperwork that force them to restart the entire publication cycle from scratch.
Watch out for these frequent mistakes when preparing your documents:
- **Misspelling Business Names:** Typos in your trade name mean the notice does not protect your real brand.
- **Missing Ownership Details:** Leaving off a partner's full legal name invalidates the public notice.
- **Missing the 30-Day Window:** Waiting too long after county filing cancels your submission automatically.
- **Selecting Non-Adjudicated Papers:** Publishing in a general magazine or blog that lacks court approval does not satisfy legal requirements.
Working with an experienced team prevents these issues. You can learn more about local business coverage through our [Santa Monica Local News](https://www.smdp.com/author/news/) Section to see how established newspapers serve their communities.
## **Why Timely Legal Publishing Matters for Your Business Banking**
Completing your public notice step is not just about state rules. It directly impacts your daily operations, especially when setting up commercial bank accounts. Major financial institutions require a certified DBA statement along with verified proof of publication before opening a business checking account or issuing commercial credit cards.
Financial regulators demand this documentation to prevent fraud and identity theft. According to official guidelines published on the [Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Legal Resources platform](https://www.fdic.gov/resources?ref=smdp.com), banks must rigorously verify the identity of every corporate account holder. Without a valid affidavit showing your legal notice ran for four weeks, banks will place temporary holds on your accounts or reject your merchant processing applications entirely.
Publishing on time keeps your operations running smoothly. Explore our [Santa Monica Daily Press Business Directory](https://www.smdp.com/tag/business/) to connect with local services that help new companies launch without operational hiccups.
## **Essential Steps After Your DBA Publication Finishes**
Once your notice completes its four-week run in the newspaper, your legal responsibilities are almost complete. You must ensure the post-publication paperwork reaches the county recorder's office before your window closes.
Follow these necessary steps once the weekly runs finish:
- **Verify Affidavit Details:** Check the newspaper affidavit for correct dates, proper spellings, and correct county stamps.
- **Confirm County Filing:** Verify that your affidavit of publication gets filed with the Los Angeles County Clerk within 30 days of your fourth notice.
- **Store Physical Records:** Keep a stamped copy of your fictitious name statement and affidavit in your permanent business files.
- **Set Expiration Reminders:** Mark your calendar for five years from your filing date to handle your renewal before it expires.
## **Frequently Asked Questions About Fictitious Name Publishing**
**What happens if I miss the 30-day publication deadline?**
If you miss the deadline, your filed statement becomes completely void. You must file a brand-new statement with the county clerk, pay all filing fees again, and restart the full four-week publication cycle.
**Do I need to publish my DBA every year?**
No, you do not publish every year. A fictitious business name statement remains valid for five years in California. You only need to publish again if your information changes or if you let your filing expire before renewing.
**Can I publish my notice in any local newspaper?**
No, you cannot use any paper. The law requires you to publish in an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation approved by the Superior Court within the same county where your business operates.
**How much does it cost to publish a DBA notice?**
Publication fees vary depending on the newspaper you choose. Most approved papers charge a flat fee that includes printing your notice for four weeks and submitting the final affidavit to the county clerk.
**What information must appear in the published DBA notice?**
The notice must display your exact business name, physical street address, all owner names, the type of business entity, and the official file number issued by the county clerk.
**How long does the entire publication process take?**
The full publishing process takes four consecutive weeks. Afterward, the newspaper files your proof of publication within 30 days, completing the entire process in about five to six weeks.
**Will the newspaper file the affidavit with the county for me?**
Yes, most professional legal publishing services submit the completed Affidavit of Publication directly to the county clerk once the four-week printing cycle finishes.
**Do I need a DBA if I operate a sole proprietorship?**
You need a DBA if you do business under any name that does not include your last name. It is also required if the name suggests additional owners are involved in the business.
**Can I change my business address during the publication process?**
No, you cannot alter details mid-run. Any change to your business address, ownership structure, or name requires filing a new statement with the county and starting a new publication process.
## **Key Takeaways for Business Compliance**
- **Strict Time Limits:** Always start your four-week publication within 30 days of filing your county statement.
- **Select Approved Papers:** Use only court-adjudicated newspapers located in Los Angeles County to meet state legal standards.
- **Protect Bank Accounts:** Financial institutions require completed proof of publication to maintain commercial bank accounts.
- **Maintain Records:** Keep certified copies of your statement and final affidavits in your secure business files for five years.
## **Streamline Your Legal Filings Today**
Do not let legal publishing delays hold back your business growth. Our experienced team handles your **DBA publication Glendale Burbank** quickly, accurately, and in full compliance with local courts. We process your public notices without headaches so you can focus on building your enterprise. Submit your stamped filing to our team today and let our specialists manage your legal publication requirements from start to finish.
### Gott's Roadside hopes to revitalize long dormant corner of Wilshire with it's particular take on Americana
URL: https://www.smdp.com/gotts-roadside-hopes-to-revitalize-long-dormant-corner-of-wilshire-with-its-particular-take-on-americana/
Last updated: 2026-10-01T09:59:59.000Z
Gott's Roadside, the Napa Valley roadside stand turned James Beard America's Classic, will open its first coastal location Oct. 2 at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Wilshire Boulevard, near the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade.
The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is the company's second Los Angeles County location, following a restaurant at the Original Farmers Market that opened March 6.
"We specifically targeted Santa Monica because we wanted to have a coastal location that has name recognition in and of itself, which Santa Monica does," said Clay Walker, president of Gott's Roadside. "But that also has the regional pull power."
Walker said he expects the site to draw customers from as far north as Malibu, as far east as the 405 Freeway and as far south as Marina del Rey.
The Santa Monica restaurant includes a soft-serve counter, group tables, a bar and a heated patio. Walker said the company chose the site for its street frontage, which suits the "breezy indoor outdoor vibe" the concept was founded on in Napa Valley.
"I was actually surprised at how little outdoor patio space there is in LA, given how good the climate is," Walker said.
A glass barrier runs along the arc of the patio, and Walker said a planter filled with beach grass will be installed along its length so diners feel less exposed without blocking sight lines from the street.
The menu spans burgers, chicken tenders, tacos, salads, seafood and seasonal chef specials, with vegetarian and gluten-free-friendly options. Offerings include the Ahi Burger; the California Burger with fried egg, bacon and balsamic onions; a kimchi burger; garlic fries; chili spice-dusted sweet potato fries; and organic hand-spun shakes. Walker said the most popular salad is a Vietnamese chicken salad with a peanut lime vinaigrette.
Beef comes from Cream Co. Meats, chicken from Red Bird Farms and bread from Larder Baking Co. The soft-serve counter offers Straus organic soft serve, frozen yogurt, sundaes and house-made cookies. The bar serves beer and wine only, including Napa wines, craft beer and the chain's signature Frosé. Co-owner Joel Gott, a winemaker, selects the California-focused wine and beer list.
Joel and Duncan Gott took over the St. Helena business in 1999 and have grown it from the original location to include Napa's Oxbow Public Market, San Francisco's Ferry Building and Chase Center, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Greenbrae and a licensed stand at San Francisco International Airport.
Walker, a California native who grew up in Woodland Hills, joined the company 13 years ago, when it had three locations. He said Gott's has been exploring Southern California since 2018, driven largely by requests from visitors who wanted a location in their own neighborhoods.
Walker said the company believes Santa Monica is turning a corner from its recent spate of negative headlines and that the business hopes to be part of the reason people return to the city.
“The way we look at things, we like to be located, kind of, at the confluence of where people live, work, and play, wherever we locate ourselves, there's strong residents, there's strong business,” he said. “We really rely on business for weekday lunch, and then residential for weekday dinner and weekends. And then, when I say live, work, and play, play is really what we like about Santa Monica. It's a draw for the rest of Los Angeles County on weekends, because the number one attraction, as far as we can tell, is the beach, and so whether it's the Pier itself, or the sand itself, or the Third Street Promenade, there are lots of draws that bring people to this area from outside of Santa Monica on weekends.”
He said a busy, family-focused restaurant adds life to a prominent downtown corner.
"We all know that healthy foot traffic dilutes unhealthy foot traffic," he said.
Walker acknowledged the challenges of opening a restaurant in the current climate but said they have a plan to expand cautiously. He said Gott's typically opens one or two restaurants at a time and has committed only to its two Los Angeles County locations in the short term.
"We don't want to get over our skis," he said.
In a city crowded with burger restaurants, Walker said Gott's burgers are chargrilled over an open flame rather than cooked on a flat top like a smash burger, and carry a high proportion of vegetables for texture. However, he said the restaurant offers more than just burgers making it appealing to families or groups that want more than just a burger and fries.
Walker said the fast-casual counter-service model gives Gott's flexibility that full-service restaurants lack. The bar lets adults order and eat without waiting in line, and open seating means revenue isn't capped by table turns. Delivery, which the company began during the pandemic, continues to grow, he said, though dining in remains the chain's biggest business.
Walker relocated to Southern California with his family to lead the expansion, and several longtime Northern California managers chose to move with him. He said the focus is to make the restaurant part of the local community.
"Santa Monica is our 100% focus," Walker said. "We're everyday food. We're not special occasion food."
### LA28 unveils Olympic and Paralympic triathlon courses in Venice
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la28-unveils-olympic-and-paralympic-triathlon-courses-in-venice/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T18:59:00.000Z
Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games on Wednesday unveiled the triathlon courses in the Venice Beach Zone, where the first medals of the LA28 Games will be awarded in the women's individual event.
The loop-style courses wind through the historic beachfront neighborhood. All events will share a single transition area and a finish line overlooking the Pacific coastline.
"This iconic neighborhood will add another meaningful chapter to its storied history as the first LA28 medals of the 2028 Games are awarded here," said Shana Ferguson, LA28 chief of sport and Games delivery officer.
Councilwoman Traci Park said Venice is excited to welcome athletes and fans "to one of LA's most iconic communities."
Organizers said the generally flat bike and run routes should let athletes build speed. Athletes will return to the central transition area after each bike and run lap, so thousands of fans can cheer at key moments.
The women's and men's Olympic individual races are July 15-16, 2028\. For only the second time in Olympic history, athletes will start from the beach rather than a pontoon. The 1,500-meter swim is split into a 1,000-meter lap and a 500-meter lap, with a 25-meter run between them. The 40-kilometer bike leg covers eight 5-kilometer laps along the Venice bike path and city streets. It includes two technical turnarounds and a pass in front of the Venice sign. The 10-kilometer run covers four 2.5-kilometer laps and crosses the bridges of the Venice Canals.
The Olympic mixed relay is July 20, 2028\. Each four-person team alternates women and men. Each athlete completes a 350-meter swim, a 6.6-kilometer bike leg of two 3.3-kilometer laps, and a 1.6-kilometer run of two 800-meter laps. The first athlete starts from a common line on the shoreline. After each handoff, the next athlete runs to the water to begin.
The Paralympic individual races are Aug. 18-19, 2028\. Men and women compete in six sport classes: PTWC, PTS2, PTS3, PTS4, PTS5 and PTVI. They will start from a barge beyond the breakwater and swim one 750-meter lap. They will then ride three 6.6-kilometer laps totaling 20 kilometers and run two 2.5-kilometer laps totaling 5 kilometers.
Athletes can race the courses early at World Triathlon's T50 Triathlon World Tour event in Venice, July 16-18, 2027\. LA28 will use that event to assess course performance and operational readiness, working with World Triathlon and other stakeholders.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMC Planetarium's October Shows Feature Exoplanets, Stars and Stellar Navigation
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-planetariums-october-shows-feature-exoplanets-stars-and-stellar-navigation/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T18:59:00.000Z
The Santa Monica College Planetarium will present live-hosted shows on Friday evenings in October, with a Sunday Family Matinée on Oct. 11\. Programs include "The Night Sky Show" and feature presentations on exoplanets, the life cycles of stars, and how ancient and modern navigators use the night sky to travel without GPS.
Each show runs about 40 minutes and includes a short audience Q&A with Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent.
Friday shows begin at 6 p.m. with "The Night Sky Show," presenting the latest news in astronomy and space exploration, followed at 7 p.m. by the feature program. Sunday matinée shows begin at 1 p.m., followed by a feature program at 2 p.m. No children under age 3 are permitted at Friday evening shows.
"The Night Sky Show," which uses SMC's 4K Digistar projection system for a virtual tour of the constellations, runs Friday, Oct. 9; Sunday, Oct. 11; and Fridays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30.
"Deep Sky Deep Dive: Understanding Exoplanets" explores where exoplanets have been found, how they form and what they reveal about Earth's origin. More than 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed since the first in 1992\. It shows Friday, Oct. 9, and Sunday, Oct. 11.
"Astro Intro: Stars" examines where stars come from, what happens inside them and how they die. It shows Fridays, Oct. 16 and 23.
"Stellar Navigation (for the Zombie Apocalypse)" explains how ancient navigators crossed oceans without GPS. It shows Friday, Oct. 30.
All shows are in Room MSB 126 of the Mathematics + Science Building on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. Free parking is available.
Tickets are available at[ ](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/tickets](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com), with a $1 per-ticket service fee, and are not sold at the door. "The Night Sky Show" and the feature program are each $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-12\. A combo ticket is $16 for adults and $10 for children.
More information is available at[ ](http://smc.edu/planetarium?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/planetarium](http://smc.edu/planetarium?ref=smdp.com) or by calling 310-434-4163\. All shows are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Officials identify man who killed wife, then himself, in Pico Boulevard home
URL: https://www.smdp.com/officials-identify-man-who-killed-wife-then-himself-in-pico-boulevard-home/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T19:24:43.000Z
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has identified the Santa Monica couple found dead Saturday inside a home in the 3100 block of Pico Boulevard as Nicole Rabitzsch, 47, and Hendrik Rabitzsch, 48, ruling her death a homicide and his a suicide.
Both died of gunshot wounds to the head, according to the medical examiner.
Santa Monica police said Hendrik Rabitzsch fatally shot his wife before taking his own life. Detectives determined the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide that occurred at about 6:42 a.m. Saturday, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
Officers had gone to the residence Saturday to conduct a welfare check. They entered and found the couple dead, police said. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
No one else is believed to have been involved, police said. Authorities described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the SMPD watch commander, available 24 hours a day, at 310-458-8427.
The incident is the second murder-suicide for the city this year.
Jeremy Ferguson, director of operations and placemaking for Downtown Santa Monica Inc., and his wife, Mandy Zelinka, were found dead of gunshot wounds in April in their Venice home, according to the LAPD.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988\. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 800-799-7233.
### Police arrest 1, cite 2 in narcotics operation near downtown train platform
URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-arrest-1-cite-2-in-narcotics-operation-near-downtown-train-platform/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T16:00:06.000Z
The Santa Monica Police Department's Community Impact Team conducted a focused narcotics operation near the train platform in the 1500 block of Fourth Street, responding to increased livability concerns and information about drug activity in the area.
Using SMART Center camera resources, personnel observed suspected hand-to-hand drug sales and directed uniformed officers to the people involved.
One person was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale after officers recovered suspected methamphetamine, fentanyl and various pills.
Two others were cited for possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
The department said it continues to address neighborhood concerns through focused enforcement, supported by SMART Center resources that help personnel coordinate with officers in the field.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Tilting California voters toward raising local taxes often involves tricks, manipulation
URL: https://www.smdp.com/tilting-california-voters-toward-raising-local-taxes-often-involves-tricks-manipulation/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T16:00:07.000Z
California’s Nov. 3 ballot contains 14 statewide ballot measures and five of them pertain to taxes, including the much-debated[ ](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-40-billionaire-tax/?ref=smdp.com)[Proposition 40](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-40-billionaire-tax/?ref=smdp.com), which would tax the wealth of the state’s billionaires.
Meanwhile, local ballots are also heavily loaded with measures that would either raise taxes to benefit school districts or local governments or authorize the issuance of bonds that require new taxes to repay.
The[ ](https://caltax.org/news-release/california-voters-will-see-273-tax-increases-on-local-ballots-in-november/?ref=smdp.com)[California Taxpayers Association](https://caltax.org/news-release/california-voters-will-see-273-tax-increases-on-local-ballots-in-november/?ref=smdp.com) has counted 273 such measures that, if all passed, would levy $3 billion a year in direct taxes on retail sales and property, and sanction $19.5 billion in bonds, with interest costs of more than $1 billion a year.
The largest tax measure asks voters in San Francisco and four other counties to hike sales taxes by nearly $1 billion a year to bolster public transit services.
In the last decade, a flurry of local sales tax measures has[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/08/local-governments-tax-increases-california/?ref=smdp.com)[raised rates to over 11%](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/08/local-governments-tax-increases-california/?ref=smdp.com) in some jurisdictions. The biennial deluge of local tax and bond measures draws heavy campaign spending by proponents and opponents and[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/04/a-crackdown-on-misuse-of-taxpayer-money?ref=smdp.com)[some questionable gamesmanship by the local agencies](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/04/a-crackdown-on-misuse-of-taxpayer-money?ref=smdp.com) that propose them.
Under the guise of “information,” it’s not unusual for them to spend taxpayer money on brochures and other forms of communication that approach out-and-out advocacy, often hiring professional campaign consultants to prepare the materials and otherwise use techniques that tout the supposed benefits that taxes or bonds will provide.
If it crosses the line, an “information” campaign violates[ ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=54964&ref=smdp.com)[a state law](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=54964&ref=smdp.com) that declares, “An officer, employee, or consultant of a local agency may not expend or authorize the expenditure of any of the funds of the local agency to support or oppose the approval or rejection of a ballot measure, or the election or defeat of a candidate, by the voters.”
However, prosecutions for violation are as rare as the proverbial hen’s teeth, although the Fair Political Practices Commission[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/01/finally-a-crackdown-on-misuse-of-taxpayer-money/?ref=smdp.com)[does crack down](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/01/finally-a-crackdown-on-misuse-of-taxpayer-money/?ref=smdp.com) when instances are brought to its attention.
Another technique officialdom uses to tilt tax elections in its favor is to pretend that ballot measures are not, in fact, tax increases.
Last month, the state Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s finding in Riverside County that the Hemet Unified School District misleadingly[ ](https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/E089131.PDF?ref=smdp.com)[declared in the language of a $225 million bond issue](https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/E089131.PDF?ref=smdp.com) that it would not raise taxes. The declaration hinged on the new measure continuing property taxes that had been collected for a previous ballot measure, but both courts rejected that rationale and ordered that the language be altered.
“While the full text of the measure may accurately explain the true nature of Measure I,” the appellate court ruled, “the term ‘no-tax-rate-increase,’ on its face, connotes such a conclusive meaning, that voters are likely to find it unnecessary to read the full ballot materials, erroneously believing that ‘no-tax-rate-increase’ has the plain meaning their tax burden will not increase.
“The impact of such terms in ballot titles and questions has previously been addressed and found impermissible where the terms constitute advocacy or partiality … Replacing ‘no-tax-rate-increase’ with ‘rate-extension’ would be accurate, neutral, and does not mislead voters into believing their tax burden will not increase.”
It’s also noteworthy that Hemet Unified’s board of trustees voted on Aug. 12 to place the bond issue on the November ballot but gave the public just five days to submit arguments on the issue. Compressing the time for opponents to respond is another common technique employed to tilt the game.
Tricking voters is election fraud as onerous as stuffing ballot boxes. Unfortunately, while officials may be a bit embarrassed if caught, such behavior does not invalidate a ballot measure that voters pass.
It should.
\_\_\_\_\_
By Dan Walters
### Malibu declares citywide emergency ahead of forecast historic El Niño
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-citywide-emergency-ahead-of-forecast-historic-el-nino/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T16:00:14.000Z
The Malibu City Council unanimously declared a citywide local emergency Monday ahead of what forecasters say could be the strongest El Niño since 1950, while warning residents that the city will not pay to protect their homes.
The declaration lets the city speed up purchasing and permitting and coordinate aid from county, state and federal agencies. But City Manager Joseph Irvin said it does not extend to private property.
"We do not have the resources or the legal authority to go perform work on private property," Irvin said.
On Sept. 10, the [National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/?ref=smdp.com) put the chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter at greater than 90%, with a 75% chance of a historic event exceeding every El Niño since 1950\. Such conditions have historically brought intense rainstorms, mudslides, landslides, storm surges, coastal erosion and flooding.
The item originally called for a declaration covering only the Serra Retreat neighborhood, where residents fear flooding from Malibu Creek. Staff instead recommended a citywide declaration, citing Gov. Gavin Newsom's Sept. 21 statewide emergency proclamation and similar declarations by Long Beach and Laguna Beach.
Councilmember Haylynn Conrad, who made the motion, said she did not want to single out one area.
"I feel like everywhere in Malibu is a bit of emergency," Conrad said.
The council amended the resolution to say El Niño could harm "any and every part of Malibu," which it described as a rural coastal city with more than 20 miles of coastline, streams, creeks and steep slopes. At Councilmember Marianne Riggins' request, it also added language singling out slopes burned in the Palisades and Franklin fires.
"The entire city is in danger," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. "We don't know where it's going to be, but it could be anywhere."
Storms have already damaged the coastline this year. On Sept. 8, coastal erosion opened a sinkhole on Sea Level Drive. Seven nearby homes were red-tagged because of the hazard, and 24 more lost safe vehicle access. Hurricane Genevieve, which affected Malibu from July 25 to July 30, caused 8 feet of erosion and a partial embankment failure at Westward Beach Road. Staff reported in August that inspections of 320 beachfront parcels left 23 red-tagged as unsafe.
Irvin said one of the city's first moves under the declaration could be shoring up Westward Beach Road, working with Los Angeles County beach and harbor officials and the office of county Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. Councilmember Doug Stewart noted it is a city road and probably the only one in Malibu that fronts the beach.
Irvin said the city is still recovering from the [Palisades Fire](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-receives-palisades-fire-review-as-evacuation-study-awaits-contract/) and is waiting on $28 million in FEMA reimbursement. He recommended the city "pause" before considering any agreement to pay for work on private property.
"We're one disaster away with our reserve funds, and we may very well find this to be the disaster," Stewart said.
"It's not the city's job," Silverstein said. "In fact, it may be unlawful for the city to be providing the funding."
Interim City Attorney Trevor Rusin said the declaration does not make the city responsible for protecting private homes. "It just empowers the city to be able to take certain actions to address an emergency situation," he said.
In Serra Retreat, heavy rains in February 2025 caused flooding and mudslides and left boulders blocking roads. The Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued three residents, including one trapped by a mudslide. Six property owners in the neighborhood own parcels along the creek, and California State Parks owns neighboring land.
Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave approval for work to start within a day of her request. "The federal government is already helping us out," she said. She said Fish and Wildlife officials were setting up a meeting and that she planned to contact State Parks.
Stewart said clearing only the private parcels would push the problem farther downstream.
"It doesn't do us any good to get a set of plans if nobody's got the money to engage the D9 bulldozer," he said.
Irvin said he has been talking with the governor's office about using Proposition 4 deferred maintenance funds for State Parks projects.
He urged homeowners to inspect their property, clear gutters and drains, prepare evacuation plans and, along the coast, hire a qualified engineer.
"The time to prepare is now, not when the storm is approaching," Irvin said.
Riggins urged residents to check their insurance, saying, "We're a disaster-prone area."
The city scheduled a preparedness workshop for Tuesday afternoon and said it would be recorded and posted for later viewing. The emergency remains in effect until the council ends it, and the council must review it at least every 60 days.
### Property Brothers Star Drew Scott Honored at Heal the Bay Gala
URL: https://www.smdp.com/property-brothers-star-drew-scott-honored-at-heal-the-bay-gala/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T18:52:00.000Z
Heal the Bay brought hundreds of civic leaders, scientists and entertainment figures to the sand at the Jonathan Club on Thursday night for its 2026 Bring Back the Beach Gala, the nonprofit's largest fundraiser of the year.
"Property Brothers" star Drew Scott received the evening's top honor. "It's not the Heal the Bay shirt that gets the attention. If anybody else has the Heal the Bay Speedo, that really gets the name out" Scott said.
"I've known Heal the Bay for many years. I really love what they do."
Scott was recognized for using his platform in entertainment and real estate to promote more sustainable homes and communities.
SMDP Photo
The award was presented by Heal the Bay's CEO, Tracy Quinn, who was just named one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Leaders of Influence: Nonprofit & Philanthropy 2026."
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park was among the guests, along with Rep. Laura Friedman, Coastal Commissioners Annie Notthoff and Jaime Lee and David Nahai of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Founded in 1985 by Dorothy Green and a group of Santa Monica Bay residents, [Heal the Bay](https://healthebay.org/?ref=smdp.com) has grown into the region's largest coastal watchdog. Heal the Bay scientists test water quality and publish the weekly Beach Report Card, which grades more than 500 beaches along the West Coast and gives swimmers and surfers a way to check conditions before they go in.
Heal the Bay also runs the Heal the Bay Aquarium under the Santa Monica Pier, coordinates volunteer beach cleanups across Los Angeles County and beyond, and continues to push for limits on single-use plastics, including cigarette butts.
Also at the gala was a surfboard built from recycled materials collected at California beach cleanups. The material is the most littered item in the world: cigarette butts.
Three surfboards, the subject of a new documentary called [The Cigarette Surfboard](https://www.smdp.com/surfboard-made-from-10-000-cigarette-butts-with-santa-monica-roots-gets-online-premiere/), were on display as part of a silent auction. The starting price for one surfboard was $25,000.
Heal the Bay set a fundraising goal of $1 million for the night. The final total will be announced in the coming days.
The evening, produced by NAMEVENTS, included dinner, live and silent auctions and a screening of a Heal the Bay impact film.
### Things To Do This October in Santa Monica / The Westside
URL: https://www.smdp.com/things-to-do-this-october-in-santa-monica-the-westside/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T20:06:32.000Z
We’ve found the best pumpkin patches and trick-or-treating spots this spooky season. For nights without the kiddos, enjoy beer and brats at the Bungalow’s Oktoberfest or party at the Pier’s first two-day music festival.
Here is what is happening, when, and how to get in.
### **FEATURED: Oktoberfest at the Fairmont Miramar**
**When:** Thursday, Oct. 8 to Saturday, Oct. 10, 5 to 10 p.m. **Where:** The Bungalow, Fairmont Miramar, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica **Cost:** Free entry, all ages. RSVP through Eventbrite. Food and drinks sold separately.
The Miramar turns the front drive at The Bungalow into a three-night Oktoberfest, with German beer and food a block from the ocean.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar/?ref=smdp.com)[fairmont-miramar.com](https://www.fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar/?ref=smdp.com)
### **Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in Culver City**
**When:** Oct. 2 to 31\. Hours vary by date; most weekdays run 10 a.m. to 9 p.m **Where:** 10100 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City **Cost:** $10 to $25 depending on date and time slot. Kids under 3 are free.
The Westside's biggest pumpkin patch opens Oct. 2 and runs through Halloween. Tickets are sold by time slot, and prices peak on the weekends of Oct. 17 to 18 and 24 to 25\. Book ahead for those dates.
**More info:**[ ](https://mrbonespumpkinpatch.com/admissions/?ref=smdp.com)[mrbonespumpkinpatch.com](https://mrbonespumpkinpatch.com/admissions/?ref=smdp.com)
Photo Credit: SMDP
### **Montana Avenue Art Walk**
**When:** Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. **Where:** Montana Avenue, Santa Monica **Cost:** Free, all ages, no RSVP required
Montana Avenue closes to cars for an art walk celebrating 100 years of Route 66\. The event is an official Route 66 Centennial celebration, organized by The Venice Fest.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com)[montanaave.com](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com)
### **Pier Play Festival at the Santa Monica Pier**
**When:** Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4, 2:30 to 10:30 p.m **Where:** Santa Monica Pier **Cost:** Ticketed, 21+. General admission and VIP tables available. No refunds.
After four sold-out single-day editions, the RASA dance music festival expands to two days on an oceanside stage at the Pier. The lineup includes Monolink, Claptone, MEDUZA, Mind Against, Kaz James and LP Giobbi.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pier-play-returns-to-the-santa-monica-pier-for-an-expanded-2-day-immersive-tickets-1992395052235?ref=smdp.com)[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pier-play-returns-to-the-santa-monica-pier-for-an-expanded-2-day-immersive-tickets-1992395052235?ref=smdp.com)
Courtesy
### **Continuum at Historic Belmar Park**
**When**: Sunday, Oct. 11, noon to 5 p.m. **Where**: Historic Belmar Park, 1840 4th St., Santa Monica **Cost**: Free, all ages. Optional RSVP on Eventbrite.
Continuum honors the history of Belmar, the Black neighborhood that stood where the Civic Center is today, and Black Santa Monica. The afternoon includes conversations with Sam Sanders, a set from KCRW's DJ Tyler "Boogie" Boudreaux, and live music from Katalyst Collective, Songs With Strings and Cure For Paranoia. There's also a vendor village from Black Market Flea, work by artist April Banks, and hands-on art-making. The City of Santa Monica and GV Black present the event.
More info:[ continuumfest.com](https://www.continuumfest.com/?ref=smdp.com)
Photo Credit: SMDP
### **Locals' Night at the Santa Monica Pier**
**When:** Thursday, Oct. 15 **Where:** Santa Monica Pier **Cost:** Free
Locals' Night returns on the third Thursday of every month from September through May. Santa Monica residents get deals from Pier businesses and Pacific Park.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.santamonicapier.org/happenings?ref=smdp.com)[santamonicapier.org](https://www.santamonicapier.org/happenings?ref=smdp.com)
### **Main Street Block Party + Day of the Dog**
**When:** Sunday, Oct. 18, noon to 6 p.m **Where:** Main Street, Santa Monica **Cost:** Free. The $10 "Tito's Paws for a Cause" pet photo booth is optional.
Main Street goes car-free for a block party built around dogs. Expect live music and DJs, drinks to-go, local vendors, a Halloween pet photo booth, and a Kids Corner with pumpkin decorating and face painting. Eight dollars from every photo booth ticket goes to the Santa Monica Animal Shelter Foundation.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/main-street-block-party-day-of-the-dog-tickets-2000317084246?ref=smdp.com)[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/main-street-block-party-day-of-the-dog-tickets-2000317084246?ref=smdp.com)
### **Eric Idle and "Weird Al" Yankovic at John Adams Middle School**
**When:** Thursday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. **Where:** John Adams Middle School Performing Arts Center, 2425 16th St., Santa Monica **Cost:** Ticketed, with book bundles available. No refunds or exchanges.
Monty Python co-founder Eric Idle and "Weird Al" Yankovic sit down for a conversation, then play together with their band. Idle will discuss his new book, "Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme." Writers Bloc Presents hosts the event and asks buyers to avoid resale sites.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eric-idle-and-weird-al-yankovic-in-conversation-and-in-concert-tickets-1993431039902?ref=smdp.com)[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eric-idle-and-weird-al-yankovic-in-conversation-and-in-concert-tickets-1993431039902?ref=smdp.com)
Photo Credit: SMDP
### **LA Times Food Bowl at Barker Hangar**
**When:** Friday, Oct. 23, 7 to 10 p.m. (VIP from 6 p.m.) and Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 to 9 p.m. (VIP from 5 p.m.) **Where:** Barker Hangar, 3021 Airport Ave., Santa Monica **Cost:** Ticketed, 21+. All food and drinks included. Parking sold separately.
The Los Angeles Times brings its Food Bowl to Santa Monica Airport for two nights with more than 40 restaurants. Friday is a live countdown of the paper's 101 Best Restaurants list. Saturday is "Saturday Night Flavor," with chef demos and book signings.
**More info:**[ Tixr](https://www.tixr.com/groups/latimes/events/l-a-times-food-bowl-2026-195029?ref=smdp.com)
### **Walter Mosley at Miles Playhouse**
**When:** Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6 to 8 p.m. **Where:** Miles Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica **Cost:** Free
Walter Mosley discusses "Hanging & Burning," the fourth novel in his King Oliver series, with former NFL player Andre Hardy, whose debut crime novel is "Tear the City Down." A book sale and signing follow.
**More info:**[ ](https://smpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a9a2dbabe148200298c67de?ref=smdp.com)[smpl.org](https://smpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a9a2dbabe148200298c67de?ref=smdp.com)
### **Halloween on Montana Avenue and in Downtown Santa Monica**
**When:** Saturday, Oct. 31 **Where:** Montana Avenue and Downtown Santa Monica **Cost:** Free
Montana Avenue's Halloween Hop and Downtown Santa Monica's Trick-or-Treat have both run every Halloween afternoon, traditionally from 3 to 6 p.m., with shops handing out candy to kids in costume.
**More info:**[ ](https://www.montanaave.com/events?ref=smdp.com)[montanaave.com](https://www.montanaave.com/events?ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://www.downtownsm.com/?ref=smdp.com)[downtownsm.com](http://downtownsm.com/?ref=smdp.com)
Want your event featured? Reach out to **ads@smdp.com**
### Community Collective Builders Breakfast Brings Leaders Together Around Santa Monica's Future with Big Events and Tourism
URL: https://www.smdp.com/community-collective-builders-breakfast-brings-leaders-together-around-santa-monicas-future-with-big-events-and-tourism/
Last updated: 2026-09-30T09:59:59.000Z
With the Super Bowl approaching, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon and a growing calendar of cultural and tourism activations, Santa Monica leaders say the city has an opportunity to turn major events into lasting economic momentum. That was the focus of the second Builders Breakfast, convened by Community Collective Association at 1212 Santa Monica yesterday. The gathering brought together city, tourism, downtown, entertainment and business leaders to discuss Santa Monica’s economic renaissance and how the city can capitalize on global events coming to the Los Angeles region.
Mayor Caroline Torosis opened the gathering by pointing to a broader shift underway at City Hall moving Santa Monica from what she described as a “culture of yes,” in an effort to bring in new business and opportunity. “We are trying to move from a culture of no to a culture of yes,” Torosis said. “That does not mean saying yes to everything. It means finding a way to make good ideas work.”
The city’s Realignment Plan, adopted last year, represents a $60 million investment over 24 months in safety, cleanliness, economic development and activation. Torosis said the effort has already generated $29 million in new programmatic revenue, while crime has declined 12.5%. The Santa Monica Police Department is fully staffed for the first time in two decades, libraries have reopened, permit processing has improved and the city has created a $3 million tenant improvement fund aimed at helping fill large vacant commercial spaces.
Seventeen new businesses are committed to opening and seven housing projects are moving through the pipeline, Torosis said. The city is publishing its progress through a public Santa Monica Scorecard. “We want residents and businesses to be able to see the progress we are making,” Torosis said. “Accountability is part of building confidence in the city.”
Those changes come as Santa Monica prepares for a concentrated period of major events. The city hosted public FIFA World Cup viewing events this summer and is now preparing for Super Bowl-related programming with ESPN expected to broadcast live from the Santa Monica Pier. Planning for LA28 is also accelerating, including efforts to position Santa Monica as a destination for national hospitality houses.
Toru Toyokawa, general manager of 1212 Santa Monica, discussed the opportunity major global events present for local restaurants, hospitality businesses and gathering places throughout the city. With Santa Monica’s location, amenities and international profile, businesses have an opportunity to introduce new visitors to the city while giving residents and regional visitors more reasons to experience Santa Monica throughout the year. “These are the kinds of opportunities that can bring global attention to Santa Monica,” Toyokawa said. “We want to make sure that attention creates benefits for our residents, our businesses and our local economy.”
Downtown Santa Monica is already seeing signs of renewed growth. Debbie Lee, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., said visitation, spending, dwell time and transactions have all recorded double-digit year-over-year gains, while the Third Street Promenade is approximately 80% leased. “We are seeing people come back, and they are staying longer and spending more,” Lee said. “That gives us a strong foundation, but we still have work to do.”
Lee said the goal is not simply to attract crowds for marquee weekends. Downtown’s strategy is increasingly focused on turning major events into reasons for visitors and residents to return on ordinary days as well. “We cannot measure success only by how many people show up for one big weekend,” Lee said. “The real opportunity is to give people a reason to come back on a Tuesday, a Wednesday or a month later.”
That requires both programming and fundamentals from clean streets, security, outreach services and an environment where businesses can succeed. “Events get people’s attention, but the everyday experience determines whether they return,” Lee said. “Cleanliness, safety and a welcoming public realm are economic development tools.”
Tourism remains another critical piece of Santa Monica’s sustainable economic growth. Misti Kerns, president and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, emphasized the importance of strengthening positive perceptions of the city while continuing to attract international travelers, historically among Santa Monica’s most valuable visitors because they stay longer and spend more than day visitors. “Santa Monica has an incredibly strong global brand, but we have to continue telling the story of what is happening here now,” Kerns said. “We need visitors to see Santa Monica not only as an iconic destination, but as a place that is active, welcoming and worth returning to.”
At the same time, domestic markets have become increasingly important. Los Angeles-area visitors account for a significant portion of downtown spending, while New York, Texas and Chicago remain strong feeder markets. “We are focused on both international and domestic visitors,” Kerns said. “The regional visitor is especially important because they can come back again and again, not just once during a major trip.”
Film production is also contributing to the city’s economic activity, with more than $1 million in film-related fees generated for Santa Monica so far this year.
The next wave of activation will extend beyond sports. Meghan Isgett-Foster, head of special projects at Fever, discussed plans for a Swiss Winter holiday village on the Santa Monica Pier running from mid-November into early January. The concept is designed to combine the atmosphere of a traditional European Christmas market with Santa Monica businesses and the city’s coastal identity. “We want to create something that feels transportive while still being distinctly Santa Monica,” Isgett-Foster said. “The goal is to give people a reason to visit the Pier, stay longer and experience the businesses and attractions around it.”
Hawke Fest is also returning to the Pier, bringing an estimated 1,500 attendees around a “Renaissance” theme celebrating disruptive brands and entrepreneurship. LA Tech Week will offer another opportunity to bring founders, investors and technology companies into the city this fall.
Jeeyan Rostam-Abadi, EVP of Growth, Hawke Media brought the conversation down to the individual business level, outlining a three-stage strategy for turning major-event traffic into longer-term customers: capture visitor intent before an event, convert that interest while visitors are in Santa Monica and continue the relationship after they leave. His message was straightforward: major events can deliver the audience, but businesses still have to deliver the experience. That means making it easy for visitors to discover and choose a business before arriving, reaching them with relevant information while they are nearby, and creating a reason for them to return.
The point reinforced a larger theme of the morning: Santa Monica’s opportunity is not simply to attract crowds for the Super Bowl, LA28 or the next major activation, but to convert those moments of heightened attention into sustained economic activity.
“These events create a bridge between culture, business and place,” Isgett-Foster said. “They bring different audiences into Santa Monica and give local businesses an opportunity to be part of the experience.”
The city has also committed to bringing back Goldenvoice’s Oceanway music festival next year, while additional major sports activations are being developed ahead of LA28.
Moderated by Community Collective Managing Partner and COO Ben Reiss, the conversation repeatedly returned to one idea: large-scale events matter most when their impact extends beyond the event itself. “The opportunity is bigger than any single event,” Reiss said. “The question is how we turn this unprecedented global attention into long-term value for our businesses and communities.”
Reiss said collaboration will be essential to making that happen. “No one organization can do this alone,” Reiss said. “The city, businesses, tourism leaders, cultural institutions and residents all have a role in shaping what visitors experience and what remains after they leave.”
Panelists discussed a three-stage playbook for local businesses: prepare before major events by ensuring listings, menus, reservations and digital information are current; convert visitors during events through timely and geographically relevant offers; and retain those customers afterward through email, loyalty programs and social media. “The businesses that prepare early will be in the best position to benefit,” Kerns said. “Visitors are planning digitally, and they want to know where to go, what is open and what experiences are available before they arrive.”
The underlying message was that marketing alone is not enough. The experience visitors encounter from clean streets to restaurant service to cultural programming determines their return. “Promotion can get someone through the door, but the experience is what earns the second visit,” Lee said.
For Community Collective Association, which convened the Builders Breakfast, that intersection is precisely the point. The breakfast was created to bring people who often work in parallel from government officials, business leaders, tourism executives, cultural organizations, entrepreneurs and community builders into the same room to identify opportunities for collaboration. “We are trying to create the connective tissue between people who are already doing important work,” Reiss said. “When those conversations happen in the same room, new partnerships and new ideas become possible.”
The Santa Monica gathering is part of a growing regional series. Community Collective will continue the conversation during LA Tech Week in October, followed by an Oct. 21 gathering in Long Beach focused on the region’s Olympic opportunity, in partnership with the California State Treasurer’s Office and featuring State Treasurer Fiona Ma and LAEDC President and CEO Stephen Cheung. On Oct. 29, the organization will return to Gensler for the second installment of its “Revitalizing DTLA” series, focused on the future of downtown Los Angeles.
Community Collective's monthly events are focused on connecting conversations around economic development, culture, tourism and major events across Southern California.
As Santa Monica prepares for the Super Bowl, future sports activations and ultimately LA28, the question is shifting from whether major events will bring people to the region to how Santa Monica converts those moments into sustained economic and cultural value. The answer emerging from the second Builders Breakfast was less about any single event than the ecosystem surrounding it: safer and cleaner public spaces, easier permitting, stronger businesses, compelling cultural programming, coordinated tourism marketing and partnerships capable of extending a few days of global attention into years of sustainable economic growth. Rather than a story of recovery, the conversation reflected a city increasingly focused on what comes next, and how Santa Monica can turn its renewed momentum into an economic and cultural renaissance.
### California adds post-production tax credit, shores up film and TV incentives
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-adds-post-production-tax-credit-shores-up-film-and-tv-incentives/
Last updated: 2026-09-29T18:58:59.000Z
California's film and television industry has[ ](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-expands-film-and-tv-tax-credits-with-new-legislation-creates-tax-credit-to-support-post-production-jobs/?ref=smdp.com)[received two additional lines of support](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-expands-film-and-tv-tax-credits-with-new-legislation-creates-tax-credit-to-support-post-production-jobs/?ref=smdp.com). One will establish a new tax credit for post-production jobs. The other will stabilize the state's recently[ ](https://sd24.senate.ca.gov/keeping-hollywood-california?ref=smdp.com)[modernized Film & TV Tax Credit Program](https://sd24.senate.ca.gov/keeping-hollywood-california?ref=smdp.com).
State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Hollywood, co-authored[ ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB2319&ref=smdp.com)[AB 2319](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB2319&ref=smdp.com), which was authored by Schultz. Allen also helped lead the effort on[ ](https://sd24.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/proposal-introduced-protect-film-television-jobs-california?ref=smdp.com)[SB 186](https://sd24.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/proposal-introduced-protect-film-television-jobs-california?ref=smdp.com).
"While runaway production had caused a lot of distress across the state, we've made good progress in restoring these jobs in California since expanding our tax credit program last year," Allen said. "Now, we're committed to building on and protecting these successes that are supporting tens of thousands of working families."
The[ ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1138&ref=smdp.com)[Film & Television Jobs Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1138&ref=smdp.com), by Allen and Assemblymember Zbur, was enacted in 2025\. Since then, 170 projects have chosen to film in California. Those projects created nearly 35,000 cast and crew jobs and generated $6.6 billion in economic activity.
AB 2319 creates a tax credit for post-production work, including picture editorial, sound, music, visual effects and finishing.
SB 186 exempts independent productions from the credit caps set by[ ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB122&ref=smdp.com)[SB 122](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB122&ref=smdp.com). It also protects unused tax credits from expiring early and improves refundability.
"We're beginning to see real signs of progress, but we know there is much more work ahead," said Zbur, D-Hollywood. "SB 186 protects the progress we've made and provides greater stability and certainty for productions deciding where to invest and for the thousands of workers whose livelihoods depend on this industry."
The measures come as Attorney General Rob Bonta[ ](https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-settlement-warner-brosparamount-litigation?ref=smdp.com)[announced a settlement](https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-settlement-warner-brosparamount-litigation?ref=smdp.com) that allows the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger to move forward. The settlement includes guardrails that guarantee a minimum number of releases each year and investments in domestic production and workforce development.
"Even with a settlement in place, we must keep this under a microscope to ensure the typical harmful impacts from megamergers like this are completely mitigated," Allen said.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### League of Women Voters kicks off voting season with student registration drive, candidate forums
URL: https://www.smdp.com/league-of-women-voters-kicks-off-voting-season-with-student-registration-drive-candidate-forums/
Last updated: 2026-09-29T18:58:59.000Z
The League of Women Voters of Santa Monica has launched its 2026 voting season after registering more than 70 students at Santa Monica College.
Building on that momentum, the league returned to campus Sept. 15 for National Voter Registration Day.
Along with its ongoing voter registration work, the league is preparing for its signature election events: a series of nonpartisan candidate forums that give voters direct access to local candidates. Through partnerships with community organizations, the league offers residents across Santa Monica a chance to ask candidates about the issues that affect them most.
The forum schedule:
Sept. 29, 6:30-8 p.m.: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education candidates, in partnership with the Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council.
Oct. 2, 6:30-8 p.m.: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education candidates, co-sponsored by the city of Santa Monica. Livestreamed at[ ](https://youtube.com/live/0MMCQjLVaw8?feature=share&ref=smdp.com)[https://youtube.com/live/0MMCQjLVaw8?feature=share](https://youtube.com/live/0MMCQjLVaw8?feature=share&ref=smdp.com)
Oct. 2, 8:15-9 p.m.: Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees candidates, co-sponsored by the city of Santa Monica. Livestreamed at[ ](https://www.youtube.com/live/E%5F6IoUSsX44?ref=smdp.com)[https://www.youtube.com/live/E\_6IoUSsX44](https://www.youtube.com/live/E%5F6IoUSsX44?ref=smdp.com)
Oct. 4, 6:30-8 p.m.: Santa Monica City Council candidates, in partnership with the Committee for Racial Justice.
Oct. 9, 6:30-8 p.m.: Santa Monica City Council candidates, co-sponsored by the city of Santa Monica. Livestreamed at[ ](https://youtube.com/live/ZWENIlCYgJQ?feature=share&ref=smdp.com)[https://youtube.com/live/ZWENIlCYgJQ?feature=share](https://youtube.com/live/ZWENIlCYgJQ?feature=share&ref=smdp.com)
Oct. 9, 8:15-9 p.m.: Santa Monica Rent Control Board candidates, co-sponsored by the city of Santa Monica. Livestreamed at[ ](https://youtube.com/live/BddBvlh4xuw?feature=share&ref=smdp.com)[https://youtube.com/live/BddBvlh4xuw?feature=share](https://youtube.com/live/BddBvlh4xuw?feature=share&ref=smdp.com)
Oct. 14, 6:30-9 p.m.: City Council and Rent Control Board candidates, in partnership with the Community Corporation of Santa Monica.
Voters may submit questions for the forums in advance by emailing voterservice@lwvsantamonica.org.
For nonpartisan election information, including details on local ballot measures, voter registration tools and candidate comparisons, the league encourages residents to visit its online election guide at[ ](https://www.vote411.org/?ref=smdp.com)[www.Vote411.org](https://www.vote411.org/?ref=smdp.com).
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica accepts $1 million Annenberg grant to widen access to Beach House
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-accepts-1-million-annenberg-grant-to-widen-access-to-beach-house/
Last updated: 2026-09-29T15:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday accepted a $1 million grant from the Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation that officials say will create opportunities in the first year for about 2,700 people who have not been visiting the Annenberg Community Beach House.
The [council](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-receives-palisades-fire-review-as-evacuation-study-awaits-contract/) voted 6-0 to accept the three-year grant, the foundation's first gift to the city-run beachfront facility. Mayor Caroline Torosis moved the item, and Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya seconded it.
"You all do amazing work, and thank you for finding this money and doing even more amazing work," Torosis told Recreation and Arts Department staff before the vote.
The money will be distributed evenly over three years and requires no local match, according to a staff report. It will fund programs and operations not included in the city's 2026-27 budget request.
Sofia Klatzker, the city's cultural affairs manager, said her team was asked to think about what increasing access would look like programmatically.
"We had to define what access includes and how we increase it, and determined that access must address financial, physical, social, cultural, and informational outreach all at once," Klatzker said. "In order to meaningfully increase access, we must first remove barriers, build deeper and broader partnerships, and expand opportunities once visitors are on site."
About $333,000 is set aside for the first year. A third will go to major public events and a third to new programming and administration. The final third goes to community-based organizations to decide "what they need most," Klatzker said.
City projections estimate first-year reach at 1,200 major-event participants, 480 community-organization participants and 245 new free-program participants, plus 805 passes, validations and class vouchers.
"We've been living and growing Wallis' vision for the Beach House since we opened in 2009," said Nan Friedman, the Beach House venue manager. "This grant allows us to expand on that vision."
She described that vision as one in which people "from all walks of life" have "an accessible place to make memories, experience joy and community, and to feel a sense of belonging."
The plan calls for three or four large public events a year, each drawing an estimated 250 to 400 people. Friedman said staff is exploring an all-ages night sky event with the Los Angeles Astronomical Society.
Community organizations will also design 12 events a year, each serving 30 to 90 people. The events will come with help covering transportation, food, accessibility, language and planning.
"This could range from bringing communities to the beach for the very first time, it could be offering water acclimation education, art making workshops, wellness experiences, and recreational activities," Friedman said.
The city will also add seven free public programs in arts and culture, wellness, environmental education and water safety, plus $5,000 in vouchers for existing Beach House classes.
"We're exploring both one-off workshops and new classes," Friedman said, adding that class series could include singing, drumming, writing, mindfulness and "recreational fun."
Asked when the programs would begin, Klatzker said, "We've already started the thinking and planning, so we think that they could be up and running in the next quarter."
Torosis also asked about reaching people outside Santa Monica.
"There are people that live in L.A. County that have never been to the beach," she said.
Klatzker said Friedman has been calling nonprofit partners, starting with LA Commons. She said Karen Mack has deep ties to Mid City and Leimert Park. Klatzker said Mack also has connections to nonprofits and Olympics-related cultural planning that can help bring people from across the region.
Torosis noted past work with the Black Surfers Collective through Golden Voice and said she hoped staff would engage the group.
"They also have a great reach of bringing youth to the water," she said.
The foundation announced a $10 million gift on Sept. 11, 2025, for signature initiatives reflecting its late founder's vision and named the Beach House a recipient. It approved the city's first-year proposal Aug. 25, according to the staff report.
The Beach House occupies a five-acre parcel of Santa Monica State Beach that William Randolph Hearst developed for actress Marion Davies in the 1920s. The site later became a luxury hotel and then a private beach club. The city opened it to the public April 25, 2009, in partnership with the [Annenberg Foundation](https://annenberg.org/?ref=smdp.com) and California State Parks.
"From a private residence to now," Torosis said, "the evolution of the Annenberg Beach House has been incredible."
The council also found the action exempt from state environmental review because the grant funds programs and operations rather than physical changes.
### Told he might never run again, disabled Army veteran places at Muscle Beach and races
URL: https://www.smdp.com/told-he-might-never-run-again-disabled-army-veteran-places-at-muscle-beach-and-races/
Last updated: 2026-09-29T20:13:35.000Z
A decade after he was told he might never run again, Anthony D. Bongi spent one week in September pushing his body to two opposite extremes: he placed second in a bodybuilding championship on Muscle Beach, then ran a 20:51 5K just five days later.
Bongi, 46, a 100% permanently and totally disabled U.S. Army veteran who served 23 years, finished second in Men's Physique 40+ at the Muscle Beach Championship at Muscle Beach Venice on Labor Day, Sept. 7\. On Sept. 13, he ran the [Santa Monica Classic](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-classic-draws-more-than-7-600-for-20th-running-sets-charity-records/) 5K in 20 minutes, 51 seconds, finishing fourth in his age group — about three seconds shy of third place.
"I hit my goal of finishing top five in both events, but it was much more difficult than I anticipated," Bongi said.
Combining the two performances in one week, he said, amounted to a physiology experiment.
"I was essentially asking my body to break the rules of human physiology," Bongi said. He pointed to what exercise scientists call the "interference effect" — the idea that the adaptations that build a competition-ready bodybuilder can conflict with those needed to run fast.
To get "shredded" for Muscle Beach, Bongi said, he dropped from roughly 178 pounds to 155, a cut that aggravated old injuries from his military career. "I'm a 100% combat-related disabled veteran with a lot of accumulated injuries, and once I was that depleted, I felt every one of them to the nth degree," he said, joking that he "felt like a shrunken-down old man; something from a Stephen King book."
Then he had five days to reverse course, "rehydrating, taking creatine, eating carbohydrates and, yes, a lot of pizza." He said five days was not enough to fully recover and that he "absolutely felt Muscle Beach resonating" through his body during the race.
The run carried added weight because of where Bongi started. Injuries accumulated over his Army career, which began at West Point, had left him being told about 10 years ago that he would likely never run again. He said he had not run a 5K in roughly a decade and had not done a single outdoor training run before the race.
Crossing the finish line, he said, "it felt normal again."
"For the first time in a really long time, I crossed a finish line actually hurting a little bit — that familiar feeling of really pushing yourself," Bongi said. His first thought, he recalled, was, "Wow, I had so much more left in the tank." He said he never stopped and never walked, unlike in his training runs. "Instead of that finish line feeling like the end of something, it felt like the beginning."
Bongi said he is "content. Not happy," with the result and has already signed up for another 5K on Oct. 17.
The athletic comeback runs parallel to a career one. After retiring from the military and spending years rehabilitating, Bongi moved to Los Angeles to return to acting and modeling, interests he said he pursued in his teens before choosing military service. He said he signed with [Baron Entertainment](https://baronentertainment.com/?ref=smdp.com) for representation after about two and a half months in the city and has worked on five major television productions. He said Muscle & Fitness, Gold's Gym and the Santa Monica Classic have shared his recent content.
Asked what he wanted other disabled veterans to take from the week, Bongi returned to a single word.
"Grit. G-R-I-T. That's what the Army freaking gave me," he said, adding that his service also instilled the Army Values and "the ability to keep functioning when things get extremely difficult."
His message, he said, is simple: "Don't give up. Ever." He urged veterans in particular to draw on their training. "Discipline creates freedom," he said. "Take that same discipline you had in the military and apply it to whatever the next chapter of your life is."
"Your first dream ending doesn't mean you're done," Bongi said. "Go build another one."
As for what is next, he named a goal: to star in a film with Arnold Schwarzenegger — "King Conan. Predator. One. Both. That's the goal."
### Gavito Tango Festival brings the soul of Buenos Aires to Los Angeles
URL: https://www.smdp.com/gavito-tango-festival-brings-the-soul-of-buenos-aires-to-los-angeles/
Last updated: 2026-09-29T10:00:00.000Z
Four-day gathering at the historic Biltmore brings world champions, international dancers, dozens of workshops and a new theatrical production designed to introduce a wider audience to Argentine tango
The Gavito Tango Festival returns to the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel, bringing together dancers, teachers, musicians and tango enthusiasts from across the United States and around the world for an immersive celebration of Argentine tango that stretches from daytime workshops to milongas continuing into the early morning hours.
Organizers Dennis Cante and Tanya Spektor want the festival to be more than a destination for experienced tangueros.
Their larger ambition is to make Argentine tango accessible across generations, nationalities and experience levels from world champions and lifelong social dancers to someone encountering the dance for the first time. “We just want to make a mark by giving back to the community because tango gave both of us a lot on personal and professional levels,” Spektor said. “It’s kind of like paying it forward.”
That philosophy is woven throughout a four-day program expected to draw roughly 600 participants, with attendees traveling from across the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The festival encompasses 34 workshops and 13 milongas, along with traditional tango, alternative and neo-tango, afternoon and outdoor dancing, live music, performances and vendors. On some nights, dancing continues until 5 a.m.
The result is less a single dance event than a temporary international tango community in the heart of Los Angeles.
At its center is an international roster of seven couples selected not simply for technical accomplishment, but to demonstrate the range and evolution of Argentine tango.
The 2026 lineup includes Diego Ortega and Aldana Silveyra, 2025 World Tango de Pista Champions; Javier Rodríguez and Fátima Vitale; Jonny Carvajal and Suyay Quiroga, 2023 World Tango de Pista Champions; Simone Facchini and Gioia Abballe, 2017 World Tango Escenario Vice-Champions; Brenno Marques and Fátima Caracoch, 2024 World Tango de Pista Champions; Martín Vicente and Ayelén Urrutia of Santa Fe, Argentina; and Ricardo Astrada and Constanza Vieyto, 2022 World Tango Escenario Champions.
Together, the couples span Tango Salón, social tango and the more theatrical Tango Escenario, connecting traditions passed down through generations with contemporary interpretations of the dance. “We don’t just randomly put together a lineup,” Spektor said. “Every single couple represents, or the idea is that we always represent different eras of tango.”
The festival attracts different ages, nationalities, backgrounds and approaches to tango. Cante and Spektor said they want someone drawn to traditional social dancing to feel as much at home as someone interested in contemporary or alternative tango.
Artist selection goes beyond trophies and technique as well. Cante said artistic accomplishment is only one consideration. Character, professionalism and what an artist contributes to the broader tango community are equally important. “We look at the couple, we see who they are, what they provide and what kind of career they’ve had. And the second part is the human part.”
While Gavito brings championship-level dancers to Los Angeles, its programming is deliberately structured across experience levels. The festival’s 34 workshops range from fundamental concepts such as walking, connection and musicality to advanced technique and more complex sequences. For developing dancers, it offers the unusual opportunity to learn directly from internationally recognized maestros and then watch those same artists perform hours later.
Experienced dancers can build their days around intensive study and late-night social dancing. Newer dancers can approach the weekend differently, choosing classes appropriate to their level and experiencing tango at their own pace, but participation does not require years of tango training, or any tango training at all.
People can choose workshops, afternoon dancing, outdoor events, traditional evening milongas or alternative and neo-tango programming rather than committing to one prescribed experience. A friend, partner or family member who has never danced can simply come to watch a performance and experience the music, fashion and atmosphere surrounding Argentine tango.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, the festival will premiere “GARUFA: Tango Showtime,” a one-hour theatrical production transforming the Biltmore’s historic Gold Room into a theater.
The production brings the festival’s seven international couples together with featured singer Daniel Bouchet and the Sonder Tango Orchestra for a staged journey through Argentine tango. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the production running from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Unlike a workshop or milonga, GARUFA was created specifically so audiences don't need to understand tango etiquette, know the steps or even own a pair of dance shoes. “The idea behind this production is so people who don’t understand tango can see what it is,” Cante said.
Spektor said the production also provides an entry point for friends, spouses and family members of dancers who have watched tango become an increasingly important part of their loved ones’ lives. “We want them to feel included,” she said. “You can sit and enjoy an hour of high-quality dancers performing and have a storyline.”
GARUFA is separately ticketed and open to the general public, with seating ranging from $75 for bronze to $125 for gold.
That effort to broaden tango’s audience reflects a larger goal for the organizers: preserving the culture while finding new ways for people to enter it.
This year also introduces a community showcase bringing professional U.S.-based couples onto the same festival platform as international maestros. The invitation-only initiative grew out of Cante and Spektor’s local Milonga Gavito community events and is intended to recognize dancers who are investing in and strengthening tango communities in the United States.
For dancers, the festival can function almost like a temporary tango university.
The same artists audiences watch perform at night become their teachers during the day.
A dancer might spend an afternoon working on connection or musicality, dance socially later that day, watch world champions perform that evening and then return to the floor until the early morning.
Live music comes from the Europe-based Sonder Tango Orchestra, bringing another dimension to a festival whose organizers repeatedly emphasize that tango is not simply choreography or steps. It is a culture built around music, connection and community.
The festival also recognizes that tango itself continues to evolve.
Alongside traditional milongas are alternative and neo-tango events, creating parallel spaces for dancers interested in exploring contemporary music and interpretations while maintaining the traditions at the center of Argentine tango.
Cante and Spektor have also tried to structure Gavito so people don't need to purchase the same experience.
Festival offerings include a $295 Milonguero Pass focused on social dancing and a full-festival Prime Pass. Day-pass options provide another way to experience the festival without committing to all four days, while GARUFA can be attended as a standalone event.
That flexibility allows a dedicated tango dancer to immerse themselves for the entire weekend while someone new to tango can select a day, performance or individual experience.
Organizers said maintaining accessibility has been a priority even as production expenses have risen. They have kept their pricing structure relatively stable while working with the Biltmore on hotel rates for attendees.
The festival’s 13 milongas are another example. Cante and Spektor noted that the $295 Milonguero Pass works out to roughly $23 per event if a dancer participates in all 13 comparable to or below the cost of many individual local milongas.
Each of the festival’s three major nights carries a different theme: Friday evokes the Roaring ’20s and “Great Gatsby” era, Saturday celebrates tango’s Golden Age, centered on elegance and poise, and Sunday closes with a 1960s Polka Dot theme.
For Cante and Spektor, dressing for the milonga isn't incidental. It is part of preserving an element of tango culture they fear is gradually disappearing from some dance events.
“The culture of tango is not only the dance, but how you dress,” Cante said.
The Biltmore provides an appropriate backdrop.
Its ornate ballrooms, frescoes and chandeliers carry their own connection to Los Angeles history. During Gavito, those rooms become crowded with embraces, orchestral tango and dancers moving across the floor late into the night.
The combination of place and tradition is intentional.
Cante said organizers wanted a venue that represented both culture and elegance, somewhere the surroundings themselves become part of the experience.
Six vendors specializing in tango shoes and clothing further transform the hotel into a temporary ecosystem surrounding the dance.
For Cante and Spektor, however, the long-term measure of Gavito isn't simply attendance. Cante wants to maintain or grow participation each year while protecting an environment in which people can temporarily disconnect from daily life. “Success is very simple,” he said. “Everyone comes and actually participates, enjoys and has a good time.”
He describes the festival almost as a retreat - four days when people can turn off the outside world and disappear into music, dancing and community before returning to everyday life.
Spektor's definition of success reaches further. “I think for us, success is to make a contribution and a mark for, in the long run,” she said.
That contribution, Spektor said, can take many forms, a breakthrough in a workshop, an unforgettable orchestra, a meaningful tanda or friendships that continue long after the festival ends.
The broader goal is to create an experience that contributes to each participant’s individual tango journey while strengthening the community around it.
That community is increasingly international. Gavito draws participants from across the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia, bringing together dancers of different ages, backgrounds and experience levels. Some arrive with decades of training; others are encountering Argentine tango for the first time.
For Cante and Spektor, that mix is central to the festival’s future: preserving the traditions and culture of Argentine tango while creating more opportunities for new audiences to experience it.
Gavito aims to provide that entry point, whether someone comes to study with a world champion, dance until 5 a.m. or simply take a seat and experience tango for the first time.
Gavito Tango Festival runs Oct. 1–4, 2026, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel,[ ](https://www.google.com/maps/search/506+S.+Grand+Ave.,+Los+Angeles?entry=gmail&source=g)[506 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles](https://www.google.com/maps/search/506+S.+Grand+Ave.,+Los+Angeles?entry=gmail&source=g). Festival passes, day passes and individual event options are available. GARUFA: Tango Showtime takes place Saturday, Oct. 3, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the performance running from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
### Nearly 1,500 athletes compete in 2026 Zuma Beach Triathlon
URL: https://www.smdp.com/nearly-1-500-athletes-compete-in-2026-zuma-beach-triathlon/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T18:58:59.000Z
Nearly 1,500 athletes of all levels and abilities competed in the[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/820ade3b7a1d436694299317d6a45f02/2/c7a2e779132a5119aecd8b534952dc0f3b9bca47c0971164585c7f3293dd4670?cache%5Fbuster=1790180485&ref=smdp.com)[Zuma Beach Triathlon](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/820ade3b7a1d436694299317d6a45f02/2/c7a2e779132a5119aecd8b534952dc0f3b9bca47c0971164585c7f3293dd4670?cache%5Fbuster=1790180485&ref=smdp.com) Sept. 19-20\. Racers swam off Zuma Beach, biked the Malibu coastline and ran to the cliffs of Point Dume.
The field included first-time triathletes, veteran racers and adaptive athletes using racing chairs, hand cycles and running blades. Cheers, music and cowbells greeted finishers throughout the weekend.
"While we do create a stage for elite athleticism, what folks will remember about the day is watching athletes of all abilities, shapes, sizes and experience levels challenge themselves to overcome and achieve their goals," said Michael Epstein, the event's founder and executive director. "This event will always be a welcoming one, dedicated to cultivating a community of inclusion and giving."
The Challenged Athletes Foundation Corporate Challenge, presented by Pepperdine University, raised more than $155,000\. Epstein created the original triathlon corporate challenge in Malibu in 1997\. It has since raised more than $20 million for several causes.
The Zuma Foundation Triathlon For Kids, presented by the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, was open to children ages 9 to 14\. Racers ages 9 to 11 completed a 100-yard swim, 3-mile bike ride and half-mile run. Those ages 12 to 14 completed a 200-yard swim, 6-mile ride and 1-mile run.
The triathlon presented a $55,000 check to the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu. The local nonprofit mentors children and gives them tools to become productive, contributing citizens.
First-place finishers included:
James Lubinski, Olympic Distance men's division
Reesa Zagnoli, Olympic Distance women's division
Alex Goodman, Zuma Distance men's division
Grace Wagener, Zuma Distance women's division
Willie Stewart, Challenged Athlete division
Dylan Efron, individual celebrity men's division
Nikki Kay, individual celebrity women's division
Team 5 Star, celebrity relay division, featuring actor David Denman, retired professional cyclist Dave Zabriskie and elite runner Emily Gallin
More information is available at[ ](https://www.zumabeachtriathlon.org/?ref=smdp.com)[www.zumabeachtriathlon.org](https://www.zumabeachtriathlon.org/?ref=smdp.com) and on the event's[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/820ade3b7a1d436694299317d6a45f02/4/07259b6fa98ee69dfe0eecebbdb31e603e81b93d30989d13b1f91c806b14b6cd?cache%5Fbuster=1790180485&ref=smdp.com)[Facebook](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/820ade3b7a1d436694299317d6a45f02/4/07259b6fa98ee69dfe0eecebbdb31e603e81b93d30989d13b1f91c806b14b6cd?cache%5Fbuster=1790180485&ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/820ade3b7a1d436694299317d6a45f02/5/e2ec70e99b61c086c9811107ebfec6556f8e14dfcabceabf7acb71b8b6bbe9af?cache%5Fbuster=1790180485&ref=smdp.com)[Instagram](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/820ade3b7a1d436694299317d6a45f02/5/e2ec70e99b61c086c9811107ebfec6556f8e14dfcabceabf7acb71b8b6bbe9af?cache%5Fbuster=1790180485&ref=smdp.com) pages.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Westside Ballet, California Dance Institute launch classroom-to-scholarship program
URL: https://www.smdp.com/westside-ballet-california-dance-institute-launch-classroom-to-scholarship-program/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica's Westside Ballet and California Dance Institute on Wednesday announced the Pathways Partnership. The program takes children from a first dance class in their own elementary school classroom to full scholarships at Westside School of Ballet, which is now in its 60th year.
The partnership is formalized by a board-approved memorandum of understanding and supported by the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative. It finished a pilot year at two Title I schools: Westminster Elementary in Venice and Grand View Boulevard Elementary in Mar Vista. Stoner Avenue Elementary joins this fall.
Organizers said many Westside families face barriers to the arts. These include the cost of tuition and dancewear, the ride to class and schools with no dance instruction.
CDI teaching artists lead a free, six-session residency in classrooms from transitional kindergarten through second grade. Interested students are invited to Westside Ballet's free Sunday Dance to Dreams classes and a free summer camp week each August. Children who show aptitude, enthusiasm and commitment are offered full scholarships that cover tuition, ballet attire and transportation.
"When CDI comes into a classroom, every child dances. No experience, no cost, no exceptions. What Pathways adds is what happens next," said Susan Gladstone, CDI's artistic director.
More than 200 first and second graders took part in the pilot, at Westminster in fall 2025 and Grand View in spring 2026\. In January, Westminster students visited Westside Ballet's Santa Monica studios for a Non-Audition Day. The first Pathways scholar began training in August. Dance to Dreams' summer week, Aug. 3-7, drew about 80 children ages 5 to 12, its largest yet.
"We keep the door open long enough to discover that potential, and then make sure that talent, not circumstance, is what determines how far a child can go," said Adrian Blake Mitchell, Westside Ballet's artistic director.
The Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative, a Los Angeles funding collaborative, gave a $35,520 exploratory grant in 2023-24 and a $35,110 planning grant for the pilot year. More Canvas Consulting, led by Pilar Castro Di Carlo, facilitated both phases.
The partners aim to reach 20 schools and award 40 full scholarships a year by 2030.
Donors can support a school residency, underwrite a scholarship or sponsor transportation. The pilot progress report, program details, ways to give, and contact information for schools and families are at morecanvas.com/pathways.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica College to open applications for cloud computing bachelor's degree
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-to-open-applications-for-cloud-computing-bachelors-degree/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica College will begin accepting applications Oct. 1 for its bachelor's degree in cloud computing. The college estimates the four-year degree will cost California residents about $10,000 before financial aid.
The October application window is for students who want to enter the program as juniors. Classes will begin in fall 2027 and will be offered online, in person and in a hybrid format. Priority applications are due Jan. 15, 2027\. The final deadline for remaining seats is March 1, 2027.
The degree is SMC's second bachelor's program. The first was the Bachelor of Science in Interaction Design, launched in 2015\. SMC announced in April that it had received final approval from the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and the Accrediting Commission of Community & Junior Colleges.
A labor market study commissioned by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office projected 2,777 annual job openings for software developers and cloud-related occupations in the Los Angeles region, with 65% of workers in the field requiring a bachelor's degree. Median annual earnings in the field exceed $150,000.
The curriculum builds on lower-division cloud computing courses that SMC developed with Amazon Web Services. It also prepares students for industry certifications, including the AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Professional credential. The college said the program offers faculty with industry experience, small classes, hands-on labs, real-world case studies, and career and job placement support.
SMC will also partner with the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance, a coalition that connects higher education and industry. The partnership will add real-world projects to students' coursework.
International students who complete the program qualify for up to three years of Optional Practical Training after graduation.
"Cloud and AI expertise rank among the most sought-after skills in today's workforce. But technical skills alone aren't enough," Valerie Singer, general manager of global education at AWS, said in April.
SMC also offers a short-term department certificate, a certificate of achievement and an associate degree in cloud computing.
Course offerings, admission requirements and info session schedules are available at smc.edu/cloud. Questions can be sent to cloud@smc.edu.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Gott's Roadside to open Santa Monica location Oct. 2
URL: https://www.smdp.com/gotts-roadside-to-open-santa-monica-location-oct-2/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T18:58:59.000Z
Gott's Roadside, the Northern California restaurant known for its modern take on American roadside classics, will open in Santa Monica on Oct. 2\. It will be the chain's second Southern California location and its first on the coast.
The restaurant is steps from the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade. It follows Gott's Los Angeles debut at The Original Farmers Market earlier this year and will serve nearby communities including Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Venice Beach and Marina del Rey.
Gott's started as a roadside stand in Napa Valley in 1999 and has since won a James Beard Award.
"We're grateful for the warm welcome we've received from Angelenos and are very excited to join the Santa Monica community," said Clay Walker, president of Gott's Roadside. "With plenty of room for families, sports teams, neighbors, and beachgoers alike, we've designed our new Santa Monica location to be an easy choice for gathering over a great meal."
The restaurant has 6,600 square feet indoors and a 2,200-square-foot patio. BCV Architecture + Interiors designed it and Terra Nova Industries built it. It has more than a dozen community tables for seating up to 20 guests. The dining room has 14-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, and the patio has festival lighting, fans and heaters. Other features include native coastal landscaping, bicycle parking, a 5-foot-high EAT sign, red chairs, picnic tables and stroller-friendly aisles.
The menu ranges from burgers, chicken tenders and soft-serve to seasonal specials, seafood and salads. It includes vegetarian, flexitarian and gluten-free-friendly options. Suppliers include Cream Co. Meats, Red Bird Farms, Pacific Fresh Fish Co., Larder Baking Co. and California growers.
The wine list features Napa Valley vintners including Joel Gott Wines, Rombauer, Turley, Caymus and Opus One. Draft beers rotate among Tarantula Hill, Beachwood and Golden Road. Bottled and nonalcoholic beers come from Athletic Brewing and Best Day Brewing. The bar also serves low-alcohol margarita and paloma spritzes and Gott's signature Frosé. It runs the length of the dining room and offers full service to guests 21 and older.
A soft-serve counter offers Straus organic soft serve, Nounos frozen yogurt, sundaes and cookies baked on-site daily. A self-service kiosk in the dining room sits at a kid-friendly height.
The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for dine-in or takeout. More information is available at gotts.com and at @gottsroadside on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Gavin Newsom paddles to the political right with 3 notable vetoes
URL: https://www.smdp.com/gavin-newsom-paddles-to-the-political-right-with-3-notable-vetoes/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T15:59:59.000Z
Nearly a half-century ago, while addressing a group of high school students, Jerry Brown enunciated his canoe theory of governance.
“The way you have to approach the political process is something like piloting a canoe,” Brown said in 1979, referring to his often abrupt changes of policy. “If you stand up on one side you’ll fall in. If you stand up on the other side you’ll fall in. But if you paddle a little bit on the left side, then paddle a little bit on the right side, you keep going right down the middle.”
Gavin Newsom — Brown’s quasi-nephew by dint of the eight decades[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/01/gavin-newsoms-keeping-it-all-in-the-family/?ref=smdp.com)[their two families have been intertwined](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/01/gavin-newsoms-keeping-it-all-in-the-family/?ref=smdp.com) — seems to be emulating that theory as, for the final time, he weighs bills passed by the Legislature.
Newsom has often described himself as progressive, but he won praise from the right after vetoing three bills over the weekend that had been backed by unions or environmental groups.
The most prominent of the three,[ ](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1383?ref=smdp.com)[Assembly Bill 1383](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1383?ref=smdp.com), would have partially undone one of Brown’s major accomplishments after returning to the governorship in 2011: An overhaul of how pensions are calculated for state and local government employees.
At the time, local governments were complaining that mandatory payments to the California Public Employees Retirement System were undermining vital services. Brown’s reform, known as PEPRA, maintained benefits for current workers and retirees but reduced them for future hires and made employees shoulder a larger share of the financial burden.
AB 1383, sponsored by a raft of public employee unions,[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/09/public-safety-pensions-gavin-newsom/?ref=smdp.com)[would have enhanced those benefits](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/09/public-safety-pensions-gavin-newsom/?ref=smdp.com) and lowered the retirement age for public safety workers from 57 to 55\. The bill won nearly unanimous approval in the Legislature,[ ](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/newsom-veto-police-firefighter-pension-bill/?ref=smdp.com)[but Newsom rejected it](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/newsom-veto-police-firefighter-pension-bill/?ref=smdp.com), saying it would cost too much.
“I still recall — before PEPRA’s passage in 2012 — the alarming forecasts, the fierce criticism of public employees, and the growing pressure to eliminate defined benefit plans all together,” he said. “This is an era of California history I do not wish to repeat.”
The coalition of local governments opposing the bill praised the veto, saying the bill would have added billions in new costs and liabilities “over the next few decades.”
Conservative blogger Jon Fleischman, who had predicted that Newsom would sign the bill, apologized in print. “My prediction was wrong. Completely wrong,” he wrote. “My apologies to the governor, though I think my prediction was defensible.”
Newsom also rejected another union-backed bill aimed at making it easier for state employees to[ ](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/newsom-veto-telework-bill/?ref=smdp.com)[work from home](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/newsom-veto-telework-bill/?ref=smdp.com). Although he had sanctioned remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom has since cracked down, ordering state employees to[ ](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/03/03/governor-newsom-orders-return-to-office/?ref=smdp.com)[work in their offices](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/03/03/governor-newsom-orders-return-to-office/?ref=smdp.com) at least four days a week, with some exceptions.
Had he signed[ ](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1729?ref=smdp.com)[Assembly Bill 1729,](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1729?ref=smdp.com) it would have required state agencies to justify denying telework to their employees. But Newsom said he “fundamentally” believes in-person work is more effective, and “this measure, by limiting departmental flexibility and encouraging telework to be the default work arrangement, takes the state’s telework policy in the wrong direction.”
Newsom continued to paddle his political canoe to the right by vetoing a measure that would have[ ](https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/08/ceqa-reform-advanced-manufacturing-sb954/?ref=smdp.com)[reinstated some of the California Environmental Quality Act](https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/08/ceqa-reform-advanced-manufacturing-sb954/?ref=smdp.com) regulation that he and the Legislature had streamlined last year, rejecting environmentalists’ contentions that the 2025 overhaul went too far.
In his veto message of[ ](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb954?ref=smdp.com)[Senate Bill 954](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb954?ref=smdp.com), Newsom called the 2025 action “a long-overdue overhaul to get California building again,” adding, “If implementation reveals problems, they should be addressed through targeted, evidence-based changes — not by preemptively rolling back our progress.”
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association and other business groups cheered the veto, while Elizabeth Reid-Wainscoat at the Center for Biological Diversity said Newsom “shirked his responsibility to protect Californians and our state’s natural heritage.”
These vetoes may reflect Newsom’s beliefs, but they also may moderate his left-of-center image as he prepares for a likely presidential campaign in states that are not nearly as progressive as California.
\_\_\_\_\_
By Dan Walters
### Santa Monica teen lands career-best finish on world wingfoil tour
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-teen-lands-career-best-finish-on-world-wingfoil-tour/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T15:59:59.000Z
Luca Vuillermet knew exactly what he needed going into the freestyle final at the Global Wingfoil Association World Cup event in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.
The 17-year-old Santa Monica resident was ranked sixth in the world. To finish fifth in the season standings, he had to finish at least second. The final was close, and it came down to his last trick attempt.
"I needed to focus. I took a deep breath and reset my mental state," Vuillermet said. "Nothing else mattered but landing that trick. I took my speed, jumped, and spun. One, two, three, four."
He landed a 1440, a trick with four rotations in the air.
"The sound of my board landing echoed in the air. Relief and pure stoke," he said. "I had a huge smile on my face before I even got back to the beach."
He still didn't know whether he had done enough. He came in pumping his fist at the cameras.
"Then I saw my dad beside the cameramen giving a thumbs up, and that's when I knew," Vuillermet said. His teammate Ezio, one of his best friends, "came running down to dap me up."
Vuillermet finished second at the event and fifth overall on the 2026 GWA World Tour.
"Second at the event and fifth in the world at 17 is the best I've ever done," he said. "It's got me fired up and hungry for more next season."
Wingfoiling pairs a hydrofoil board, which uses a long metal fin to raise the board above the water, with a large inflatable wing that powers the board and can lift it into the air.
In June 2022, as a 12-year-old Lincoln Middle [School student](https://www.smdp.com/parents-press-santa-monica-malibu-school-board-to-rein-in-classroom-screen-time/), Vuillermet placed first in slalom and second in freestyle in the Under 14 category at the first GWA Youth World Cup in Oliva, Spain. His biggest trick then was the 720, two rotations.
He went on to become GWA youth surf-slalom world champion in the U14 division in 2022 and the U16 division in 2024\. Starting in 2023, he was also invited to compete on the GWA Pro Tour, which includes the top 28 adult riders worldwide. He placed fifth in Big Air that year and sixth overall in freestyle in 2025.
The biggest change since then, he said, is his mentality.
"During my heats, I used to carry everything with me. A crash or a low score would follow me into the next trick attempt and kill my mindset," Vuillermet said. "Now, if I'm trailing and I need to land something, I can put myself back in the moment. ... Whatever happened before doesn't exist."
At the professional level, he said, everyone in the final can land the same big tricks.
"You only get about seven attempts in a heat, so there's no throwing one away," he said. "The riding isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is holding your head together and staying on strategy."
The breakthrough did not come quickly. "For two and a half years I kept making semifinals and stopping there. Every event, the same wall," he said. "What it taught me was patience."
"At the first event of the 2026 season I took third in Leucate, France for my first podium," he said, "and I closed the season with a second place in Fuerteventura."
He has done it with less time on the water than his rivals. Most of the competitors he faces wingfoil full time. They are either old enough to be out of school or study online. He gets weekends, breaks and whatever fits around his school schedule.
"So I have to make my hours on the water count," he said. "Before I go out I set goals and know exactly what I'm training."
Santa Monica doesn't often get windy, so he drives to the wind: south to Cabrillo or Long Beach, north to Leo Carrillo. Over Thanksgiving and winter breaks, he trains in La Ventana, Baja California Sur, Mexico. He also works new rotations on a trampoline at Flip First Gymnastics.
"Imagining you can land a trick is already half the battle of learning it," he said.
He gets ahead in his classes before he travels, and [SAMOHI](https://samohi.smmusd.org/?ref=smdp.com) gives him as much time to catch up as he missed. "One week missed, one week to make it up," he said. "A long flight can easily turn into a few uninterrupted hours of work or studying."
Vuillermet rides for F-One and works with its engineering team on product development. His other sponsors are Manera and AMI Group. His 2027 goals include graduating from high school, applying to college, competing on the 2027 GWA Pro Tour and continuing to advocate for youth sports.
### Santa Monica council receives Palisades Fire review as evacuation study awaits contract
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-receives-palisades-fire-review-as-evacuation-study-awaits-contract/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T10:00:00.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday received an independent review of the city's response to the 2025 Palisades Fire, as residents pressed officials to measure how many people the city's evacuation routes can actually move.
The after-action report, prepared by consultant Jacob Green & Associates, lays out 36 recommendations touching nearly every city department. The council took no formal vote, and Mayor Caroline Torosis said the report was "received and filed."
Two residents and a [neighborhood association](https://www.smdp.com/an-open-letter-to-the-santa-monica-city-council-stop-sacrificing-the-pico-neighborhood/) asked in written comments that the council require a quantitative evacuation capacity study as part of the report's recommendation for a comprehensive evacuation annex. Chief Resilience Officer Lindsay Call said such a study is moving forward but is not yet under contract.
"Community development has identified potential funding to use for the evacuation capacity study that Ms. Lopez is referring to," Call said in response to a question from Councilmember Lana Negrete, referring to resident Eve Lopez. Asked when it would be finished, Call said, "There's not a contract yet."
Lopez, a Sunset Park resident, wrote that any evacuation plan must start with a basic question: "How many people can our evacuation routes actually move, and how quickly?" The North of Montana Association also asked that the study account for how increased housing density could affect evacuation capacity.
The fire burned from Jan. 7 to Jan. 31, 2025\. It killed 12 people, destroyed more than 6,000 structures and burned 23,448 acres, according to a city staff report. It came within 0.4 miles of Santa Monica's northern boundary but caused no wildfire damage in the city, though mandatory evacuation orders affected about 5,550 Santa Monica households and businesses.
Councilmember Dan Hall, one of the makers of the motion that requested the review, used the discussion to apologize for wrongly reporting during the fire that it had crossed into Santa Monica.
"It was me that put out the bad information about fire breaking into our jurisdiction," Hall said. He said "we were all acting on information received directly from the acting city manager" and that he corrected the error in his next newsletter.
"I certainly apologize for the confusion and fear that that mistake caused," he said.
The report found that council members, many of them new to their roles, needed more training in emergency operations and in how public communications are verified and approved. Negrete recalled that council members "were sort of kept in the dark about the process" during the fire.
Call said staff completed a disaster handbook for the council, paired with online training, and said she believed it had been provided to the city manager's office. She said she hoped it would be "an evergreen document that is a tool at any time to answer council's questions." Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya said daily talking points during the fire were "incredibly helpful."
Torosis questioned the size of the city's emergency management staff. "What's our plan to rectify the staffing shortage, or do we have one?" she asked.
Call said the city has two emergency management positions, then amended that to 1.5, and said a vacancy during the fire has since been filled. She urged the council to consider the issue as the city prepares for major special events.
"If one person goes on vacation, it's still at one person," Call said. She said many studies are examining emergency management, calling it "a hot topic pretty much everywhere as we have more climate-related disasters and incidents."
Call said the city has increased its identified [Emergency Operations](https://www.santamonica.gov/departments/city-managers-office/office-of-emergency-management?ref=smdp.com) Center staff by 76% and has renamed its evacuation zones "so they aren't weird numbers and letters." She said the fire department has adopted an upstaffing and tiered recall policy, and that 11 police leaders have completed a weeklong all-hazards training.
A multidepartment team is also drafting a detailed evacuation response plan. "Partly the planning process is sometimes more of a benefit than the actual plan," Call said.
She said keeping staff engaged is a challenge. "People forget very quickly," she said.
Call said the same employees handle preparedness, emergency response and special event planning. A busy El Niño season "could mean delay in the implementation" of some wildfire-focused work, she said. According to the staff report, technology improvements and consultant-supported training may require additional funding.
Hall asked for regular updates on the recommendations "so we don't lose them over time." He suggested the council might eventually broaden the city's Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission into a wider public safety commission, or in the meantime send the recommendations to the audit subcommittee to track.
Councilmember Ellis Raskin said he is interested in converting the Interstate 10 freeway into a surface boulevard, in part for "potentially restoring north-south connections through the city," and how that could open evacuation routes.
"We can certainly take that direction and see if it could be evaluated, especially as part of the evacuation capacity study," Call replied.
The report is posted on the city's wildfire preparedness website. "I encourage the public to read it," Call said.
Torosis closed the item by thanking the fire personnel in attendance. "Really proud to have such professionals in our city," she said.
### Police say Pico Boulevard deaths were murder-suicide
URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-say-pico-boulevard-deaths-were-murder-suicide/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T05:07:37.000Z
A man fatally shot his wife before taking his own life inside a residence in the 3100 block of Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica police said.
Detectives determined the deaths of the married couple were the result of a murder-suicide that occurred at about 6:42 a.m. Saturday, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
Officers had gone to the residence Saturday to conduct a welfare check. They entered and found a man and a woman dead, police said.
No one else is believed to have been involved, police said. Authorities described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The couple's identities are being withheld pending formal identification and notification of next of kin by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the SMPD watch commander, available 24 hours a day, at 310-458-8427.
### Starbucks to close two Santa Monica stores in latest wave of cuts
URL: https://www.smdp.com/starbucks-to-close-two-santa-monica-stores-in-latest-wave-of-cuts/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T21:13:36.000Z
Starbucks will close stores on Main Street and Wilshire as part of a plan to shutter about 250 underperforming coffeehouses across North America according to a statement from the Company CEO released this week.
The Seattle-based chain did not release a list of affected locations but stores being cut can be identified by checking a store's hours online. Stores slated to close will post additional signs, and the closures will show up in the Starbucks app.
The company announced the cuts Sept. 24 in a regulatory filing, saying it would close about 250 of its 18,371 North American stores. In a memo to employees that day, Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the closures would take place later in the week and target locations where the company does not believe it can consistently deliver the experience it wants for customers and employees, or where it sees no "path to acceptable financial performance."
The company expects about $300 million in charges, including $200 million for early lease exits and severance, CNN reported.
Grams said the company is talking directly with affected employees, whom Starbucks calls partners, and will offer transfers where possible and severance to those who cannot be placed at another store. Customers will be directed to nearby locations, he said.
"Closing any coffeehouse is a difficult decision, and we know today's news will be hard for the partners, customers and communities affected," Grams wrote.
The closures come as the company says its turnaround effort, dubbed "Back to Starbucks," is gaining ground. Grams said customers are getting faster service and a more consistent experience, and that the company is speeding toward completing 1,500 store renovations, which it calls uplifts.
U.S. same-store sales rose 7.9% in the quarter ended June 28, after falling 2% in fiscal 2025\. Quarterly profit rose 87% to $1.05 billion. Revenue slipped 1% to $9.3 billion after Starbucks sold a 60% stake in its China business to Boyu Capital. Shares closed at $93.65 on Sept. 24, up about 13% this year.
Grams said the company closes and opens stores every year as part of managing its portfolio and remains committed to growth in North America, with a pipeline of new locations in development.
However, the company has faced criticism for closing stores that were unionized or were working to form a union. Initial reports said about 20 union stores were among those targeted for closure this week. Workers at more than 700 U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since 2021 but have no contract.
The latest cuts follow two earlier waves of closures that hit the Westside.
In July 2022, Starbucks said it would close 16 U.S. stores, six of them in the Los Angeles area, citing "a high volume of challenging incidents that make it unsafe to continue to operate." Among them was a store on Ocean Front Walk near the Santa Monica Pier. A National Labor Relations Board complaint later alleged the company closed that store and 22 others partly to discourage unionizing.
Starbucks ousted CEO Laxman Narasimhan in August 2024 and hired Brian Niccol from Chipotle, sending shares up 24.5% that day. In September 2025, Niccol launched a $1 billion restructuring that cut 900 corporate jobs and closed 627 stores in North America and Europe. At least 20 Los Angeles-area stores closed, including one at 2901 Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica.
The company cut 300 more corporate jobs in May and closed regional offices, including one in Burbank.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
### Music Guild at St. Matthew's Opens 42nd Season with Handel, Mozart and Respighi
URL: https://www.smdp.com/music-guild-at-st-matthews-opens-42nd-season-with-handel-mozart-and-respighi/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T18:58:59.000Z
The Music Guild at St. Matthew's opens its 42nd concert season Friday, Oct. 2, with a program of Handel, Respighi and Mozart, led by Music Director and Conductor Dwayne S. Milburn. The 8 p.m. concert at St. Matthew's Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave., features the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew's and guest organist Haesung Park.
The program opens with Handel's Organ Concerto in F Major, HWV 295, known as "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," a work inspired by birdsong that pairs sparkling orchestral textures with virtuosic organ passages. Park will perform on the restored Pardee Memorial Fisk organ.
Respighi's "Botticelli Triptych" follows, translating three Renaissance paintings — "Spring," "The Adoration of the Magi" and "The Birth of Venus" — into orchestral scenes. The concert concludes with Mozart's Symphony No. 39, K. 543, one of the composer's final symphonies.
"This season opener invites audiences into a world of wonder, beauty, and discovery," Milburn said. "This program spans centuries of musical imagination, from Handel's joyful dialogue between organ and orchestra to the luminous colors of Respighi and the profound expressive depth of Mozart."
Park began studying music at age 4 in her hometown of Seoul, South Korea. She trained at the Korean National University of Arts, earned a Master of Music degree from Boston University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with honors from the University of Southern California, where she studied piano with Norman Krieger and organ with Ladd Thomas. She is the featured pianist on the soundtrack of the documentary "With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story," recorded at Capitol Records in Hollywood. She serves as organist and pianist at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and at Vallejo Drive Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Glendale, and is principal keyboardist for the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew's.
A free pre-concert talk, "Liner Notes," begins at 7:10 p.m. and is open to all ticket holders. Members of the ensemble will join Milburn to offer context about the music and composers.
Tickets are $49 for general admission and $10 for students with ID at the door. Children under 16 are free. Tickets are available at MusicGuildOnline.org.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Public Library, Bahala to Host Film Screening and Volunteer Fair
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-public-library-bahala-to-host-film-screening-and-volunteer-fair/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Public Library, in partnership with the local nonprofit Bahala, will host Join & Thrive: Film Screening and Volunteer Fair from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.
The afternoon will center on a screening and discussion of the Emmy-nominated 2023 documentary "Join or Die," which explores political scientist Robert Putnam's research on the relationship between community participation, social connection and civic life. Following the screening in the Main Library's Multipurpose Room, attendees will have a chance to reflect on belonging and participation and to explore ways to become more involved in the Santa Monica community.
A volunteer fair in the Main Library's Central Courtyard will follow the screening and discussion, connecting residents with local organizations and community groups. The fair will feature more than a dozen community partners, including Familias Latinas Unidas, Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library, League of Women Voters Santa Monica, Meals on Wheels West Los Angeles, Police Activities League, Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council, Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force, Santa Monica Forward and Wise & Healthy Aging.
"Strong, resilient communities are built when people have opportunities to connect, participate and contribute," said Erica Cuyugan, director of library services. "Join & Thrive is an invitation to find a cause, organization or activity that speaks to you and discover how getting involved can strengthen both our individual connections and our community as a whole."
Bahala is a Santa Monica-based nonprofit that helps neighbors collaborate, learn and have fun together. Its free programs and events work to strengthen and foster community connection in Santa Monica.
For more information about Bahala, visit[ ](http://bahala.org/?ref=smdp.com)[bahala.org](http://bahala.org/?ref=smdp.com). For more information about the Santa Monica Public Library, visit[ ](http://santamonica.gov/library?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/library](http://santamonica.gov/library?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMC to Hold Three Glass Pumpkin Sales This Fall
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-to-hold-three-glass-pumpkin-sales-this-fall/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica College will hold three fundraising Glass Pumpkin Sales this fall, offering handcrafted glass pumpkins in a variety of colors, styles and sizes.
The first sale will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in conjunction with the Farmers Market & Mini Fall Festival at Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Ave. (corner of Pico and Cloverfield), Santa Monica. Proceeds will benefit the SMC Art Department and the Santa Monica Public Library.
The second sale will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in conjunction with the SMC College Fair in the SMC Quad on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Proceeds will benefit the SMC Art Department.
The third sale will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, in partnership with the Lowe Family YMCA (formerly Palisades-Malibu YMCA) at Simon Meadow at Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset Blvd. (corner of Temescal and Sunset), Pacific Palisades. Proceeds will benefit the SMC Art Department, the Lowe Family YMCA and local artists.
Each pumpkin is a unique work of art suited to fall décor or gifts for holidays, anniversaries and birthdays, organizers said.
The Lowe Family YMCA, established as the community-focused nonprofit Palisades-Malibu YMCA to offer recreational programs and family activities, is rebuilding after being destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
More information about the sales is available by emailing Bromberg\_Terri@smc.edu with "Glass Pumpkins" in the subject line. Details about the Mini Fall Festival are at[ ](http://smgov.net/vap?ref=smdp.com)[smgov.net/vap](http://smgov.net/vap?ref=smdp.com) or 310-458-8688\. Information about the Lowe Family YMCA is at[ ](https://www.ymcala.org/locations/palisades-malibu-ymca?ref=smdp.com)[ymcala.org/locations/palisades-malibu-ymca](https://www.ymcala.org/locations/palisades-malibu-ymca?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Teen-Led Another Bounce Sets Guinness World Record for Sports Balls Recycled
URL: https://www.smdp.com/teen-led-another-bounce-sets-guinness-world-record-for-sports-balls-recycled/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T18:58:59.000Z
Another Bounce, a teen-led initiative of the nonprofit Habits of Waste, has set a Guinness World Records title for the most sports balls collected for recycling in one day, organizers announced Sept. 21.
A Guinness World Records adjudicator confirmed that 22,000 sports balls were collected Saturday, Sept. 19, during a community sustainability event at Reed Park in Santa Monica.
The event drew 13 teenagers from the Another Bounce program, along with local student-athletes, families, advocates and community members, to highlight an overlooked source of waste in sports: discarded tennis balls and pickleballs. The program began in February 2026.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park attended and praised the teens. "Hundreds of millions of these balls end up in our landfills, in our waterways and on our local public beaches," she said. "I am so impressed with the work that they're doing to remove these from the waste stream."
Community members donated used sports balls, receiving free ice cream for every grocery bag contributed. The event also featured Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders, pickleball matches, arts and crafts by Crayon Collection and live music from DJ Qwess.
The collected balls were loaded into Ridwell trucks and diverted from landfills to be processed for recycling into new balls or other sustainable materials.
The group has been working with local governments to advocate for greater sports-ball recycling infrastructure and policies. On Aug. 24, the city of Malibu invited the teens to submit a draft ordinance addressing sports-ball waste. Mayor Silverstein told the group he would support a formal proposal and encouraged them to prepare draft legislation for city staff.
"This record is a powerful and very visual reminder of the enormous amount of waste generated on a daily basis," said Sheila Morovati, founder and CEO of Habits of Waste. "By diverting more than 22,000 balls from landfill, we're showing what's possible when we rethink the systems we've come to accept as normal. But this is just the beginning."
Habits of Waste is an international nonprofit known for its #CutOutCutlery campaign, which helped ban plastic straws and cutlery in Malibu and led to California's AB 1276\. Morovati also founded Crayon Collection and wrote "Imperfect Environmentalist."
For more information, visit[ ](https://www.habitsofwaste.org/?ref=smdp.com)[HabitsOfWaste.org](https://www.habitsofwaste.org/?ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://www.anotherbounce.org/?ref=smdp.com)[AnotherBounce.org](https://www.anotherbounce.org/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Classic draws more than 7,600 for 20th running, sets charity records
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-classic-draws-more-than-7-600-for-20th-running-sets-charity-records/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T16:00:00.000Z
More than 7,600 participants from around the country lined up along the Pacific coastline Sept. 13 for the 20th running of the Santa Monica Classic, a sold-out 10K and 5K that also set records for its charity running team.
Registrations included 5,300 in the 10K and 2,100 in the 5K, along with just over 270 children in the race's Kids Run, according to race spokesperson Meg Treat. The event was produced by The McCourt Foundation.
The event's charity team had its biggest showing yet. More than 270 runners competed as members of Team TMF, the foundation's official charity running team, and together raised more than $54,000 for [neurological disease](https://www.smdp.com/presley-gerber-malibu-raised-model-and-son-of-cindy-crawford-dies-at-27/) research. Both the team's size and its fundraising total were records for the race.
"As we kick off the 2026-2027 event season, Team TMF is already breaking records," said Murphy Reinschreiber, chief operating officer of The McCourt Foundation. "Hearing the stories from our charity runners as to why they are running makes hosting these events even more powerful, and their efforts to keep raising the bar speak volumes about their passion."
Treat said the charity runners, dressed in "blue Team TMF singlets," were among the highlights for spectators. She described them as athletes "who chose to make their miles mean more." Team members received a guaranteed entry, VIP perks and a personal fundraising page.
The race sold out with more than a month remaining before race day, Treat said.
"Selling out this year was significant because it happened faster than ever," she said. "While we've reached capacity in the past, demand for this year's race was up 20% year-over-year."
She added: "That particularly early sellout indicates to us that our event is a top choice for participants."
At the front of the field, Southern California runners took first place in every 10K division. Fountain Valley's Esteban Prado won the men's race and finished first overall, covering the 6.2 miles in 30:25\. Jennifer Cardenas Sandoval of Fontana won the women's 10K in 35:57, and Dae Seo of South Pasadena won the nonbinary division in 41:53.
"There was a full SoCal sweep for first place in the 10K divisions, with exceptional local competitors clocking the fastest times over the 6.2 miles," Treat said.
In the 5K, Gabriel Planty won the men's division in 15:26 and Maggie Shearer won the women's division in 18:26\. Debbie Arevalo took first in the nonbinary division, finishing the 3.1-mile course in 30:20.
"All three of our courses feature beach views on Ocean Avenue," Treat said.
The 10K began at Ocean Avenue and Broadway and headed south onto Main Street. It passed Tongva Park and City Hall before looping back to join the 5K course, which ran north on Ocean Avenue and turned onto San Vicente. Both races finished at Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. Children ran a half-kilometer route on Ocean Avenue.
"Santa Monica PD were great partners in securing our course, and all went as planned!" Treat said.
Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis served as the official starter of the 10K and welcomed participants before the race. She also held the finish tape as the top 10K runners crossed the line.
"Our positive relationship with the city was showcased this year by Mayor Torosis' attendance," Treat said.
The McCourt Foundation began producing the race after the 2019 event. Asked what was new this year, Treat said, "This year's event remained consistent with previous years."
The Santa Monica Classic is the first of three races in the Conquer LA Challenge. The challenge continues with the [Rose Bowl Half Marathon](https://www.mccourtfoundation.org/event/rose-bowl-half-5k/?ref=smdp.com) and 5K in January and concludes with the [ASICS Los Angeles Marathon](https://www.mccourtfoundation.org/event/los-angeles-marathon/?ref=smdp.com) in March. Runners who complete all three receive a medal for each race and a Conquer LA Challenge medal.
Established in 1992, The McCourt Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world. It produces four annual running events, including the Boston Waterfront 5K, and uses them to raise money for more than 200 nonprofit charity partners. The foundation has donated more than $7.2 million to neurology research and generated more than $81 million through its charity program.
"We're proud to create a memorable race day that showcases Santa Monica as a destination, while also spreading awareness of neurological diseases and helping find cures," Reinschreiber said.
### Parents press Santa Monica-Malibu school board to rein in classroom screen time
URL: https://www.smdp.com/parents-press-santa-monica-malibu-school-board-to-rein-in-classroom-screen-time/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T16:00:00.000Z
Parents urged the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board on Sept. 17 to tighten limits on student technology. They described young children watching movies instead of going to recess, school Chromebooks that open onto YouTube, and little clarity about which apps students use.
The testimony came as the board took up revisions to the district's mobile device policy, first presented Sept. 3, which already restricts student phone use during the school day. So many people signed up to speak on the phone policy that the board voted to consolidate public comment, moving the general comment period forward so all speakers could be heard in sequence.
Much of the testimony focused less on phones than on the laptops and tablets schools give students.
"Screen use is by far the most risky and potentially consequential tool that's used in the classroom, and it feels like it's what we receive the least specific communication about," said Laura Gersinhorn, a former middle school teacher and the parent of a second grader.
"It doesn't feel like it's consistent across schools, across grade levels, across teachers," she said, calling for a districtwide instructional [technology](https://www.smdp.com/how-california-can-do-data-centers-differently-and-win-back-community-trust/) policy. "It's kind of a black box — we hear things from our 7-year-old, but we're not really sure what the apps do or what they are."
Sylvia Ewald, whose children are in transitional kindergarten and first grade at Franklin Elementary, said screens were replacing physical activity.
"My kids are coming home talking about watching movies instead of doing recess, watching videos instead of doing PE," Ewald said. She added that one class watched "Angry Birds 2," "which is a sequel to a movie about a game on a phone." One of her daughters told her she preferred school to aftercare because "I get to watch videos in TK," Ewald said.
Ewald said tablets given to students who finish early create the wrong incentive: "They are rushing through their assignments so that they can get on the tablets to play learning games."
Molly Reid, who has children in sixth and eighth grades, said the district's consent form for YouTube access on school-issued Chromebooks misleads families. She said parents who chose "allow" believed it was required for classwork.
"Deny still lets students watch teacher-assigned videos through Google Classroom Slides," Reid said. "Allow gives students non-instructional YouTube subject only to the district's filters, and those filters are not adequate."
She asked the district to send every family a clear explanation of the options. "Second, and more importantly," she said, the district should "reset all accounts to deny and eliminate allow altogether."
Todd Grabarski, a second-grade parent who represents the local chapter of Schools Beyond Screens, said the group had drafted a proposed technology use policy at Superintendent Antonio M. Shelton's request, backed by peer-reviewed research. He said the proposal is not anti-technology. It would limit devices to specific instructional uses, with exceptions for students with individualized education programs or Section 504 plans.
Grabarski criticized spending on "unproven edtech products that are not supported by any evidence as to their efficacy when that money could be going to supporting teachers." Restricting YouTube, he said, "does not mean that students would be unable to access videos that are tied to their curriculum."
Benjamin Goldman, a TK parent at [Roosevelt Elementary](https://roosevelt.smmusd.org/?ref=smdp.com), said a January school tour showed first graders on tablets and older students running Google searches topped by AI-generated summaries. "It's harder to write than to type, and it's harder to paint than to prompt, but writing and painting develop our brains in ways that typing, prompting, and googling never will," he said.
Christina Stewart, a software engineer with a child in preschool, asked, "Why would we employ the same tactics that made kids unable to focus outside school, and why would we hijack their attention with school-issued devices?"
Viola Maya, a parent and health care worker, questioned the cost of replacing broken Chromebooks. "What's wrong with paper and books?" she asked. "We spend millions on the devices that constantly get broken and replaced."
Not every speaker wanted less technology. Evan McGee, PTA president at Will Rogers Elementary, runs an artificial intelligence company. He said his son, a middle school student, is less distracted since phones went into Yondr pouches.
"The devices in the Yondr pouches have really made a big difference in the classroom," McGee said. Still, he said of classroom technology, "the intentionality behind it is the thing that matters the most."
Board Vice President Laurie Lieberman, a member of the district's technology working group, said the board had heard the comments. She added that open-session rules bar a formal response on items not on the agenda.
Frank Dussan, the district's director of student services, presented the phone policy revisions at the board's Sept. 3 meeting. The updated policy states that phones can have both beneficial and harmful effects on student learning and well-being. It also cross-references the district's discipline policies for students who misuse devices at school.
The accompanying regulation adds Olympic High School to the "Away for the Day" approach already used at elementary and middle schools, where students turn off their phones and stow them away for the school day. Santa Monica and Malibu high schools follow a "bell to bell" rule, with phones stored during each class period.
State law requires the board to review the policy at least every five years. The policy was last revised in November 2024.
The board approved its consent calendar, which included the phone policy item, on a motion by board member Maria Leon-Vazquez, with a procedural abstention tied to absences at prior meetings. It also heard an update on roughly $480 million in active and recently completed construction projects.
### Santa Monica council upzones 89 Pico-area lots to shield transit zone from state housing law
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-upzones-89-pico-area-lots-to-shield-transit-zone-from-state-housing-law/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T09:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday to raise development limits on 89 single-family lots near the Expo/Bundy transit station. City officials said the move is needed to temporarily exempt the surrounding transit zone from a [state law](https://www.smdp.com/city-already-has-two-sb79-developments-replacing-single-family-homes/) that allows taller, denser housing near transit.
The ordinance, adopted on second reading, applies to R1-zoned parcels in the Pico neighborhood. The area is bounded by Interstate 10, Dorchester Avenue, Exposition Boulevard and Centinela Avenue. Projects there may now reach a floor-area ratio of 1.25 and a density of 40 units per acre, but only if they build to that maximum density.
Mayor Caroline Torosis and Councilmembers Ellis Raskin, Dan Hall and Barry Snell voted yes. Councilmembers Lana Negrete and Natalya Zernitskaya voted no. Councilmember Jesse Zwick was not recorded in the roll call.
Under Senate Bill 79, a city can temporarily exclude a transit zone from the law if enough of the zone's parcels are zoned to meet the law's thresholds. Community Development Director Jing Yeo said the Expo/Bundy zone will be excluded starting Oct. 23\. The exclusion lasts until one year after the city adopts its 2029-2037 housing element, which Yeo put at about October 2030\. The city will send the ordinance to state housing officials, known as HCD, for a 90-day review, which can be extended 30 days.
Raskin noted that existing state laws already allow up to five units on a 6,500-square-foot single-family lot. SB 79 currently permits buildings of 55 to 60 feet in the zone, he said, while the city ordinance caps height at 28 feet.
"So this is essentially a downzoning," Raskin said.
Yeo said the city has received three preliminary SB 79 applications. Raskin said a newspaper report on incoming projects was "Exhibit A as to why we need to hit pause right now."
Yeo advised the council to "close the window as quickly as possible because nothing stops us from continuing to work on something else."
The council also directed staff to return with options for upzoning fewer parcels. Staff are to consider displacement risk and look beyond the parcels nearest the station. The Neighborhood Taskforce, a nonprofit, says a Santa Monica-only calculation requires only 52 parcels, citing staff figures.
Torosis, who proposed the direction as an amendment, said, "I really feel just personally horrible, and I know that that doesn't solve any problems." She added that "we are not trying to destroy neighborhoods" and contrasted renters who fear displacement with homeowners. "If you are a homeowner who owns your home, you are going to be compensated for that home," she said.
Torosis said she wanted the council to "make a policy determination that we should upzone fewer parcels and assume the risk."
City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln said she was not aware of the city ever zoning noncontiguous parcels and that the idea would need study. She said the city should not face compliance problems as long as Tuesday's ordinance stays in place during that study.
"I don't want people who are against what is happening tonight to, I guess, get their hopes up that something might change in the future," Hall said.
Zernitskaya said she voted no because of the amendment. "I feel like it gives folks false hope that we're going to be able to reduce the number of parcels impacted," she said.
Negrete said, "We have to look at things just beyond a map, and we're not looking at the historical harms in the way that we should be."
When the council introduced the ordinance Sept. 8, it asked staff whether the city could count parcels on the Los Angeles side of the transit zone. On Sept. 17, state housing officials told city staff that jurisdictions may consider only parcels and data within their own boundaries. They also indicated the city might be able to exclude specific uses, such as daycares, from the upzoning. Yeo said staff could return with that change quickly.
Staff also noted that San Diego, San Francisco and Montebello have been sued over SB 79.
In a letter, the taskforce asked the council to reject the ordinance and adopt an emergency ordinance limited to 52 parcels, starting with 30 multiunit parcels that staff previously identified as having no displacement risk. Yeo said 19 of those 30 are ownership housing.
The [Pico Neighborhood Association](https://pnasantamonica.wordpress.com/?ref=smdp.com) urged the council to adopt the Planning Commission's earlier recommendation to upzone 66 multiunit parcels instead. Former Councilmember Christine Parra, who said she owns one of the affected homes, wrote to Torosis, "Neither is this neighborhood yours to define."
Yeo said that if state law stays the same, every parcel in the city's transit zones will have to allow at least half of SB 79's development standards after the exclusion ends.
### Pedestrian in critical condition after crash downtown
URL: https://www.smdp.com/hit-and-run-in-downtown-santa-monica/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T16:26:18.000Z
An elderly woman is in critical condition after being hit in a downtown intersection on Thursday night.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of 5th and Wilshire at about 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 24 for a report of a vechile hitting a pedestrian.
The preliminary investigation indicates that an 82-year-old woman was walking southbound in the marked crosswalk on the east side of the intersection when she was struck by a vehicle turning left from southbound 5th Street onto eastbound Wilshire Boulevard.
Officials said the Santa Monica Fire Department transported the woman to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition. Witnesses at the scene had said the driver left but SMPD said the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.
The collision remains under investigation.
### SMC to Stage Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' Sept. 25-Oct. 4
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-to-stage-arthur-millers-the-crucible-sept-25-oct-4/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T18:59:00.000Z
The Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department will present Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" Sept. 25 through Oct. 4 at the Theatre Arts Main Stage on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd.
Set during the 1692 witch trials in the Puritan village of Salem, Massachusetts, the play follows a community consumed by fear, suspicion and accusations of witchcraft. As hysteria spreads, neighbors turn against neighbors, friendships shatter and the line between truth and lies disappears.
The production is directed by SMC Theatre Arts faculty member Dr. Adrianne Harrop.
Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3\. Matinees are at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4\. All performances are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Advance tickets range from $25 to $28, or $18 for SMC students and staff, plus a modest service charge. Tickets can be purchased online at[ ](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/tickets](https://www.smc.edu/calendar/tickets.php?ref=smdp.com) or by calling 310-434-4165 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets purchased on performance weekends at the Events Box Office at the Theatre Arts building are $3 higher.
Parking is free. Information on parking, transportation and directions is available at[ ](http://smc.edu/transportation?ref=smdp.com)[smc.edu/transportation](http://smc.edu/transportation?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Rotary Club of Santa Monica Accepting Community Grant Applications
URL: https://www.smdp.com/rotary-club-of-santa-monica-accepting-community-grant-applications/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T18:58:59.000Z
The Rotary Club of Santa Monica is accepting applications for its Community Grants program from nonprofit organizations serving Santa Monica. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9.
Grants range from $500 to $3,500\. Funds may be requested for sustainable projects such as new construction or renovation materials, equipment and furnishings, and program expenses, including consultant fees and materials.
Funds are not available for operating expenses, salaries, giving or endowment campaigns, fundraising or other events, sectarian religious projects, political activities, or foundations that fund other nonprofits.
Nonprofit organizations may apply annually, with limitations noted in the grant guidelines and application. Instructions and applications are available on the Rotary Club of Santa Monica's website at[ ](https://www.rotaryclubofsantamonica.org/grants?ref=smdp.com)[www.rotaryclubofsantamonica.org/grants](https://www.rotaryclubofsantamonica.org/grants?ref=smdp.com). Questions and online grant submissions can be directed to admin@rotaryclubofsantamonica.org.
Organizations must provide proof of nonprofit 501(c)(3) status and requested supporting materials, and must be able to verify that the funds benefit Santa Monica residents or the community and align with Rotary's service mission.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Changing the Climate: Why It’s Time to Democratize the Supreme Court
URL: https://www.smdp.com/changing-the-climate-why-its-time-to-democratize-the-supreme-court/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T16:00:02.000Z
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously observed that the highest court in the land is rarely moved by the weather of the day, but it is inevitably shaped by the "climate of the era." Throughout her career, Ginsburg championed a strategy of meticulous, quiet persuasion. She argued that you cannot change minds by walking into a room shouting that everyone else is wrong; you must listen, build unshakeable logical arguments, and show deep respect for structural norms. But she also left us with a vital caveat: when the system fundamentally breaks down and structural avenues fail the public, you have to stand up and shout like hell.
We have officially reached the point where it is time to shout.
The bedrock of American civic education is the promise that our three branches of government are separate but equal, acting as a system of checks and balances to preserve the democratic will. Yet, our current federal judiciary has mutated into something entirely unaccountable to the public. We now watch an unelected tribunal of nine individuals exercise the immense power to alter the legal fabric of American life, often issuing sweeping constitutional decisions that stand in direct opposition to the overwhelming consensus of the citizens. Because these seats are secured for life, they have been transformed into high-stakes partisan prizes, captured by narrow political agendas rather than the democratic choice of the nation.
We do not need to approach this systemic failure with blind fury, but with cold, democratic logic. There is nothing unprecedented about electing a judiciary. In fact, 39 U.S. states—including California—already successfully subject their state supreme court justices to democratic accountability via the ballot box. It is an established American tradition. It is time to bring that exact same accountability to Washington D.C. by implementing strict term limits and allowing the American electorate to vote on who interprets our Constitution.
As a regular citizen in Santa Monica with no institutional platform, I am clear-eyed about the scale of this fight. A single voice cannot rewrite Article III of the U.S. Constitution overnight. But real structural shifts only happen when regular citizens decide to alter the climate of the era from the ground up. We must engage our local state representatives, spark serious conversations in our own neighborhoods, and aggressively demand a judiciary that answers to the people. And if the political gatekeepers refuse to listen to our calm, structured arguments, then we must be prepared to stand together and shout like hell.
\_\_\_\_\_
Rebecca McNamara
### Around Town: Art, Oktoberfest & Fall Fun!
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-art-oktoberfest-fall-fun/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T21:29:32.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes **The Other Art Fair, Oktoberfest celebrations, a new Brentwood street festival, Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival**, and much more!
**dublab Open Air: Cosmic Sounds & Dance Floor Vibes:** dublab brings two free evenings of live music, DJs and dancing to Reed Park. Thursday features jazz, psychedelia and improvisation from SML & Liberate Elemental Forces, while Friday turns the park into an open-air dance floor with Spiñorita, GANAS & ANTHNY GBRIEL. **Thursday & Friday, Sept. 24–25, 5–8 p.m., Reed Park, 1133 7th St. Free.** [eventbrite.com/e/dublab-open-air-tickets-1999731567951](http://eventbrite.com/e/dublab-open-air-tickets-1999731567951?ref=smdp.com)
**The Other Art Fair Returns:** More than 160 independent artists take over Barker Hangar for four days of original art, immersive installations, performances and DJs. The accessible art fair lets visitors meet artists directly—and, if something catches your eye, actually buy the artwork. **Thursday–Sunday, Sept. 24–27, Barker Hangar, 3021 Airport Ave. Children under 12 are free.** [theotherartfair.com/la](http://theotherartfair.com/la?ref=smdp.com)
**Marina Movie Nights - Hocus Pocus:** Grab your family, a picnic dinner, and a blanket or low-profile beach chairs and make your way to Burton Chace Park for the free Summer Concerts presented by the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors on select **Saturdays through Sept. 26.** Movies start at 8 p.m. but arrive by 7 to pick out your spot on the lawn. Free admission! [visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights](http://visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights?ref=smdp.com)
**Inaugural Brentwood Bash:** San Vicente Boulevard gets a neighborhood street-festival makeover with local restaurants and businesses, food, live entertainment, wellness and fitness activities, family-friendly fun and community organizations. **Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., San Vicente Blvd. (between Wilshire Blvd. and Barrington Ave.)** [thebrentwoodbash.com](http://thebrentwoodbash.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Where Legends Took Flight:** The Santa Monica Conservancy's “Final Approach” livestream explores the history and legacy of Santa Monica Airport, from its Clover Field origins and pioneering aviation history to its role in Santa Monica's arts community. **Sunday, Sept. 27, 5–6:15 p.m., online via Zoom. Free.**[](https://smc.givecloud.co/airportlegends?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)[smconservancy.org/airport](http://smconservancy.org/airport?ref=smdp.com)
**“Into the Woods” at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre:** Sondheim and Lapine's Tony-winning musical sends Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, a Baker and his Wife into the woods in search of their wishes—and forces them to deal with what happens after “happily ever after.” **Sept. 26–Oct. 18, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., 2627 Pico Blvd. $29–$39.** [morgan-wixson.org](http://morgan-wixson.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17); [Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com); [Perrys Beach House DJ Event](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays and Sundays in Sept.)
**WHAT'S NEW & DELICIOUS?**
**35+ Singles Wine & Mingle Night at AJA Vineyards:** Ditch the dating apps for a night of real-world connections as the “Thursday” app is taking over AJA wine bar for a 35+ singles gathering, pairing local boutique wines with a laid-back, open-format social hour designed for meeting local neighbors. **Thursday, Sept. 24, 7 – 10 p.m., 417 2nd St.** [ajavineyards.com/events](http://ajavineyards.com/events?ref=smdp.com)
**Wallys - A Tasting with Tenuta Trinoro & Passopisciaro:** This tasting is paired with a small cheese and charcuterie board for each guest. **Thursday, Sept. 24, 214 Wilshire Blvd.** [https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1020850&restref=1020850&experienceId=790883](https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1020850&restref=1020850&experienceId=790883&ref=smdp.com)
**Penmar Oktoberfest Sunset Session:** Their Friday event goes Bavarian for a one-night Oktoberfest celebration featuring live tunes, seasonal brews, food platters, and golden-hour lawn vibes. Advance tickets include a drink token. **Friday, Sept. 25, starting at 5:30 p.m., 1233 Rose Ave., Venice** [tickets.thepenmar.com/e/sunset-sessions-date-4-5-11-11-5](http://tickets.thepenmar.com/e/sunset-sessions-date-4-5-11-11-5?ref=smdp.com)
**Florentine Steak Dinner Series:** All'Antico Vinaio's Florence Underground dinner series continues with another night centered around bistecca alla Fiorentina. For $65, the meal includes cured meats, cheeses, house-made schiacciata, a massive T-bone seasoned with salt and olive oil, family-style sides, and olive oil cake with crema. **I've been twice, and this remains one of my favorite Santa Monica dining experiences. Friday, Sept. 25, 316 Santa Monica Blvd.** [www.toast.app/r/all-antico-vinaio-santa-monica-blvd/experiences/fiorentina-night](http://www.toast.app/r/all-antico-vinaio-santa-monica-blvd/experiences/fiorentina-night?ref=smdp.com)
**Oktoberfest Grilled Cheese & Beer Night:** Andrew's Cheese Shop pairs its famous grilled cheeses with specialty Oktoberfest beers for a very Santa Monica take on Bavarian season. **Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., 728 Montana Ave.** [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oktoberfest-grilled-cheese-beer-night-tickets-1998451951584](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oktoberfest-grilled-cheese-beer-night-tickets-1998451951584?ref=smdp.com)
**Josiah Citrin Hosts ‘Stop the Void’ Charity Dinner:** Enjoy an 11-Michelin-star collaborative five-course charity dinner at Citrin & Mélisse alongside chefs Michael Cimarusti, John Shields, and E.J. Lagasse. Proceeds benefit Stop the Void to support fentanyl poisoning prevention and education. **$900\. Sunday, Sept. 27, Citrin & Mélisse, 1104 Wilshire Blvd.** [stopthevoid.org](http://stopthevoid.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Tiki & Fire Comes to Marelle:** Marelle gets a tropical makeover with a one-night “Coastal Roast” featuring ahi tuna, miso-glazed pork belly, char siu short rib, island-inspired sides, pineapple rum cake and tiki cocktails. **Thursday, Oct. 1, 5–10 p.m., 1740 Ocean Ave.** [marelle.com/event/tiki-fire-a-coastal-roast](http://marelle.com/event/tiki-fire-a-coastal-roast?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield: Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival:** Head down the coast for a two-night culinary showcase featuring top chefs from the South Bay and Los Angeles. The opening night Grand Tasting pairs signature dishes from acclaimed local restaurants with tastings from premier wineries, craft breweries, and artisan spirits producers. **Use the code MEDIA26 for $15 off. Friday, Sept. 25 & Saturday, Sept. 26, 7 – 10 p.m., Manhattan Country Club, 1330 Parkview Ave., Manhattan Beach** [manhattanbeachfoodandwine.com](http://manhattanbeachfoodandwine.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Montana Avenue Art Walk](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com) (10/3); [Oktoberfest at the Fairmont](https://www.fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar-2/?ref=smdp.com) (10/8-10); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18); [LA Times Food Bowl](https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl?ref=smdp.com) (10/23-24)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Art, Oktoberfest & Fall Fun!**
### The Other Art Fair returns to Santa Monica with 160 artists, no galleries
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-other-art-fair-returns-to-santa-monica-with-160-artists-no-galleries/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T16:00:00.000Z
The Other Art Fair returns to Barker Hangar on Thursday for its 16th Los Angeles edition, gathering 160 independent artists for a four-day event that trades the traditional gallery model for direct contact between artists and collectors.
Presented by Saatchi Art, the fair runs Sept. 24-27 at Barker Hangar, 3021 [Airport Ave.](https://www.smdp.com/museum-of-flying-extends-hours-adding-after-school-window-for-visitors/) Of this edition's exhibitors, 63% identify as women and 46% are based in Los Angeles, representing 14 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The fair's defining feature is what it leaves out. No galleries participate; artists sell their work face to face with buyers, part of a mission organizers say is meant to make the contemporary art world more accessible.
"The Other Art Fair gives back to its artists like no other," said Nicole Garton, global fair director. "Over the past twelve months, we delivered over nine events across the US and UK and paid artists more than $7 million. In Los Angeles this past February, art sales grew over 40% year over year, and we are excited for another successful edition."
Organizers point to the fair as a launching pad for emerging talent. "This fair was the starting point for now well-known names like Jackie Amezquita, Kenny Nguyen, and Tawny Chatmon, and that's exactly what we set out to do: give artists a platform to share their work and for collectors and curators to discover and nurture them," said Briana Salatino, senior fair manager.
The work on view spans a wide range. Isabel Araneda paints sun-drenched desert and mid-century architectural scenes with still-water reflections; Ella Freire reworks vintage airline ephemera into graphic prints under official licenses from Pan Am, TWA and Braniff International; Laura Porcelli produces large-scale floral abstraction; and Xan Padron turns everyday movement through public space into photographic pattern.
New this year is a set of interactive installations. At The Other Open: Artist-Designed Mini Golf, visitors can play three one-of-a-kind holes designed by three female artists. Suze Riley's WeHo Neon Diver, inspired by the neon diver at West Hollywood Park, sends the ball through the diver's body onto a swimming-pool pitch dotted with beach-ball obstacles. Araneda's Reflections of Palm Springs turns her pool paintings into a playable mid-century landscape, and Heather Bellino's The Blooming Vortex funnels play around a sculptural flower centerpiece.
Nearby, artists Adam Rose and Richard Hoffman present TP Catalog — On Loan from The British Museum, a hand-painted restroom installation lined with gold-framed toilet-paper transfers depicting artifacts that may themselves have been acquired by the British Museum. Each image is paired with text from the objects' own museum database entries, and a continuous video of the British Museum heist plays through viewing holes cut into the stall walls.
Friday brings a timely tribute. California has declared Sept. 25 "Dolly Parton Day," and the fair is marking it with "Self Made Icon: A Life in Rhinestones," a collection of artist tributes priced under $500\. A DJ set from 7 to 10 p.m. will honor the singer, the bar will pour a "Dolly Partini" adapted from a recipe in her 2024 cookbook, and pink is the requested dress code.
The fair also introduces the Los Angeles recipient of its Fall 2026 New Futures award, Lisa Tse, a contemporary artist who spent more than a decade as a graphic designer before turning to fine art. The program, formalized in 2021, offers emerging local artists mentoring and free exhibition space.
Rounding out the experience are four food trucks, a coffee bar built into a vintage BMW, a furnished lounge that displays art in a living-room setting, and Gina Su's oversized ceramic fortune cookie, where guests can leave a written fortune and take one left by a stranger.
Doors open Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m., with the first 500 entrants receiving a free drink token. Friday hours are 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are available at theotherartfair.com/la.
Since its 2011 debut, The Other Art Fair has given nearly 10,000 artists a platform to sell more than 100,000 works, generating over $50 million in sales. It now hosts 11 fairs a year across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Tickets and more information are available at [theotherartfair.com/la](http://theotherartfair.com/la?ref=smdp.com), with tickets sold at theotherartfair.com/la/tickets.
### Santa Monica backs plan to pipe purified wastewater into tap water as self-sufficiency goal slips
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-backs-plan-to-pipe-purified-wastewater-into-tap-water-as-self-sufficiency-goal-slips/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T16:00:00.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday unanimously endorsed a water strategy built on stepped-up conservation and, within a decade, purified wastewater piped directly into the city's drinking supply, and cleared staff to open formal talks with Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on regional recycling.
The vote on an update to the city's Sustainable Water Master Plan came as officials acknowledged Santa Monica has missed its goal of meeting 99% of its water needs locally and as a regional water official warned that imported supplies are growing less reliable.
"I concur with your tiered approach, and I would say go forward and do all of it," Mayor Caroline Torosis said in making the motion, which Council member Ellis Raskin seconded. The [council](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monicas-dreams-of-water-self-sufficiency-go-down-the-drain/) also found the update exempt from state environmental review.
Within five to 10 years, the city would maximize local recycling and expand conservation, projected to save about 200 acre-feet a year over 20 years. Longer term, the city would pursue partnerships with the district's Pure Water Southern California program and Los Angeles' Pure Water Los Angeles program, neither expected to be running until after 2035.
"Now is the time to have those conversations," Water Resources Manager Sunny Wang said.
Wang said local sources supply an estimated 80% to 85% of demand, a figure that won't be firm until two replacement wells at the Charnock Well Field are running. "We didn't meet that 99% goal. That was a pretty challenging goal to meet," he said.
He blamed the shortfall partly on the COVID-19 pandemic, when conservation staff was cut in half and recycled water and recharge well projects were deferred. He said the 2022 Groundwater Sustainability Plan clarified the basin's sustainable yield, which he put at about 9,000 to 10,000 acre-feet a year, not the roughly 15,000 once assumed. The wells also need rest.
"They can't be operated at 100% capacity 24/7\. They're just not good for the wells," Wang said.
Staff projected a gap of up to 4,500 acre-feet by 2045 if new housing drives up demand without new conservation measures.
The recycling plan builds on the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project, or SWIP, a plant completed in December 2022 beneath the Civic Center parking lot that purifies wastewater and stormwater. Under state rules adopted in 2023, the city would send that water through two more treatment plants and blend it into the drinking supply at up to 10%.
Wang said the idea came partly from residents during the Palisades Fire, who argued the plant's output was "already better than most tap waters in the country."
"Essentially, the water is going through two of everything that you could imagine," he said.
Mark Gold, who represents Santa Monica on the district's board and chairs its imported water committee, urged the city to press ahead with direct potable reuse.
"It is the law, you know. Nobody's done it yet," he said, adding that the regulations are "incredibly protective of public health."
Of imported supplies, Gold said, "It's pretty horrifying what's going on right now from a climate perspective."
Gold said flows into Lake Powell from 2020 to 2026 were down to 10.2 million acre-feet a year, while water rights under the 1922 Colorado River Compact total more than 16 million.
"We will see turbines at Hoover Dam shut down within the next year," Gold said.
The river system, he said, is "basically upside down about 5 million acre-feet a year."
"I'm always dire. The glass is always bone dry. It's never even half full," Gold said.
Wang called the district's planned recycling plant, which could produce 150 million gallons a day compared with SWIP's 1 million, "SWIP on steroids." Staff also studied seawater desalination and tapping contaminated groundwater beneath Santa Monica Airport but put both on a wait-and-see list.
"I know it's controversial, but you know we have to look at it," Wang said of desalination. Local groundwater costs the city $900 an acre-foot and imported water about $1,500, he said. Gold put desalination at about $3,500 to $6,500, citing the Carlsbad plant and projects at Doheny Beach and in Monterey.
When Council member Lana Negrete said she presumed desalination would hit ratepayers, Wang replied, "Oh yeah, it's expensive." Council member Natalya Zernitskaya said she has "real concerns with desalination."
An experimental [Oceanwell system](https://www.oceanwellwater.com/?ref=smdp.com) will be piloted in Santa Monica Bay in February, but "it's not ready for prime time yet," Gold said.
In a written comment, Sunset Park resident Nikki Kolhoff urged environmental review of housing proposed on former aerospace land near the airport, writing that development "further impedes" self-sufficiency.
Design and construction contracts will return to the council, Wang said, but a regional deal is further off. "That's not going to be anytime soon," he said.
### Ocean Ave. braces for wave of new traffic with two-month closure of Moomat Ahiko Way
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ocean-ave-braces-for-wave-of-new-traffic-with-two-month-closure-of-moomat-ahiko-way/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:59:59.000Z
The Moomat Ahiko Way on- and off-ramps to and from Pacific Coast Highway will fully close for about two months beginning as early as Monday, Sept. 28, as crews tear down the final portion of the old Santa Monica Pier bridge.
The closure is part of the Santa Monica Pier Bridge Replacement Project and while the road has had temporary closures before, this will last far longer than any previous shutdown of the roadway.
Crews will use the closure to demolish the last section of the old bridge and then build columns for the new span. It will be the largest portion of the bridge demolished since the project began, according to the city and the closed road will be used to stage equipment while also keeping drivers safe during the work.
Southbound PCH drivers will be directed to exit at the California Incline or continue on eastbound Interstate 10 to Lincoln Boulevard. Drivers on Ocean Avenue trying to reach PCH should continue north to the California Incline.
The pier will remain open throughout the closure, including its restaurants, shops, attractions and businesses. Officials said there will be signs for alternative routes but drivers should allow for extra travel time in the area. Construction updates and alerts are available at santamonica.gov/programs/pier-bridge-improvements.
Moomat Ahiko Way is a former segment of State Route 187\. It runs north-south between Ocean Avenue and PCH, passing under the pier.
The road’s unusual name was first presented as a Chumash phrase in 2004\. City staff then checked with the Gabrielino Tongva Tribal Council, among others, and confirmed that "Moomat Ahiko" is Tongva and means "Breath of the Ocean," or "Breath of the Sea."
No official traffic counts are available for the road. However, city reports have listed it as operating at or near capacity for years. Before the pandemic, Caltrans reported that PCH carried 60,000 to 85,000 cars a day through Santa Monica. COVID-19 and fire closures have distorted recent counts but after the pandemic, the city of Malibu reported about 40,000 vehicles a day on the highway in that city. Recently, Caltrans estimated about 47,000 trips a day on the stretch that closed because of the Palisades Fire.
The closure is the latest disruption from the city's $35.6 million replacement of the bridge that links the intersection of Ocean and Colorado avenues to the Pier and has been the only vehicle connection to city streets for years.
The Works Progress Administration built the bridge in 1939 but it deteriorated over time to a low score of 8.2 on a 100-point federal sufficiency scale (bridges scoring below 50 qualify for federal replacement money). The old bridge was described as having cracked and delaminated concrete exposing corroding steel that would make it unsafe in a major earthquake.
The replacement plan has been decades in the making. Early efforts were scrapped or delayed due to funding problems and conservation concerns. While the final design lacks the aesthetics or features of prior efforts, it was fully funded and started in the hopes it will be finished before the 2028 Olympics.
The price climbed with each delay. Officials estimated $8 million in 2010, $27.2 million in 2021 and $29 million in 2022\. In 2025, the council awarded Shimmick Construction Co. a contract of up to $35,579,292, which includes a 20% contingency on the company's $29.6 million low bid. The council also approved $4.9 million for construction management by Bureau Veritas.
Federal Highway Bridge Program money covers $30.2 million, about 75%. The rest comes from local transportation sales tax funds, including Measures M and R and Proposition C.
The new bridge will be 447 feet long and 39 feet wide. It will have a 15-foot sidewalk on its south side and a 75-year service life. YESCO will restore the Pier sign in Las Vegas after its removal in October/November. The sign will return, 10 feet north and higher than before.
### Officials unveil Venice triathlon courses for first medal event of LA28 Games
URL: https://www.smdp.com/officials-unveil-venice-triathlon-courses-for-first-medal-event-of-la28-games/
Last updated: 2026-09-24T20:01:41.000Z
The first medals of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be decided on the sand, streets and canal bridges of Venice, where LA28 on Wednesday released preliminary courses for the Olympic and Paralympic triathlon.
The women's individual race opens competition July 15, 2028, followed by the men's race July 16 and the mixed relay July 20\. The Paralympic triathlon is scheduled for Aug. 18-19\. LA28 said the loop-style courses remain subject to operational testing.
"This iconic neighborhood will add another meaningful chapter to its storied history as the first LA28 medals of the 2028 Games are awarded here," said Shana Ferguson, LA28 chief of sport and games delivery officer.
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Athletes in the individual events will start from the beach rather than a pontoon, only the second time that has happened in Olympic history. After working through the surf line, they will swim a 1,000-meter lap, exit the water, run 25 meters and dive back in for a 500-meter second lap to complete 1,500 meters.
The 40-kilometer bike leg follows the Venice bike path before turning onto neighborhood streets for eight 5-kilometer laps with two technical turnarounds. Riders will pass in front of the Venice sign before returning to transition.
The 10-kilometer run covers four 2.5-kilometer laps along much of the same route, with athletes crossing bridges over the Venice Canals on their way to the finish.
All events will use a single transition area where Venice Boulevard meets the beach, with the finish line next to it overlooking the Pacific. Athletes will return to that hub after every bike and run lap, giving spectators repeated views of competitors. Organizers described the bike and run routes as generally flat and designed for fast racing.
In the mixed relay, four-person teams will alternate women and men. The first athlete starts from a common line on the shoreline, and each competitor swims one 350-meter lap, rides two 3.3-kilometer laps for 6.6 kilometers and runs two 800-meter laps for 1.6 kilometers. After each handoff, the next teammate runs to the water to begin.
Para athletes in six sport classes — PTWC, PTS2, PTS3, PTS4, PTS5 and PTVI — will start from a barge beyond the breakwater for a single 750-meter swim. They will then ride three 6.6-kilometer laps, which LA28 lists as a 20-kilometer total, and run two 2.5-kilometer laps for 5 kilometers.
Athletes will get an early look at the courses during World Triathlon's T50 Triathlon World Tour event in Venice July 16-18, 2027\. LA28 said the event will be used to assess course performance and operational readiness.
"Venice is excited to welcome Olympic and Paralympic athletes and fans from around the world to one of LA's most iconic communities," said Councilwoman Traci Park.
LA28 moved triathlon to Venice from Long Beach in April 2025.
Venice will also serve as the starting line for several other events. The cycling road races will begin at the Venice Beach Boardwalk July 22-23 and finish at Griffith Observatory. The women's Olympic marathon will start there July 29 and the men's July 30, and the Paralympic marathon will run from the boardwalk to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Aug. 27.
LA28 has said full marathon and road race routes will be released before the end of 2026\. In February, former professional cyclist Phil Gaimon described a road race route that would send riders up Main Street in Santa Monica and along Pacific Coast Highway into Malibu. LA28 has not confirmed that route.
Organizers have not announced fan zones or official viewing areas, though a Visit California trade guide lists Venice Beach among planned sites.
The Games will make Los Angeles the third city to host the Olympics three times, following 1932 and 1984, and will mark the city's first Paralympics. More than 15,000 athletes are expected, and LA28 says the Games will be the first since 1948 to build no new permanent infrastructure.
Santa Monica will not host competition. The city ended nearly two years of negotiations over beach volleyball April 8, 2025, after LA28 declined to revise its proposed agreement. A city analysis had projected $15.54 million in costs against $14.09 million in revenue, and the event moved to Alamitos Beach in Long Beach.
The city has since pursued paid hospitality agreements with no city subsidy planned. The City Council voted to negotiate event deals, including Club France at the Annenberg Community Beach House, Nations Village at Crescent Bay Park and House of Switzerland at Camera Obscura.
### Santa Monica police set to patrol Metro E Line platforms under pending agreement
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-police-set-to-patrol-metro-e-line-platforms-under-pending-agreement/
Last updated: 2026-09-23T20:23:38.000Z
Santa Monica police officers could soon patrol all three Metro E Line stations in the city, including the platforms and the trains, under an agreement city officials say is nearing completion.
The memorandum of understanding, which the City Council authorized March 24, has not yet been signed. It would give the Santa Monica Police Department authority for the first time to ride trains, enforce fares and Metro's code of conduct, and respond to emergencies on Metro property at the Downtown Santa Monica, 17th Street/SMC and 26th Street/Bergamot stations.
"People need to understand that the sheriff is who has jurisdiction over the Metro platform, the actual train itself," said Councilwoman Lana Negrete, who said she championed the effort during her time as mayor. "So that means disorderly conduct and then of course fare evasion is all handled by the sheriff."
Under the current system, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Services Bureau, working under contract with Metro, patrols E Line stations outside Los Angeles city limits, including the three in Santa Monica. The Los Angeles Police Department covers Metro property inside the city of Los Angeles.
SMPD officers are sworn peace officers with authority throughout the city, but the train property belongs to the County, not the City. Santa Monica officers have long answered emergencies at the stations but then handed investigations to the Sheriff's Department. Fare and code of conduct enforcement is a power state law gives to Metro, not the city.
Negrete said the arrangement has left residents frustrated to see local officers nearby but unable to act.
"Folks are coming off the train and either expressing mental health issues, they're using illegal drugs and have paraphernalia out," she said. "They're littering and loitering in a manner that makes people feel unsafe. Ironically, it's actually not our jurisdiction.”
Negrete said she began talks last year with Metro officials and the Sheriff's Department during the rollout of the tap-to-exit program and that City Manager joined later discussions. Police Chief Darrick Jacob led negotiations on the framework upon his appointment, she said, describing the effort as part of the city's broader realignment plan.
The goal, Negrete said, is to move past the "Santa Monica's hands are tied" response to the impacts associated with the train.
Under the agreement, SMPD officers would be able to walk the platforms, conduct fare compliance operations, remove riders without valid fare from trains and stations, enforce Metro's customer code of conduct and respond to 911 calls on Metro property. Officers would also coordinate with social service providers to connect people with care.
"It's structured so that SMPD deployment happens at the discretion of our chief of police, which means we retain full control over how and when the officers are deployed," Negrete said.
The agreement also establishes shared performance metrics, with both agencies tracking calls for service, response times, crime trends, fare compliance and referrals to services.
Metro requires officers to complete rail safety and transit policing training before working on its system. To speed implementation, SMPD leadership is meeting this week with the new deputy chief of Metro's Department of Public Safety so officers can deploy as soon as the agreement is signed, Negrete said.
Metro is building its own police force. The Metro board voted unanimously June 27, 2024, to create the department over five years at a projected cost of $192.6 million a year, and in May 2025 named former San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott as chief. Recruiting opened May 28\. The new force hopes to reach about 630 officers by 2031 but will be reliant on contract policing for several years to come as its own officers come on board.
Santa Monica stations are also slated to receive Metro's taller, reinforced fare gates by mid-2027, Negrete said. In a 2025 results report, Metro said the new gates have significantly reduced crime while more than doubling paid entry. Metro also reported a 13.5% drop in systemwide crime in March compared with a year earlier.
"We feel like between the gates, between us being able to do enforcement, we hope to see a significant drop in quality of life issues," Negrete said, adding that she hopes the changes make "the train feel a little bit cleaner and safer."
### One Sea Star's 3rd Annual 5K Walk Returns to Ocean Park on Sept. 27
URL: https://www.smdp.com/one-sea-stars-3rd-annual-5k-walk-returns-to-ocean-park-on-sept-27/
Last updated: 2026-09-23T18:58:59.000Z
One Sea Star, a Santa Monica nonprofit focused on animal welfare, environmental welfare and youth development, will hold its 3rd Annual 5K Walk Fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 27, at Ocean Park in Santa Monica. Check-in opens at 9:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m.
The walk is donation-based and open to the public. Participants can register at oneseastar.org. Snacks will be provided, and participants can win a $100 gift card and other prizes.
Proceeds support the organization's three programs: Compassion for Animals, which brings adoption education and shelter support to Los Angeles Animal Services centers; Neighborhood Beautification, which organizes neighborhood and beach cleanups; and Youth Development, which delivers character-building and leadership programming with local YMCA teen programs.
"Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate world for all," said Erin Rogers, founder and executive director of One Sea Star.
The 5K Walk began in 2024 and aims to become the organization's largest annual fundraiser and community event. One Sea Star also partners with Laemmle Theatres, the Los Angeles arthouse cinema chain, on waste reduction, organics recycling and staff sustainability training across its locations.
One Sea Star is a Santa Monica-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to education, outreach and advocacy programs aimed at protecting the environment and promoting respect for all living things.
The event will be held at Ocean Park in Santa Monica. Registration is donation-based at oneseastar.org. More information is available at oneseastar.org, @one\_sea\_star on social media, or facebook.com/OneSeaStar.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Habitat for Humanity Plans Four-Day Palisades Build for Wildfire Survivors
URL: https://www.smdp.com/habitat-for-humanity-plans-four-day-palisades-build-for-wildfire-survivors/
Last updated: 2026-09-23T18:58:59.000Z
Nearly 18 months after the January 2025 wildfires, about three in four Pacific Palisades survivors remain displaced, and many families who want to return face financial barriers that could price them out of communities they have called home for decades.
To help close that gap, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles will bring hundreds of volunteers and partners together Sept. 23-26 for a four-day Community Build through its ReBUILD LA initiative. The effort coincides with Habitat for Humanity International's 50th anniversary.
Over four days, more than 500 volunteers, residents, corporate and civic leaders, entertainment and media partners, construction professionals and community organizations will work to restore homes and neighborhoods. Projects include rebuilding and repairing homes, landscaping, site clearing and broader revitalization efforts.
"The Palisades Fire devastated Los Angeles in January 2025 and captured the attention and concern of people across the country," said Erin Rank, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. "But Habitat understands long-term recovery requires sustained action even after the headlines fade." She said the build brings together a cross-section of Los Angeles to help the community heal.
Expected supporters include Joshua Jackson, Melissa Rivers, Bellamy Young, Haley Joel Osment, Karen Pittman, Julie Bowen, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, Quentin Lake, Cat Cora and Chandra Wilson, along with executives from Creative Artists Agency, FOX, the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Football Club, Los Angeles Rams, NBCUniversal, Paramount, The Rosenzweig Group, Samsung, Sony, United Talent Agency, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery. Volunteers will assist residents at locations throughout Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
Partners and sponsors include Samsung Home Installation, which will fully outfit a home with new appliances, along with Airbnb, United Airlines, Wells Fargo, the Los Angeles Rams and others.
The Palisades fire burned more than 23,000 acres, destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and left entire communities changed. Families continue to face rising construction costs, insurance gaps and financial uncertainty. Among those often overlooked are hundreds of low-income households from Pacific Palisades and Malibu who lost their homes and remain displaced, Habitat LA said.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Meals on Wheels West Names Len Lanzi Interim Executive Director
URL: https://www.smdp.com/meals-on-wheels-west-names-len-lanzi-interim-executive-director/
Last updated: 2026-09-23T18:58:59.000Z
Meals on Wheels West has appointed board Chair Len Lanzi as interim executive director following the departure of Executive Director Kaylee Hawkins, the nonprofit announced Sept. 17.
Hawkins joined the organization in August 2025 and is leaving to pursue a new leadership opportunity in the nonprofit sector. Lanzi will lead the group while the board prepares to search for a permanent executive director.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, our staff, volunteers and the neighbors we serve, I want to thank Kaylee for her service to Meals on Wheels West and wish her well in her next chapter," board member Rob Sherman said. He added that the priority during the transition is continuity, ensuring clients keep receiving meals, personal connection and supportive services.
Lanzi brings more than 30 years of nonprofit management, organizational leadership and fund development experience to the role. As board chair, he has been involved in the organization's strategic planning and financial oversight.
"It is an honor to step into this role and support an organization and mission that means so much to me," Lanzi said. "Meals on Wheels West has served our coastal Los Angeles communities for more than five decades, and our responsibility to our homebound neighbors is as important today as it has ever been." He said his immediate focus is supporting staff and volunteers, maintaining relationships with donors and community partners, and ensuring stability.
The organization provides home-delivered meals and supportive services that help homebound neighbors of all ages maintain their health, independence and community connections. Its services include wellness checks, friendly visiting and calling, support for veterans, medically appropriate meals for people returning from hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, help for formerly unhoused individuals moving into permanent housing, pet support and emergency preparedness resources.
Meals on Wheels West serves Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Del Rey, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and delivered more than 200,000 meals last year to a record number of clients. The organization has served Los Angeles County's coastal communities since 1974.
"Leadership may change, but our mission does not," Lanzi said. "We will continue delivering more than a meal."
The board will announce additional information about the executive search when available. For more information, visit[ ](https://www.mealsonwheelswest.org/?ref=smdp.com)[MealsOnWheelsWest.org](https://www.mealsonwheelswest.org/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica-Malibu schools open new buildings as $480 million in facility work moves ahead
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-malibu-schools-open-new-buildings-as-480-million-in-facility-work-moves-ahead/
Last updated: 2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z
Students in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District started the fall semester in several newly finished buildings. District officials told the Board of Education on Thursday that a dozen more facility projects are under construction or in design.
Bond program manager Steven Massetti gave the update, which covered projects under Measures M, SMS, MM and QS.
"We just went through in 12 minutes about $480 million worth of work," Massetti said after the presentation.
Five major projects were put into use this summer and fall, though crews are still finishing remaining work at each:
**McKinley Elementary School:** a new administration and classroom [building](https://www.smdp.com/city-already-has-two-sb79-developments-replacing-single-family-homes/), with a construction contract of $33.5 million.
**Ocean Park School House:** water intrusion repairs and a modernization totaling $58.5 million.
**Grant Elementary School:** a $10.3 million library and historic courtyard renovation.
**Lincoln Middle School:** an $18 million modernization of its legacy building.
**John Adams Middle School:** a gym restroom and renovation project that finished ahead of schedule.
Massetti noted that his son's classroom is at McKinley. "This is the first time that those two circles have ever overlapped," he said.
At Lincoln, crews found an old doorway cut into a structural wall and filled in, probably about 30 years ago and possibly not to current code. Because of the noise, repairs are being done on weekends.
Not every project is on track. The $24.4 million Grant Elementary classroom building, due to open in January 2027, is running behind. The contractor and construction management team are working to recover the lost time.
"It doesn't sound like a lot when you say it's a few weeks behind schedule, but when that few weeks means you can't start the semester there, it's actually kind of a lot," Massetti said.
Roosevelt Elementary School's $31 million early education and library building remains on schedule to open in January 2027\. The new STEM building at John Adams Middle School is expected to open in August 2027.
Recent heavy rain soaked parts of the STEM building before it was fully waterproofed, forcing the contractor to replace the bottom foot of exposed drywall. Massetti cited a $27.5 million construction contract for the building but said he would confirm the figure.
The rain hit Franklin Elementary School harder, because crews there were grading bare dirt. The estimated $32 million early education building and campus improvement project had already been delayed in DSA permitting. New classrooms are now expected to open in winter 2027-28, followed by a new parking lot and a permanent field.
Grading at Franklin has also drawn complaints from neighbors whose backyards sit across an alley from the site. "It's more than just nuisance dust," Massetti said. District staff have met with the neighbors, and the contractor has agreed to power-wash their yards.
Franklin is also home to the district's natural turf pilot project, completed Sept. 2\. Rather than setting a fixed opening date, staff will check root depth in early October. "We're going to let the grass tell us when it's ready," Massetti said. He expects the field to open in mid-October.
The largest projects are still years from completion:
[**Samohi**](https://samohi.smmusd.org/?ref=smdp.com)**:** a new student services building, estimated at $80 million, began construction this summer where the business building once stood. Occupancy is planned for August 2028.
**Malibu middle school hub and gymnasium:** estimated at $64.5 million, the project recently received DSA approval and held its groundbreaking the week before the meeting. Completion is expected in summer 2028.
**Malibu aquatics center:** estimated at $42 million, it is expected to break ground in early 2027.
Board members praised the work and urged the district to do more to show it to the public.
"The people in the community have to see what they paid because it's our tax dollars that's built this," school board member Maria Leon-Vazquez said. She suggested open houses organized by school pathway.
Board Vice President Laurie Lieberman compared the idea to a progressive dinner. She said the district must share visual images and find other ways to show the work. "They can't possibly see where their tax dollars are going," Lieberman said. She added that the projects are about "safety and health" as well as 21st-century learning opportunities.
Massetti said staff would help but acknowledged the challenge. "It's hard to get people to just come to campus," he said.
School board member Jennifer Smith said the district plans another event at Samohi and will send the community a date, separate from tours for prospective parents.
Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton said staff have something planned for the district's State of Our Schools event. Board President Alicia Mignano said the event is Oct. 7.
### Museum of Flying extends hours, adding after-school window for visitors
URL: https://www.smdp.com/museum-of-flying-extends-hours-adding-after-school-window-for-visitors/
Last updated: 2026-09-23T09:59:59.000Z
The Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport is extending its daily hours to give families a new after-school window to explore its aviation collection, a change officials say is driven by rising demand.
Beginning Thursday, the museum will stay open an hour later, welcoming visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Previously it closed at 4 p.m.
"Our hours of operation are changing from Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.," said James Roberts, the museum's director of operations. "The new hours take effect on Thursday, September 24th."
Roberts said the decision was a response to growing interest, and that the timing lined up with the return of the school year.
"Yes, this is due to growing demand," he said. "We decided to make the change now that school has started for the fall, we noticed that from 3:30 to 4:30 we have had increased activity and interest in visitation. We believe we can offer a time frame after school and before dinner for guests to come and enjoy our space before heading home for the evening."
The nonprofit museum, at 3100 Airport Ave. on the south side of the airport, traces its identity to the Douglas Aircraft Company, which called [Santa Monica home](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monicas-dreams-of-water-self-sufficiency-go-down-the-drain/) for more than four decades and built over 10,000 aircraft there during World War II.
"Here at the Museum of Flying, we are the last entity of the Douglas Aircraft Company," Roberts said. "We have original artifacts, photographs and model airplanes from the original Douglas Aircraft factory that spanned most of the north side of the Santa Monica Airport."
Among the holdings, Roberts said, are "award winning murals, original artwork, the original Douglas Board Room table and rare photos related to the Douglas Aircraft Company and its founder Donald W. Douglas Sr." He added that the collection "also represents every aspect of aviation, giving us a little of something for every enthusiast."
The extra hour is aimed in part at younger visitors. The museum has leaned into hands-on exhibits in recent years, and Roberts said it has "created a new emphasis on interactive activities and exhibits geared towards the inspiration and education of children of all ages." He said there are "currently 5 fully interactive and hands on exhibits to explore and engage with."
A marquee attraction, he said, is a full-motion flight simulator: "The Museum also offers a full motion MaxFlight simulator which can perform 360 degree motion over two axes, it is the only one of its kind in Los Angeles!" The museum also displays more than 300 aircraft models, "with more to come in the very near future," Roberts said, and operates a store selling everything "from children's toys to high end aviation collectibles."
The museum's current collection chronicles flight from its earliest days into the jet age, with roughly a dozen to nearly two dozen aircraft. Highlights include a replica Wright Flyer and a Lockheed Vega — both donated by 20th Century Fox and featured in "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" — along with an outdoor Douglas DC-3 monument, a North American F-86 Sabre, a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and a FedEx Boeing 727-200 nose section. Visitors can climb into open cockpits, including a Boeing 727 cockpit where they can monitor the airport's control-tower radio and view the runway. The museum also hosts the California Aviation Hall of Fame.
Founded in 1974 as the Douglas Museum and Library by Donald Douglas Jr., the museum grew to a collection of more than 50 aircraft before closing in 2002 for financial reasons. It reopened in its current roughly 22,000-square-foot facility on Feb. 25, 2012.
The museum's longer-term future is tied to the fate of the airport, which is scheduled to close at the end of 2028, with the land planned for a park. Roberts said the museum expects to remain open regardless.
"The pending propositions for the future of the Airport would not affect our ability to remain open and operating, although not having the airport would definitely affect our ties to aviation and the active airspace," he said. "We are dedicated and looking forward to continuing to create new opportunities for growth and development at the museum and to offering much more for the community to experience and enjoy."
More information is available at [museumofflying.org](http://museumofflying.org/?ref=smdp.com).
### Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Names Shana Epstein CEO
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-chamber-of-commerce-names-shana-epstein-ceo/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T23:43:34.000Z
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has named Shana Epstein as its next chief executive officer, effective Oct. 12, following a competitive recruitment process.
Epstein, a longtime Santa Monica resident, joins the Chamber after more than 20 years of executive leadership in the cities of Beverly Hills and Ventura, and more than 30 years of experience across public works, infrastructure and economic development.
"We are excited for the leadership, energy, and community service focus Shana will bring to the Chamber," said Addie Van Gessel, board chair. "She has spent her career working directly with city government while making sure businesses, residents, and civic leaders each feel heard. Her creativity and enthusiasm made her the standout candidate, and I am confident she will advance our business community's voice to support a vibrant Santa Monica."
For the past nine years, Epstein has served as director of public works for the city of Beverly Hills, leading a team of more than 220 professionals and managing an operating budget of about $160 million. In that role, she worked closely with the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Task Force and coordinated holiday lighting and art installations along the Golden Triangle and Rodeo Drive. She also managed logistics for major events, including the Golden Globes, the Milken Institute Global Conference and the LA Marathon, and leads construction mitigation with LA County Metro to protect businesses along Wilshire Boulevard during subway construction.
Known for a customer-service approach to government, Epstein created askBH, Beverly Hills' centralized 311 customer relations center. She has also guided complex community processes, from utility rate approvals to climate action planning.
Before Beverly Hills, Epstein was the inaugural general manager of Ventura Water, where she raised funds for a $515 million, six-year capital improvement program, secured $20 million in federal grants and restored the wastewater utility's AA bond rating. She also supported the city's tech incubator and brought business owners onto the Rate Advisory Task Force.
"Business owners deserve a Chamber that listens first, responds quickly, and brings every voice to the table, from small merchants to major employers to City Hall," Epstein said. "Santa Monica is my home, and I am honored to be its business community's strongest advocate."
Epstein holds a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in political science from UC San Diego. She resides in Santa Monica with her husband.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### City already has two SB79 developments replacing single family homes
URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-already-has-two-sb79-developments-replacing-single-family-homes/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T21:09:54.000Z
A developer has filed plans for a 12-story, 32-unit apartment tower near the 17th Street/Santa Monica College Metro station, marking the second project submitted under the state's new transit-density law.
Applicant Bruce Adler filed the preliminary application for the project at 1517 15th St. on Aug. 14, submitting it under the state Housing Crisis Act, or SB 330, which allows developers to lock in local rules in effect at the time of filing. The parcel, zoned for two-family residential use, currently holds a single-family home that has sat unoccupied, according to the filing, which states no tenants would be displaced by the project.
The proposal calls for demolishing that home — which is more than 40 years old and would require a demolition permit — and replacing it with a 12-story, 100% residential building topped out at roughly 138 feet. The design features a one-story concrete podium supporting an 11-story mass-timber tower above, with a footprint of 40 feet by 140 feet and a total gross floor area of 67,200 square feet on the 7,500-square-foot lot — a floor-area ratio of 8.96.
The building would include 32 one- and two-bedroom units, 26 of them market-rate and six deed-restricted as affordable: one for very low-income households, two for low-income households and three for moderate-income households. The affordable units would be satisfied on-site rather than through an in-lieu fee. The application lists an estimated construction cost of $36.1 million.
The project includes no state-mandated vehicle parking, taking advantage of SB 79's parking exemption for developments within a transit-priority zone, though the applicant intends to include four to eight optional spaces accessed from the rear alley. To accommodate the tower's scale within the site's base zoning, Adler is seeking a lengthy list of waivers and incentives under the state's Density Bonus Law, including increases to allowable height, floor-area ratio and lot coverage; reductions to required front, side and rear setbacks; and the elimination of standard requirements for upper-story stepbacks, open space and landscaping. The filing states the applicant reserves the right to modify that list as the review process continues.
Construction would require removing several trees on the private portion of the lot, including a lemon tree, a fig tree and two ornamental juniper shrubs, according to the application. A mature magnolia tree in the public sidewalk parkway in front of the property is not slated for removal, but the filing notes the building's zero front-yard setback could bring the structure into contact with the tree's canopy, an issue the applicant says will be coordinated with the city's Public Landscape Division.
The tower proposal follows closely on the heels of the city's first SB 79 filing, submitted the same month near the Bergamot Station. That project, known as "Delaware House," calls for demolishing a 1,051-square-foot single-family home built in 1949 at 2904 Delaware Ave. to make way for five three-story, three-bedroom townhomes totaling nearly 9,916 square feet. The applicant, Ficus Forest LLC, led by Eric Silverberg of Miami Beach, worked with designer Open Office on the plan, which includes one at-grade parking space per unit and satisfies its affordable-housing requirement through an in-lieu fee. The project is structured as a five-unit airspace condominium tract.
The two filings arrive amid a broader debate over SB 79 in Santa Monica. The law, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, overrides local zoning to allow denser housing near qualifying transit stops in eight urban counties, including Los Angeles. Depending on a site's proximity to a qualifying stop, cities cannot cap density below 80 to 120 units per acre or height below 55 to 75 feet, with an added "adjacency intensifier" that can push limits even higher.
Santa Monica initially embraced the law, with the City Council voting 6-1 to formally endorse SB 79 with Councilwoman Lana Negrete casting the lone “no” vote. Despite being one of just a handful of cities to support the law, the council unanimously adopted a "phased implementation" approach voting to temporarily exclude five of its seven qualifying transit zones — plus downtown bus stops — from the law's requirements until the city adopts its next housing element or 2030, whichever comes first.
The Expo/Bundy station, whose half-mile radius extends into the Pico neighborhood, initially fell short of qualifying for that exclusion because too few nearby parcels met the density threshold. In response, the council voted to pursue upzoning single-family parcels — rather than the multifamily upzoning initially recommended by staff — in order to bring the zone into compliance. On Sept. 8, the council held a first-reading public hearing on a plan to upzone the 89 single-family parcels and reiterated its plan to cluster the new development standards into the R1 zones.
### LA County Launches 'Know Your Rights' Campaign for Youth
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-launches-know-your-rights-campaign-for-youth/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T18:58:59.000Z
The Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development has launched "LA Youth: Know Your Rights," a countywide education campaign that gives young people tools to understand and exercise their rights during protests, walkouts and encounters with law enforcement, school security or immigration authorities.
The campaign stems from a July 2025 motion, "Empowering Youth Through Know Your Rights Education for Civic Engagement," authored by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn. It responds to concerns about marginalized youth amid heightened immigration enforcement, ICE raids and the "No Kings" movement.
"DYD's core mission is to transition away from punishment-centered systems and instead invest deeply in care, opportunity, and youth-led empowerment," said DYD Director David J. Carroll. "This campaign meets young leaders exactly where they are — in community spaces, and online."
"As families continue to navigate fear, uncertainty and shifting federal policies, it is critical that young people have the information they need to stay safe and informed," said Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. She said the toolkit reflects the county's commitment to equipping young Angelenos to understand their constitutional rights and remain civically engaged.
Hahn said the campaign would help young people stand up for their communities and "make it home safely."
A focal point is the KYR Youth Toolkit, a digitally accessible guide offering advice on protesting safely and understanding First Amendment rights; knowing what to do if stopped by police, school security or federal immigration agents; and legal protections, emergency planning and local resources for undocumented and mixed-status youth and families.
"Young people shouldn't have to learn about their rights the hard way," said Public Defender Ricardo Garcia. "Knowing your rights isn't just about knowing the law, it's about knowing your power."
The campaign included five youth workshops held across all county regions in summer 2026, a collaboration among DYD, the Public Defender's Office, the Alternate Public Defender's Office and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. The workshops trained 144 youth on their constitutional rights during protests, walkouts and law enforcement encounters.
Young people, educators, parents and advocates can access the toolkit and connect with free legal and immigrant support resources at dyd.lacounty.gov/kyr.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA28 Games Could Generate Up to $40.6 Billion for the Region, Study Finds
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la28-games-could-generate-up-to-40-6-billion-for-the-region-study-finds/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T18:58:59.000Z
The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games could generate between about $20.5 billion and $40.6 billion in economic output and support roughly 126,000 to 224,000 jobs across Greater Los Angeles, according to a new analysis from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
Conducted by LAEDC's Institute for Applied Economics and commissioned by LA28, the study assesses the economic and fiscal impacts of planning, preparing for and hosting the Games across the multiyear period leading up to and including 2028.
"The scale and breadth of the economic activity associated with the 2028 Games is significant, even when viewed through a conservative lens," said Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of LAEDC. "Our analysis shows the impact reaching across the regional economy, from jobs and labor income to local businesses, visitor spending, and long-term investment."
"The impact of the LA28 Games will be felt far beyond the moment the last medal is awarded," said Reynold Hoover, CEO of LA28\. "This study shows the tremendous opportunity we have to support jobs, open doors for local businesses, and drive investments that strengthen communities across Los Angeles."
The study examined five sources of economic activity: LA28 operational spending, Games-related transportation and security spending, capital investment, non-resident visitor spending and spending by independently funded stakeholders.
Capital investment represents the largest single source of impact. About $8.35 billion in transportation, airport, mobility, accessibility and venue investments have been accelerated or undertaken in connection with the Games, aided by LA28's no-build approach for venues.
The analysis estimates the Games could generate about $5.1 billion to $5.9 billion in combined federal, state and local tax revenue. LA28 has set goals to direct 75% of its addressable procurement spending to businesses in Greater Los Angeles and 25% to local and small businesses.
The Games are expected to draw around 2 million visitors, generating an estimated $1.6 billion to $4.3 billion in direct visitor spending in Los Angeles County alone, benefiting hotels, restaurants and retailers.
The analysis relies on two methodologies — a National Income Accounting framework recommended by the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology, and the IMPLAN regional input-output framework — along with OECD guidance for measuring the impacts of major events.
The full report is available at[ ](https://laedc.org/download/projected-economic-impacts-of-the-los-angeles-2028-olympic-paralympic-games?ref=smdp.com#1)[https://laedc.org/download/projected-economic-impacts-of-the-los-angeles-2028-olympic-paralympic-games#1](https://laedc.org/download/projected-economic-impacts-of-the-los-angeles-2028-olympic-paralympic-games?ref=smdp.com#1).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Malibu Reaches Palisades Fire Rebuilding Milestones with 100th Permit, First Certificate of Occupancy
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-reaches-palisades-fire-rebuilding-milestones-with-100th-permit-first-certificate-of-occupancy/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T18:58:59.000Z
The city of Malibu has reached two milestones in rebuilding homes destroyed or damaged in the January 2025 Palisades Fire: issuing its 100th construction permit and granting its first Certificate of Occupancy for a completed rebuilt home.
Big Rock residents Denise and George Toberman received the certificate at the City Council meeting Sept. 14, allowing them to move back into their home. The document marks the completion of construction and final inspections. The Tobermans received their permit in October 2025 and finished their rebuild in 11 months — the first completed home to receive a Certificate of Occupancy.
"This is a milestone that brings the meaning of recovery home in a very real way," City Manager Joe Irvin said. "The first Certificate of Occupancy means that a Malibu family can finally return to a home that was lost in the Palisades Fire. At the same time, reaching 100 permits to begin construction shows that rebuilding is moving forward throughout our community."
The Tobermans have also become advocates for other fire-affected homeowners, sharing rebuild updates and encouragement for families beginning their own projects.
"Coming home is something I have looked forward to since the fire," Denise Toberman said. "It is not easy or fast, but I hope seeing this first completed home gives other Malibu families hope that they can get there, too."
The city's rebuilding program offers direct assistance through planning, permitting, construction and inspection. Staff established the Malibu Rebuild Center, where property owners and their teams can meet with city and agency staff for guidance. The city also provides pre-submittal consultations, online project tracking and a dedicated rebuild website. The City Council has adopted measures to reduce financial and regulatory burdens, including rebuild fee waivers for eligible like-for-like projects.
As of Sept. 14, the city has issued 370 planning approvals, while 66 projects have been submitted for plan check and are under review.
"We know that every family's path home is different," said Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy, who leads the rebuild effort. "These are important steps for Malibu, and we will continue doing everything we can every day to help our community rebuild."
The Palisades Fire destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and structures in Malibu. For information about recovery and rebuilding resources, visit[ ](https://www.maliburebuilds.org/?ref=smdp.com)[https://www.maliburebuilds.org](https://www.maliburebuilds.org/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Supervisors Horvath, Barger Push Next Steps on County Disaster Response
URL: https://www.smdp.com/supervisors-horvath-barger-push-next-steps-on-county-disaster-response/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T18:58:59.000Z
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors received its second independent After Action Review of the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, focused on repopulation and recovery. Following the hearing, Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Kathryn Barger introduced a motion directing next steps to act on the review's recommendations.
The motion emphasizes accountability, practical implementation and follow-through, including recommendations carried over from the Woolsey Fire.
"Survivors have been holding government accountable from the beginning by telling us where systems broke down, where they were left without answers, and what must work differently next time," Horvath said. "A recommendation on paper does not change someone's experience in a disaster. Implementation does. That means assigning responsible parties, a timeline, and the necessary resources behind the work, and being transparent about our progress."
Horvath said the county must connect the work across every level of government so survivors are not left to navigate the boundaries of local, state and federal agencies. She said the review begins to lay out what needs to be done, and the county must now name who is responsible, track the work and complete it.
Barger said the county will inevitably face another major disaster and must be prepared.
"The pain and suffering endured by wildfire survivors must drive us to step up and do better — and accountability means turning lessons learned into action," Barger said. "This motion ensures these recommendations don't sit on a shelf. We're putting accountability behind them, tracking their implementation, and making sure the county follows through."
The unanimously approved motion requires regular reporting on implementation, including who is responsible, what resources are needed and what barriers must be addressed to complete near-, mid- and long-term recommendations. It also calls for a dedicated third-party administrator to track progress and strengthen coordination across local, state and federal partners.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA mayoral rivals clash over public safety and the police chief but miss key issues
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-mayoral-rivals-clash-over-public-safety-and-the-police-chief-but-miss-key-issues/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T15:59:59.000Z
As Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman vie to become the next mayor of California’s largest city, they are sparring over the wrong issues regarding public safety, discussing it in terms that fail to illuminate the most important questions about the direction of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Start with the department’s top cop, Chief Jim McDonnell.
Raman says McDonnell has “[lost the confidence](https://www.nithyaforthecity.com/immigrants?ref=smdp.com)” of the city, an assertion for which she offers no real evidence. She says there‘s a perception that the LAPD is doing too much to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Both observations are, at best, debatable and, at worst, wrong.
Bass, meanwhile, is responsible for McDonnell and has supported his efforts to stem attrition and rebuild the department’s ranks.
She appointed him to a five-year term in 2024, with Raman joining 10 other council members who voted in support. Shortly after that, the first wave of President Donald Trump’s strategy to militarize immigration enforcement[ ](https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/06/la-immigration-protests-photo-essay/?ref=smdp.com)[blasted into Los Angeles](https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/06/la-immigration-protests-photo-essay/?ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/01/ice-hard-lessons-lapd/?ref=smdp.com)[ratcheting up the level of violence](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/01/ice-hard-lessons-lapd/?ref=smdp.com) in other Democratic cities.
That placed McDonnell and the LAPD in a delicate position: Department policy has long prohibited police officers from making stops based on suspicion of immigration status, a measure adopted in 1979 to protect all residents by encouraging witnesses and victims to come forward.
But the LAPD also has an historic obligation to “protect and serve” all those who are in the city, regardless of race, orientation, immigration status — or even professional position. That means LAPD officers have sometimes found themselves protecting ICE officers from angry residents, a situation Raman and others have complained creates “bad optics” of local police seeming to side with ICE over immigrants.
That’s nonsense. ICE officers are doing dumb and counterproductive work in Los Angeles, and the mayor, council and chief have every responsibility to resist that work at the policy level.
That does not mean allowing ICE officers to be assaulted, though. LAPD’s obligation to protect and serve extends to the hapless ICE agent who is here only because Trump’s ego requires a show of force.
Moreover, federal immigration authorities have the right to deport those who are in the country illegally. That does not mean the LAPD should lend a hand — it should not — but police officers cannot impede federal law.
Marijuana enforcement provides a good analogy: Police officers in Los Angeles may not stop a Drug Enforcement Administration agent from enforcing federal drug laws, but that doesn’t mean the police are required to cuff every kid smoking a joint.
Whatever the merits of McDonnell’s leadership of the LAPD, his continued service should not rest on a false assumption that the LAPD should withhold protection from ICE agents to assure residents the department is not an agent of federal authority. ICE’s work is deplorable; leaving its agents at risk of harm is not the right response.
As to the claim that McDonnell does not deserve to continue in his job, that warrants a larger analysis than a campaign soundbite.
The critical criteria for evaluating a chief of police are crime, the behavior of officers and the department’s response to allegations of misconduct. Are LAPD officers respecting the constitutional protections of those they arrest or otherwise encounter? And are those officers doing their work in ways that serve the public?
In other words, are police obeying and enforcing the law, and doing so in ways that make the city safer?
McDonnell has some significant points in his favor. Violent crime in Los Angeles is at historic lows: The city had 230 homicides in 2025, down 54 from the year before and the fewest of any year since 1966.
Overall, violent crimes and property crimes were down. That is evidence of a city getting safer.
Meanwhile, however, LAPD officers increased their uses of force — firing their guns more than 45 times in 2025, a 70% increase, and leaving 14 people dead.
Responding to Bass’ concern about the uptick in officer-involved shootings, McDonnell warned that[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeIZaNcwcok&ref=smdp.com)[every shooting would be “rigorously investigated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeIZaNcwcok&ref=smdp.com), both internally as well as externally, through independent oversight bodies.”
McDonnell’s statement is to be commended, and city leaders should hold him and his subordinates responsible for any violence committed by police, with the obvious understanding that some violence is inevitable and may be justifiable.
Former Chief Bernard C. Parks used to say that the LAPD disciplines too many officers and fires too few.
His point about leniency still stands: A chief cannot prevent every unwarranted use of force or inappropriate contact with the public, but the chief can — and must — set firm standards and hold officers to them.
The other issue that creeps into the discussion of policing is money, and there the mayoral campaign has tended to distort rather than clarify. Bass has called for more funding for the LAPD while[ ](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/02/la-mayor-liberal-voters-election/?ref=smdp.com)[Raman has objected](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/02/la-mayor-liberal-voters-election/?ref=smdp.com) — seeming to place the mayor in defense of the department and Raman as its critic.
To put it simply, the right political response to criticism of the LAPD is not to cut the department’s budget. Throwing money at the LAPD also won’t solve its problems, but sometimes more officers are needed to do better work, and cutting budgets can result in more violence and misunderstanding, not less.
Budgets should not be used to punish or reward the LAPD. They should be tailored to fighting crime and holding police accountable for doing their important work within the strictures of the law and constitution.
To be clear, the right debate over public safety is not about whether Jim McDonnell should be fired or whether he or the LAPD has “lost the confidence” of the city.
The real conversation starts with both mayoral candidates articulating a vision for the police department’s responsibilities.
Then it moves to the work of civilian authorities to solidify that vision into a set of directions for the department. Once it has those directions, the LAPD and its chief should be held responsible for carrying them out — lawfully and effectively.
A chief who carries out that mandate, who brings down crime and holds his (or her) officers accountable for genuinely protecting and serving the community should be rewarded. One who does not should be replaced.
\_\_\_\_\_\_
**By**[ **Jim Newton**](https://calmatters.org/author/jim-newton/?ref=smdp.com)
### An Open Letter to the Santa Monica City Council: Stop Sacrificing the Pico Neighborhood
URL: https://www.smdp.com/an-open-letter-to-the-santa-monica-city-council-stop-sacrificing-the-pico-neighborhood/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T15:59:59.000Z
**To the Santa Monica City Council**
On September 8, 2026, the majority of the City Council voted to move forward with Option 1: the immediate, unmodified implementation of SB 79's development standards across 89 R1 parcels in the Expo/Bundy Transit-Oriented Development Zone. Rebuking the recommended option of your own Planning Commission, you voted to destroy/upzone the only R1 neighborhood in the Pico Neighborhood. You did this over the explicit, well-documented, and thoroughly reasoned objection of the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) and the residents who live in the Gandara Park Neighborhood. You did it without reliable data on who actually lives in the affected homes, not taking into account that dozens of families who live in R1 homes as renters will likely be evicted as developers zero in on the cheapest R1 lots in Santa Monica. You proceeded under a CEQA exemption that let you avoid asking hard questions about air quality, displacement, and cumulative environmental harm. In the weeks since, you have not lifted a finger to begin the community outreach that a decision of this magnitude demands. You did all of this to a neighborhood that has spent the better part of a century absorbing the costs of decisions made by people in power who are not directly impacted by the decisions made. Many of you recently moved to Santa Monica with a developer-funded YIMBY agenda to fill Santa Monica with market-rate and moderate-rate high-rise housing. You will no doubt begin by destroying the Pico Neighborhood’s character and, moving forward, displace long-term renters and families one neighborhood at a time. You campaigned on a pro-renter platform yet advocated and voted to support SB 79, which will result in mass displacement targeting low-income neighborhoods. It is clear you don’t care about Santa Monica residents, you care about delivering construction projects for your developer donors.
**Your Racial Justice Language Is Cosmetic Justice**
This City Council loves to talk about racial equity. It is in your resolutions, your press releases, your General Plan language about "retaining and protecting the City's multi-ethnic and multi-income character." You will stand at a podium and speak fluently about restorative justice, about environmental justice, about righting historical wrongs. And then, when an actual decision arrives that tests whether you mean any of it, you vote to upzone 37 parcels beyond the legal minimum in the one neighborhood in this city that has endured redlining, racial covenants, unfair elections and bifurcation by the I-10 freeway that your predecessors planned on purpose. You cannot claim the moral credit of racial justice rhetoric while producing the material outcomes of racial displacement. Restorative justice is not a phrase for the resolution binder. It means recognizing that a neighborhood which has already been cut in half by a freeway, has already absorbed the region's transit infrastructure, and has already been treated as this city's dumping ground for uses no one else wanted, has earned the right to a deliberate, data-informed, community-driven planning process, not a rushed vote followed by silence.
If this Council's commitment to equity were real, Option 1 of how to implement the demands of SB79 would have been dead on arrival. Instead, you took a policy that even your own staff acknowledged could have been scoped to affect 52 parcels and expanded it to 89, in the one TOD zone out of seven that didn't already have the capacity to qualify for exclusion.
**This Is Not New. This Is Déjà Vu, the Same Pattern, All Over Again**
The Pico Neighborhood has been here before, and you know it. The history of the Pico Neighborhood is written into the historical record of this city. In 1958, the I-10 Freeway was routed directly through the heart of this neighborhood not because there was no other path, but because it needed to connect to the McClure Tunnel and Santa Monica's business interests wanted the conduit. Between 600 and 1,500 mostly Black and Mexican American residents, many of whom had lived in their homes for an average of 17 years, were displaced. Their compensation was not enough to let most of them stay in Santa Monica. Families scattered to Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, and the San Fernando Valley. Churches lost half their congregations. A thriving Black and Latino business corridor on Olympic Boulevard was gutted. The freeway didn't just take homes it physically severed the neighborhood in two, and it took nearly a decade before Stewart Avenue was even extended to reconnect the two halves you had split.
That was not an accident of engineering. Industrial zoning, manufacturing plants, and later the transit maintenance yard were all sited disproportionately close to the Black, Mexican American, and Japanese American families who had the least power to protect their neighborhoods. This Council's predecessors built environmental racism into the map of this neighborhood, brick by brick and freeway lane by freeway lane, and Pico has been paying interest on that debt for sixty years in noise, in air quality, public health impacts, in truncated property values, in generations of families who never fully recovered what the freeway took from them.
Choosing Option 1 of the SB79 options presented by city staff continues that pattern under new letterhead, dressed up in the vocabulary of housing production instead of infrastructure. You have opted for immediate SB 79 implementation, without a locally developed alternative plan, without anti-displacement protections, and without an environmental justice analysis. You treat Pico as a transit opportunity zone, a line item to be optimized, not a place where people, many of them the descendants of the very families your freeway displaced, still live.
**"More Housing" Is Not a Blank Check, and You Know It**
This Council likes to talk about the housing crisis in the language of scarcity: build more, anywhere, as fast as possible, and the market will sort out who benefits. That is not planning. That is an abdication of it. You are selling out our neighborhoods to developers under the guise of creating high-rise housing that most residents can’t afford. Displaced tenants don't vanish; they compete for whatever affordable housing is left in the next neighborhood over, driving rents up there too. This is not a hypothetical. It is the documented trajectory of neighborhood after neighborhood. During the City Council meeting on September 8th, Councilmember Dan Hall showed us a PowerPoint presentation on your plans to build high-rise housing in other neighborhoods in the city, creating urban canyons that will hide the sun from Santa Monica residents. It was clear from Hall’s presentation that you will upzone and densify all neighborhoods, destroying the character of our City and displacing long-term renters throughout Santa Monica.
**Why The Pico Neighborhood Needs District Elections in Santa Monica**
Santa Monica's defenders of unfair at-large elections love pointing to Latino or Pico-based councilmembers as proof the election system works. The city touts that councilmembers Natalia Zernitskaya, Ellis Raskin, and Barry Snell live in Pico district, as if that settles representation. It doesn't. Those three, along with Mayor Caroline Torosis and council member Dan Hall, just voted to destroy the only R1 zone through the one neighborhood already cut in half by a freeway and gutted by industrial zoning decades ago. In fact, Ellis led the vote by making the motion to propose Option 1\. Clearly, living in Pico isn't the same as representing Pico residents. When your campaign is funded by developers and pro-density special interests, you answer to those donors, and not to Pico's renters and homeowners. That's the case for district elections: representatives who must earn Pico's support and lose their seat if they betray it, not council members who trade on their address while serving the interests that bankrolled them.
Pico has too often been asked to go first, sacrifice first, and be protected later, if at all. This Council had the chance to break that pattern. Instead, it voted to extend it, and then it went quiet. That vote can still be revisited, and that silence can still be broken. The people of the Pico Neighborhood, the renters in R1 homes that your data doesn't count, the homeowners whose families rebuilt after the freeway, the tenants who don't yet know their block was just rezoned out from under them are watching to see whether this Council's commitment to racial and environmental justice is a governing principle or just a talking point.
\_\_\_\_
Maria Loya, PNA Chair
### Presley Gerber, son of Cindy Crawford dies in Santa Monica at age 27
URL: https://www.smdp.com/presley-gerber-malibu-raised-model-and-son-of-cindy-crawford-dies-at-27/
Last updated: 2026-09-22T01:56:59.000Z
Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel[ Cindy Crawford](https://apnews.com/article/9fd124118e664aca9b59daf893ed46cd?ref=smdp.com) and businessperson Rande Gerber, died Sunday at age 27, a family representative said.
Gerber died at a rehabilitation facility, according to online records of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner and according to the Santa Monica Police Department, the facility is located on the 1000 block of Berkeley Street.
The medical examiner did not provide a cause of death Sunday. An autopsy was performed, but more testing is required before investigators can give a cause, according to the medical examiner’s website.
However, SMPD said they arrived at the facility for a report of an overdose at about 9:35 a.m. and found Gerber dead at the scene. SMPD said it will be the Medical Examiner who makes a final determination on cause of death but police are pursuing the case as an overdose investigation with no sign of foul play.
The facility has been identified as Resolutions Living, a luxury sober living and mental health recovery residence. According to the company, the co-ed facility, affiliated with Resolutions Treatment, serves adults transitioning out of residential treatment for addiction, mental health issues, and co-occurring disorders. Housed in a three-story property with ocean and city-light views, the residence pairs upscale amenities — chef-prepared meals, an in-home movie theater, multiple balconies and outdoor seating — with structured clinical support. Resolutions Living positions its location as a selling point, noting proximity to Santa Monica's services alongside a "safe and discrete" residential setting.
The death was confirmed by Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and Rande Gerber, who were married in 1998.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” Jenkins said in an email Sunday night.
#### **Gerber was a model in his own right**
Gerber was a model and the older brother of model and actor[ Kaia Gerber](https://apnews.com/article/cindy-crawford-fd1f304a0c6841dd86209c1d9583d598?ref=smdp.com). He had been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, documenting his journey on Instagram. He even started a “Mental Health Mondays” series on the platform to raise awareness and share wellness tips. Across multiple episodes, he related his own experiences with substances ranging from ketamine to kratom, as well as his time at rehabilitation facilities.
He posted an Instagram video in March from Mexico, where he said he planned to take[ ibogaine, a potent psychedelic](https://apnews.com/article/psychedelics-rfk-jr-kennedy-ibogaine-mdma-4e59a3eb2d23d98f2579d25c73c34e9b?ref=smdp.com) that is being studied as a treatment for opioid addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. Ibogaine — known to sometimes trigger potentially fatal heart problems — is banned in the U.S. under the federal government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs, although President Donald Trump directed his administration to[ ease restrictions and spur research.](https://apnews.com/article/ibogaine-psychedelic-trump-fda-ptsd-veterans-kennedy-a9940fa57fa1457fc064eb5165003524?ref=smdp.com)
Raised in Malibu, California, Gerber signed with the management agency IMG as a teenager and made his runway debut for Moschino at 16\. In 2018, he appeared alongside his mother — whose famous beauty mark he inherited — in a Pepsi Super Bowl ad that paid homage to her 1992 commercial for the soda brand. That same year, he and his sister shot a campaign for Calvin Klein jeans.
Gerber later signed with DNA Models. His biography on the agency's website describes him as an entrepreneur and model who was inspired by “his mother’s legendary modeling career and his father’s lucrative business career.” Rande Gerber's businesses have included restaurants, nightlife companies and Casamigos — a tequila brand he cofounded with George Clooney and Mike Meldman that was[ sold to Diageo in a $1 billion deal.](https://apnews.com/movies-arts-and-entertainment-general-news-6cdd4e44810e4cb39036b82d2ad065d3?ref=smdp.com)
#### **Gerber was open about his struggles with addiction**
Gerber's modeling biography also described him as an “avid surfer and skater.” In an Instagram video posted in July 2025, Gerber described growing up as a dedicated athlete who spent hours in the water nearly every day — a routine that came to a halt when he started working. With less physical activity, Gerber said, he was put on more medication and his quality of life suffered.
“For me it took 10 years of looking back at my life being like, ‘Well, what changed?’ A lot of the time people would ask like, ‘You were such a happy kid; what happened to you?’” he recalled. “What happened was life happened and I wasn't able to worry about one thing, which was my next meal and then get back in the ocean. Like I had to start making money, I had to start — I got a job.”
In an interview with Vogue last month, Kaia Gerber praised her brother for being so open about his experience with addiction.
“My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything—and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” she[ told the magazine.](https://www.vogue.com/article/kaia-gerber-homer-gere-september-cover-2026-interview?ref=smdp.com) “There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.”
In addition to his testimonial videos, Gerber's Instagram was a collection of modeling shoots and memories that stretched back to childhood. His life around cameras influenced his own interest in photography as an art form.
“I have always been the type of person to stop and take a picture when everybody is just focused on the destination,”[ he told Vogue](https://www.vogue.com/article/presley-gerber-moschino-runway-debut-interview?ref=smdp.com) in 2016, on the occasion of his runway debut. “I feel like people walk by a countless amount of beauty in the world every day, and I hope that I don’t miss all of it.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or substance use, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
### Documentary 'Beyond the Performance' Follows Santa Monica Pier Street Performer
URL: https://www.smdp.com/documentary-beyond-the-performance-follows-santa-monica-pier-street-performer/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T18:59:00.000Z
A new short documentary follows a young street performer through a day of shows on the Santa Monica Pier and his life beyond it.
"Beyond the Performance," a 26-minute, 52-second film by director Valentine Di Marco, follows Jay, a 22-year-old street performer who has performed on the Santa Monica Pier since he was 18\. The documentary spends a day with him, beginning with the performers' spot lottery and following several shows on the Pier.
The film observes how Jay and his crew organize their performances, split their earnings and navigate the physical demands of the work. It later follows Jay to boxing training in Venice Beach, revealing another part of his life beyond the Pier.
The film is part of "What a Life," an independent documentary series created and directed by Di Marco. The series explores the lives people build around the things that matter to them, using an observational approach rooted in everyday life. Most subjects are people Di Marco meets naturally, especially around Los Angeles, and each story develops through spending time with them rather than beginning with a predetermined narrative.
Filmed at the Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach, "Beyond the Performance" is set for release Sept. 23, 2026.
More information is available at whatalifestories.com or on YouTube at @whatalife.stories.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Downtown LA Pair Charged with Possessing 42 Kilograms of Fentanyl, Small Alligator
URL: https://www.smdp.com/downtown-la-pair-charged-with-possessing-42-kilograms-of-fentanyl-small-alligator/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T18:58:59.000Z
A man and woman living in a luxury downtown Los Angeles apartment that investigators believe was a stash house have been arrested on allegations of possessing more than 42 kilograms of fentanyl, more than seven kilograms of cocaine, firearms, drug-making materials and a small alligator, the Justice Department announced.
Marvin Angelito, 27, and Susan Gonzalez, 26, were arrested Sept. 10 and charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Both made their initial court appearances Monday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson ordered Angelito detained and Gonzalez released on $15,000 bond. Angelito's arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 2 and Gonzalez's for Oct. 9\. No pleas were taken.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, the apartment was a known drug trafficking location. On Sept. 10, law enforcement executed a search warrant and seized about 42.6 kilograms (93.9 pounds) of fentanyl pills and powder, about one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of heroin and 7.2 kilograms (15.9 pounds) of cocaine, along with laboratory equipment including beakers, mixers, stirrers and torches, and a hydraulic press.
Officers also seized an AR-15 rifle with ammunition from a hallway closet, a gold-plated Desert Eagle .50-caliber pistol with ammunition from the kitchen counter, a police radio and a small alligator, which U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents took.
A criminal complaint contains only allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI New Haven Homeland Security Task Force, the FBI Los Angeles Regional Narcotics Suppression Program and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating. The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159\. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Masson of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Juicy Ladies Opens New Santa Monica Location on Ocean Park Boulevard
URL: https://www.smdp.com/juicy-ladies-opens-new-santa-monica-location-on-ocean-park-boulevard/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T18:59:00.000Z
Juicy Ladies, an organic cafe and juice bar, has opened its newest location at 2727 Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica, bringing cold-pressed juices, specialty coffee and organic breakfast and lunch offerings to the Westside.
The Santa Monica location had been in development before the January 2025 Palisades Fire. Although the project was delayed after the fire, the cafe is now open.
"We are so grateful to open our doors in Santa Monica and become part of this incredible community," said Magal Nagar, co-owner of Juicy Ladies. "This opening represents resilience, hope, and a true labor of love. We cannot wait to serve our neighbors, welcome familiar faces, and meet new members of the Westside community every day."
The menu includes organic breakfast and lunch items such as acai bowls, protein-rich wraps, salads and entrees; cold-pressed juices and wellness shots; and specialty coffee and superfood drinks. The cafe offers dine-in and takeout.
Nagar said the team hopes to eventually return to its original Sunset Boulevard location in Pacific Palisades, which was disrupted by the fire. A reopening there depends on several factors, including the pace of neighborhood recovery, the return of local residents and businesses, insurance considerations and whether the customer base has sufficiently returned to support a sustainable reopening.
"Our hearts remain in Pacific Palisades," Nagar said. "We miss our beautiful Sunset community immensely, and we sincerely hope to come back when the circumstances allow."
Until then, the business invites former Palisades guests, Santa Monica neighbors and Westside visitors to the new cafe. Juicy Ladies is open daily at 2727 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### USGBC California Releases Major Update to Wildfire Rebuilding Guide
URL: https://www.smdp.com/usgbc-california-releases-major-update-to-wildfire-rebuilding-guide/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T17:47:11.000Z
USGBC California has announced the first major update to its California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide, aiming to help families affected by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires rebuild with greater resilience, safety and long-term climate considerations.
The organization will present the updated version during the "Wildfire Rebuilding Guide Version 2 Launch Webinar" on Sept. 21, 2026, from noon to 1 p.m. The webinar will explore key updates and build on the strategies and resources in the first version, released in April 2025, which has been downloaded by thousands of homeowners and professionals.
Supported in part by LADWP and Clean Power Alliance and originally created with sustainable development consulting firm Arup, the guide provides guidance on fire-resistant and sustainable materials, landscape stewardship and all-electric homes. New additions include information on stacking available incentives to make resilient rebuilding more affordable.
"Eighteen months into the rebuilding process, we've learned an enormous amount from wildfire survivors, community organizations, builders, utilities, insurers, and resilience experts working on the ground," said Ben Stapleton, CEO of USGBC California. "This updated guide turns those lessons into practical choices homeowners can use today. Rebuilding is incredibly personal, and there is no single right path."
Key takeaways from the update include step-by-step soil testing and remediation guidance, updated Board of Forestry guidance on Zone 0, ways to save water with smart devices, cost-effective home electrification and how building back resiliently can make a home more insurable.
State Sen. Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles, who lost his home in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, said the guide translates on-the-ground experience into actionable strategies. "It is about giving families and businesses the tools to build back safer, smarter, and more resiliently against the climate realities we face today," he said.
Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said the guide reflects the climate-conscious approach the county has called for. "Recovery cannot simply mean rebuilding what stood before," she said. "We have to rebuild for the conditions we face now and the future we know is coming."
The guide was developed with USGBC California's Wildfire Defense Advisory Group and dozens of building, design, planning and resilience professionals. Beyond wildfire, it addresses resilience to hazards including earthquakes, droughts, floods and extreme heat.
The organization's California Wildfire Recovery & Rebuilding Hub also offers home hardening toolkits, training programs, community workshops and connections to qualified professionals.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Capital One workshop gives Santa Monica teens a hands-on lesson in managing money
URL: https://www.smdp.com/capital-one-workshop-gives-santa-monica-teens-a-hands-on-lesson-in-managing-money/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T15:59:59.000Z
With only 24% of U.S. teens possessing basic financial knowledge, a free workshop at the [Capital One Café](https://www.capitalone.com/local/losangeles-santamonica/?ref=smdp.com) here set out to close that gap one imaginary budget at a time, pairing teenagers with their parents to practice the everyday decisions that shape a lifetime of money habits.
The interactive session, "Co-Piloting Financial Freedom," brought families together Sept. 5 to spend, save and split a pretend monthly budget using real-world scenarios. The event, open to anyone regardless of where they bank, ran in two sittings, from 11 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 2 p.m.
At the center of the experience was a budgeting exercise built around a simple, repeatable rule of thumb. "During the budgeting exercise, parents and teens were challenged to successfully balance a $200 budget, using the Three S's framework (Save, Spend, Split), while navigating an 'unexpected expense,'" said Matt Bosserman, vice president of retail experiences at Capital One.
Each teen worked from a board listing three to five types of expenses and their costs across the save, spend and split categories. After choosing two expenses from each category, participants were hit with a surprise cost — a $10 fee to replace a lost student ID, for example — meant to mimic the financial curveballs of daily life. Teens filled out a worksheet to reflect on their choices, while parents followed a guide that helped them assess their child's approach and offer constructive feedback, along with prompts to keep the conversation going.
For many teens, the surprise expense was the moment the lesson landed. Bosserman said the most common "aha" moments centered on budgeting trade-offs and handling real-world financial surprises, with a major realization coming when students grasped that "unexpected costs can happen at any time." Families leaned in, he said, proposing their own emergency scenarios to guide practical conversations about balancing a budget when the unexpected strikes.
Teens also discovered the power of small, deliberate choices. They learned that making minor adjustments across one or two budget categories each month could free up money for larger, longer-term goals. Parents, meanwhile, reported that the realistic scenarios gave their children a concrete sense of how money works and a noticeable boost in confidence.
Bosserman said the concepts were designed to travel beyond any single bank's customers. Families "walked away with a better understanding of how to be more budget-minded," he said, pointing to a lesson as ordinary as a night at the movies. The exercise showed, for example, how spending $25 on movies in a given week or month can limit the ability to take part in other activities down the road.
Just as important, he said, parents left with a better sense of how to keep the financial literacy conversation alive — and how to frame it. They were given language meant to validate and encourage their teens rather than critique them, an approach aimed at building a strong financial foundation over time.
The crowd reflected a mix of the bank's existing customers and newcomers. "We welcomed a balanced combination of regular, existing Capital One customers as well as new families visiting the Café from the wider community," Bosserman said.
The workshop doubled as an introduction to products aimed at younger customers, including the company's 360 Checking and MONEY Teen Checking accounts, which pair digital tools for teens with resources parents can use to reinforce good habits.
Bosserman signaled that more events like it are likely. "We're always looking to host interactive events like our Co-Piloting Financial Freedom workshop," he said. "Part of the Café experience centers on giving everyone opportunities to grow their financial skills and knowledge."
That programming extends well beyond budgeting lessons. Each café location offers a local calendar that can include financial literacy workshops, fireside chats with financial experts, meet-and-greets with local leaders, reservable spaces for account holders 18 and older, and lighter fare such as movie nights, yoga and painting parties.
For the families who came to the [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/public-safety-unions-expand-endorsements-alongside-new-survey-saying-the-city-is-on-the-wrong-track/) café Sept. 5, though, the takeaway was more elementary: a first, low-pressure rehearsal for the real financial decisions still to come.
### California’s future water supplies depend on the outcomes of four intertwined battles
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-future-water-supplies-depend-on-the-outcomes-of-four-intertwined-battles/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T15:59:59.000Z
Since the earliest years of its history, California has been a political battlefield over divvying up the state’s water. The intensity of the multisided conflict, like water itself, ebbs and flows.
By happenstance, this is one of the more intense and climactic periods in the eternal competition over water. It’s driven by uncertainty over the effects of climate change on precipitation and by looming decisions on how to cope with those effects.
What happens on four intertwined fronts in the near future will determine how water will be managed and allocated in the coming decades. In no particular order:
**Colorado River**
Decades of conflict over allocating Colorado River water, involving not only California but other Western states, are coming to a head. Runoff from snow in the Rocky Mountains has been declining, and the two major reservoirs on the Colorado, Lakes Mead and Powell, have been shrinking and rapidly approaching operational failure. Federal authorities have been pressing the states involved to agree on how the shortages should be managed, but it’s been a stalemate.
California is [less dependent than Nevada and Arizona](https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2025/11/colorado-river-anticlimactic-no-deal/?ref=smdp.com), which rely on the Colorado to serve their fast-growing urban centers. When the Bureau of Reclamation imposed some temporary operational rules recently, [Nevada sued and Arizona is threatening to follow](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-08-24/nevada-lawsuit-colorado-river?ref=smdp.com).
**Sites reservoir project**
An off-stream reservoir on the west side of the Sacramento Valley to capture and store water during years of high precipitation has been proposed for decades. But with projections of decreased snowpacks due to climate change, the project, called Sites, has gained momentum in recent years.
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to nail down the project before leaving office in four months. Last week, the administration’s Water Resources Control Board [issued a draft water rights decision for Sites.](https://waterboards.ca.gov/press%5Froom/press%5Freleases/2026?ref=smdp.com) The project needs permission to draw water from the Sacramento River before it can secure financing for the [1.5-million-acre-foot reservoir](https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/02/california-sites-reservoir/?ref=smdp.com).
**Delta tunnel project**
Newsom also wants to pin down another major project — a tunnel that would carry Sacramento River water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to improve deliveries to Southern California via the California Aqueduct. A conveyance of some kind has been proposed for more than 60 years but has never been able to clear political, legal and financial hurdles.
Advocates say the project would take pressure off the Delta, but it faces stiff opposition from environmental groups who contend it would worsen the Delta’s environmental problems. Putting together a package of regulatory permission and financing from water agencies that would benefit [has been a daunting, and so far elusive, goal.](https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/05/newsom-california-delta-tunnel-water/?ref=smdp.com)
**Irrigation diversions**
While proposing the 45-mile-long tunnel to divert some Sacramento River water from flowing through the Delta, state water officials are simultaneously pressuring farmers to reduce their irrigation diversions to increase flows into the Delta.
Supposedly, reductions would be voluntary, but the state is also working on mandatory cutbacks if not enough water is voluntarily offered. Last week, Westlands, the largest water district in the valley, [pulled out of the voluntary negotiations](https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-media/press-release-9-4-2026/?ref=smdp.com), saying the state was moving toward coercion. If the state issues mandatory cutbacks, it would probably become a legal battle over whether the state can interfere with long-standing water rights.
The conflict is exacerbated by reductions in water farmers can draw from underground aquifers with wells. There are projections that reductions in water supply, [could take as many as 900,000 acres of farmland out of production.](https://www.ppic.org/blog/testimony-water-availability-and-impacts-on-californias-agriculture/?ref=smdp.com)
That possibility drove major agricultural interests to successfully press the Legislature last week to [make it easier to remove farmland from open space preserves](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1156?ref=smdp.com), to replace crops with solar power arrays.
\_\_\_\_
By Dan Walters
### SMMUSD unaudited actuals report shows $6 million surplus, record reserve
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-unaudited-actuals-report-shows-6-million-surplus-record-reserve/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T15:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District ended the 2025-26 fiscal year in a stronger financial position than it had projected in June, closing the books with an unrestricted general fund balance about $9.85 million higher than expected, according to a year-end report the school board approved Sept. 9.
The Board of Education voted 4-0 at a special meeting to accept the district's Unaudited Actual Financial Report, the annual accounting of revenues and expenditures that districts submit to the Los Angeles County Office of Education after their books are closed. The figures remain subject to an independent audit by the firm CWDL, which is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 28.
The district had estimated in June that it would finish the year, which ended June 30, roughly $3.7 million in the red. Instead its unrestricted general fund ending balance reached about $68.6 million — the improvement driven by higher one-time revenues, lower-than-projected spending and other year-end adjustments.
But district officials were careful to frame the result as a balanced year-end position rather than a windfall, stressing that most of the money is already committed.
"While our year-end position is better than we projected in June, many of these funds are already designated to address future deficit spending and maintain appropriate reserves," Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Chief Financial Officer Gerardo Cruz said. "We will continue to carefully manage our resources while protecting the programs, services and educational resources that support our students and families."
The district took in about $6.1 million more revenue than projected. Roughly $4 million came from one-time state property tax backfill and additional funding allocated by the State Education Budget Committee in connection with the January 2025 Palisades and Franklin fires. Other gains included about $1.3 million more from the Measure R parcel tax, about $954,000 more in lease and rental revenue and about $1.6 million more in interest, partially offset by about $186,000 less in sales tax revenue from the [city of Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-starts-beach-repairs-as-it-buffers-the-local-coast-in-advance-of-a-potentially-harsh-winter/).
Because Santa Monica-Malibu is a "basic aid," or community-funded, district — funded chiefly by local property taxes rather than by student attendance — it does not receive state reimbursement based on enrollment, and Cruz cautioned that the wildfire money will not recur.
"We wouldn't want to tie these one-time revenues to anything, any expenditure that's reoccurring in the future," he told the board.
That concern drew extended discussion from board members, who pressed Cruz to more clearly separate recurring revenue from the periodic, one-time allocations the state directs to districts. Board member Jennifer Smith argued that such funds can distort the district's true financial picture.
"We know that it is irresponsible to create programs around that money that we want to be sustainable. We cannot do that," Smith said, asking whether the budget could better flag one-time dollars. Cruz agreed, saying staff could "do a better job of making that connection." Smith called the change "enormously helpful."
Expenditures came in about $3.6 million below projections, largely because budgeted costs came in under estimates or were not needed. That included about $2.4 million in reduced consultant, legal and other operating costs, about $820,000 in lower spending on supplies, textbooks and technology, and a $700,000 transfer to deferred maintenance that was not needed this year and is expected to be used in 2026-27\. The reductions were partially offset by about $344,000 in higher salary and benefit costs — a far smaller variance than the multimillion-dollar misses of recent years, which Cruz cited as evidence of improved forecasting.
The district's Local General Fund Contribution rose about $995,000, including roughly $754,000 in added support for special education and about $241,000 for the Routine Restricted Maintenance Account.
Officials emphasized that the ending balance does not represent money available for new ongoing commitments. The unrestricted general fund balance includes about $7.3 million for the state-required reserve, funds set aside for projected deficit spending in future years, and about $30.3 million toward a reserve of up to two months of operating expenses. The district said it aims to build toward a 33% reserve recommended for basic aid districts by [School Services of California](https://www.sscal.com/home-page?ref=smdp.com).
The district also continues to draw on restricted categorical and one-time block grant funding — including the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant and a state Student Support and Professional Development block grant — to cover allowable costs and relieve pressure on the unrestricted general fund. Those funds may be spent over multiple years under their respective spending plans.
A draft audit report is expected in November or December, with the final report anticipated for board consideration in December.
### Stop Risking Your Business Name: Easy DBA Newspaper Publication Pasadena Solutions
URL: https://www.smdp.com/dba-newspaper-publication-pasadena/
Last updated: 2026-10-05T15:47:21.000Z
**TL;DR:**
Failing to fulfill legal notice steps can freeze your bank setup and void your hard work. Publishing your fictitious business name with a court-recognized outlet protects your entity completely. Keep reading to see how smooth public notice filings safeguard your Pasadena operations.
Pasadena business completing fictitious name publication and legal notice
## **Avoid Business Freezes with Smart DBA Newspaper Publication Pasadena Filing**
Launching a local business takes endless passion, endless late-night planning, and real capital investment. However, endless entrepreneurs hit an unexpected wall right after registering their fictitious business identity with the county clerk. Choosing the wrong paper or skipping public notification timelines leads directly to filing rejections, blocked business checking accounts, and sudden loss of exclusive name rights.
Securing a compliant **DBA newspaper publication Pasadena** ensures that your entity meets all county standards from day one. State regulations require four straight weeks of print distribution through an officially adjudicated newspaper of general circulation. Selecting an expert team like Santa Monica Daily Press stops these headaches entirely. Explore our specialized [legal notices](https://www.smdp.com/tag/legal-notices/) hub to discover how our legal team manages every single step of public record requirements seamlessly.
### **Understanding California Legal Standards for Fictitious Business Names**
California state law requires public distribution for every fictitious business filing to guarantee commercial transparency across local markets. Under [California Business and Professions Code Section 17917](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims-forms?ref=smdp.com), owners must start running their notice within exactly 30 days of county registration. Failing to hit this exact 30-day start window voids your registration completely, forcing you to repay the original county filing fees and restart the entire application process.
Understanding these strict state regulations helps protect your active business assets from legal challenges down the line. To keep your legal rights secure, review our guide on how to [publish a fictitious business name](https://www.smdp.com/publish-fictitious-business-name/) without suffering sudden delays or unexpected administrative costs.
## **Key Steps to Complete Your Pasadena DBA Notice Smoothly**
Completing your **DBA publication Pasadena** obligation does not need to feel confusing or overwhelming. By following a clear, structured sequence, you can ensure that your commercial rights remain fully enforceable in local courts.
1. **Submit County Papers:** Register your official paperwork directly with the Los Angeles County Clerk to receive your stamped copy.
2. **Choose an Approved Paper:** Select an officially adjudicated newspaper serving your targeted regional area.
3. **Schedule Notice Runs:** Publish your exact certified details once weekly across four consecutive calendar weeks.
4. **Obtain Official Affidavit:** Receive your formal proof of publication affidavit signed directly by the newspaper publisher.
5. **File Final Proof:** Submit your signed affidavit back to the county clerk to secure your permanent record.
## **Required Publication Timelines and Statutory Steps**
To ensure your notice satisfies all legal benchmarks, use this mandatory compliance timeline:
| Statutory Requirement | Legal Deadline / Rule | Impact on Business Status |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Publication Start Date | Within 30 days of filing | Missing the deadline voids filing status entirely. |
| Run Frequency | 1 time per week for 4 weeks | Skipping a week forces a complete restart. |
| Text Accuracy | 100% match to county stamp | Minor typos trigger county rejection. |
| Affidavit Submission | Within 30 days after the last run | Delays cause bank account holding freezes. |
When you handle your **fictitious business name publication Pasadena** obligations through an experienced provider, you stop costly technical mistakes before they happen. Read our detailed breakdown covering [where to publish DBA in Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/where-to-publish-dba-in-los-angeles/) to verify county compliance requirements.
## **Avoiding Common Mistakes During Legal Notice Distribution**
Most new business owners assume that running an ad in any neighborhood flyer satisfies state requirements. However, courts reject notices placed in unapproved papers, forcing filers to pay twice. Another common trap involves making tiny changes to your published address or partner names. Your printed text must mirror your county filing word for word.
Working with an established outlet protects your brand against these avoidable administrative setbacks. To make sure your business remains fully compliant over time, read about how to [renew your DBA filing](https://www.smdp.com/renew-dba-filing/) before your initial five-year term expires.
### **Why Bank Approvals and Contracts Depend on Your Affidavit**
Your **publish DBA notice Pasadena** is much more than a routine administrative task. Commercial banks strictly require an official, notarized affidavit of publication before opening a business checking account under your trade name. Without this critical document, financial institutions will refuse to process checks written to your entity.
Furthermore, state courts prevent businesses from enforcing commercial contracts under a trade name unless proper public notification has occurred. Discover why court officials enforce these public rules strictly by checking our guide on [legal ads Los Angeles County](https://www.smdp.com/legal-ads-los-angeles-county/).
## **Simplified Public Bidding and Government Compliance Rules**
Many growing companies expand from serving private consumers to bidding on lucrative municipal contracts. Just as trade name filings demand strict public disclosure, municipal procurement opportunities require verified public notices. Review our overview of [RFP public bid legal notice](https://www.smdp.com/rfp-public-bid-legal-notice/) rules to see how legal advertising supports transparent business growth.
Understanding broader state publication standards helps your business maintain long-term institutional trust. You can review additional California judicial branch filing forms via [California Courts Self Help](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims-forms?ref=smdp.com) to confirm state guidelines. When you partner with experienced professionals, satisfying your **Pasadena DBA publication requirements** becomes quick and effortless.
## **Securing Your Business Identity for Long-Term Growth**
Completing your **legal notice publication Pasadena** preserves your brand integrity and validates your commercial status. Taking action promptly prevents unnecessary court delays, protects your bank relations, and establishes clear commercial ownership. Trusting a dedicated service allows you to spend your valuable time expanding your business while experts handle your legal paperwork correctly.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What is a fictitious business name publication requirement?**
California law requires entrepreneurs operating under a trade name to publish their county-stamped statement in an approved newspaper once weekly for four straight weeks to notify the public officially.
**How soon must I start my publication run after filing?**
You must launch your first newspaper insertion within 30 calendar days of registering your statement with the county clerk. Missing this window invalidates your entire registration completely.
**Can I publish my DBA in any local Pasadena newsletter?**
No, your notice must appear in an officially adjudicated newspaper of general circulation approved by the Superior Court. Unapproved publications will be rejected by county clerks and courts.
**What happens if there is a typo in my published notice?**
If your printed text does not match your stamped county filing exactly, the county clerk will reject your proof. You will be forced to correct the error and re-run.
**Why do banks require proof of publication for DBAs?**
Banks need formal proof that your business name was legally published before opening an account. This step prevents fraud and confirms your lawful right to conduct business under that name.
**How long is my published DBA valid in California?**
A registered trade name remains valid for five years from your county filing date. You must renew it before expiration to avoid repeating the entire publication process.
**Who sends the finished proof to the county clerk?**
Many adjudicated newspapers handle final affidavit filing directly with the county clerk for you. Always verify that your service includes full county filing assistance upon completion.
**What is an affidavit of publication?**
An affidavit of publication is a legally binding sworn document provided by the publisher. It proves your public notice appeared according to mandatory state timelines.
**What happens if I fail to publish my DBA completely?**
Failing to complete publication leads to an expired filing. Your business loses legal standing to enforce contracts and may face frozen bank processing until resolved.
## **Key Takeaways**
- California law mandates publishing trade names within 30 days of county registration.
- Notices must run once weekly for four consecutive weeks in an approved paper.
- Banks require verified publication affidavits before opening trade checking accounts.
- Using experienced professionals prevents costly typos, delays, and refiling fees.
## **Protect Your Business Rights Today**
Do not let administrative mistakes derail your business launch. Ensure complete peace of mind by working with local compliance specialists who handle your public notice from start to finish. Contact our team today to publish your legal notice seamlessly.
### Palisades Recreation Center groundbreaking marks new phase in wildfire recovery
URL: https://www.smdp.com/palisades-recreation-center-groundbreaking-marks-new-phase-in-wildfire-recovery/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T10:00:00.000Z
On the grounds where generations of children played and families gathered, city leaders and community partners broke ground Tuesday on a new Palisades Recreation Center — a more than $50 million project intended to restore one of the neighborhood’s central gathering places after the January 2025 wildfire.
The fully philanthropically funded project is the largest public-private partnership in the history of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, according to project organizers. Construction is expected to take 14 to 16 months.
The groundbreaking brought together Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, Steadfast LA founder Rick Caruso, Los Angeles Lakers head coach and LA Strong Sports co-founder JJ Redick, Recreation and Parks officials, designers and Palisades community leaders. Their message was that rebuilding the recreation center is about more than replacing damaged facilities: It is about restoring a place where neighborhood life can resume. “Today is about the Palisades community. Today is about hope,” Bass said. “Rebuilding the Rec Center is a vital step — where families can come together, children can play and neighbors can connect. It’s about restoring places that bring people together and make a neighborhood feel like home.”
Bass said the city could not have advanced the project alone, crediting the partnership among government, philanthropy, the private sector and community organizations. She called the groundbreaking a symbol of recovery and the city’s commitment to the Palisades. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the devastation of the fires,” Bass said. “The pain it caused in the Palisades was felt across the city. That loss stays with me every single day.”
The existing recreation center and surrounding park were severely damaged in the Palisades Fire. In April 2025, Steadfast LA, LA Strong Sports and the city formed a partnership to fund, redesign and rebuild the site. The groundbreaking follows the Aug. 15 reopening of Palisades Village, another visible milestone in a recovery that remains incomplete for many residents.
Park recalled visiting the area on Jan. 8, 2025, while the fire was still raging and seeing businesses, homes and much of the community already gone. “The Rec Center was always the heart of the Palisades,” Park said. “Generations of kids played here. Families spent so many weekends here. Seeing this place on that day was heartbreaking, but today feels very different. Today, we are here to talk about what we are going to rebuild.”
Park pointed to the reopening of Palisades Village, the return of schools and businesses and Friday night football at Palisades High School as signs of movement. “Everywhere I look, I see progress,” she said.
The rebuilt 17-acre park and indoor recreation center, designed by Gensler and SWA Group, will include two indoor basketball courts, two indoor pickleball courts, an enlarged lobby and community rooms for parties, ceremonies and meetings.
Plans for the grounds call for a two-level playground built into the site’s natural slope and connected by embankment slides, a new U10 soccer field, two lighted outdoor basketball courts and a central gathering area known as the Pali Hub. The design also includes terraced spectator seating, shaded seating pods, bocce courts, an enhanced Veterans Garden and improved access into and out of the property.
For Redick and his wife, Chelsea, the project is personal. They co-founded LA Strong Sports with Charles and Jenna Jackson and Kylee Kilgore after the fires to help rebuild and expand sports and recreation facilities across Los Angeles. “The Pali Rec Center was a big part of why we chose to move here with our family,” JJ and Chelsea Redick said in a statement. “We believe every community needs a place where individuals and families can play and compete, and rebuilding the Pali Rec Center is a big step for ours.”
Caruso said the project reflects the principle behind Steadfast LA’s recovery work. “When we formed Steadfast, we had a strong principle to live by, which is the comeback is always stronger than the setback,” Caruso said. “Today represents that. The comeback here today means we’ll have a better park, a more cohesive park with more facilities for kids and families, and more for seniors.”
The collaboration has also involved Deputy Mayor of Strategic Partnerships Amanda Daflos, Recreation and Parks General Manager Jimmy Kim, project manager Freeman Group and Latham & Watkins, along with local organizations that helped shape the plans.
Andy Cohen, global co-chair of Gensler and a Steadfast LA board member, called the recreation center and park “the beating heart” of the community and said the goal was to honor that legacy while creating a place that will serve children and families for generations.
Bass said she hopes to return next year for the ribbon cutting. For a community still living with the physical and emotional consequences of the fire, this ceremony marked the moment one familiar piece of the Palisades moved from planning into construction.
### Santa Monica's dreams of water self-sufficiency go down the drain
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monicas-dreams-of-water-self-sufficiency-go-down-the-drain/
Last updated: 2026-09-19T10:00:44.000Z
Santa Monica's local water supplies could fall as much as 4,500 acre-feet short of demand by 2045 under a worst-case growth scenario, according to an updated water master plan city staff will present to the City Council on Tuesday.
The 2026 Sustainable Water Master Plan Update, prepared by the Public Works Department's Water Resources Division, estimates that local sources can currently meet only 80% to 85% of the city's annual water demand on average — well short of the 99% self-sufficiency goal the council set when it adopted the original master plan in 2018\. That 2018 plan had aimed to hit the target by 2023, but the timeline slipped to summer 2025 amid COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, a citywide reorganization that cut the Water Conservation Division's staff in half, and financial constraints that delayed expansion of the recycled water network and new groundwater wells.
Staff cautioned that even the current supply estimate carries uncertainty because two of the city's largest groundwater production wells, at the Charnock Well Field, are being replaced and won't be fully operational until the end of 2026.
The council is not being asked to approve funding Tuesday. Instead, staff is seeking direction on a recommended two-tier approach to closing the gap. In the near term — five to 10 years — the city would lean on two measures already folded into the 2025 water rate study: ramping up conservation and efficiency programs under the 2024 Water Conservation Master Plan, and expanding the recycled water distribution system, including exploring direct potable reuse to supplement groundwater supplies.
Longer-term options, to be revisited in five to 10 years, include partnering with regional recycled-water projects — the Metropolitan Water District's Pure Water Southern California program in Carson and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's Pure Water Los Angeles program at the Hyperion plant — as well as a standalone seawater desalination facility capable of producing up to 7 million gallons a day. Staff said both of those regional projects aren't expected to come online until after 2035, and desalination technology may still need to mature to become cost-competitive.
Staff also touted completed elements of the 2018 plan, including the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project, which converts stormwater, urban runoff, wastewater and brackish groundwater into purified water; the restoration of two Olympic Well Field groundwater wells that had been contaminated by industrial pollutants; an efficiency upgrade at the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant; and a citywide rollout of smart water meters. The city secured nearly $40 million in grants and more than $150 million in low-interest financing to help pay for that work, staff said.
Staff is recommending the council find the plan update exempt from further environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
In the rest of Tuesday's meeting, the council will open with commendations for state Sen. Ben Allen and proclamations marking Filipino American History Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, along with recognition of outgoing board and commission members. A lengthy consent calendar includes contract awards and modifications for on-call civil engineering, surveying and transportation planning services; a resolution ratifying the 2025 local emergency proclamation on homelessness; acceptance of a federal bulletproof vest grant and a state alcohol enforcement grant for the Police Department; a $4.5 million Proposition 64 public safety grant; and second-reading adoption of ordinances establishing an automated red-light traffic enforcement program and adjusting R1 zoning standards tied to state housing law SB 79\. Later items include a review of the city's after-action report on the 2025 Palisades Fire and windstorm, a $1 million grant acceptance from the Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation for the Annenberg Community Beach House, and council discussion items covering board and commission appointments and a councilmember-requested $10,000 discretionary allocation for the Off the Hook Santa Monica Seafood Festival. The council will also meet in closed session on several pending litigation matters.
### Heal the Bay's Bring Back the Beach Gala to Honor Drew Scott and Coastal Commission
URL: https://www.smdp.com/heal-the-bays-bring-back-the-beach-gala-to-honor-drew-scott-and-coastal-commission/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T18:59:00.000Z
Heal the Bay will bring together more than 500 civic leaders, scientists, philanthropists, advocates and cultural changemakers on Thursday, Sept. 24, for the 2026 Bring Back the Beach Gala, an evening built around the conviction that no one should become sick from a day at the beach and no community should have to surrender its coastline to pollution.
Held at the Jonathan Club in Santa Monica, the organization's largest fundraising event of the year will honor "Property Brothers" star, entrepreneur and environmental advocate Drew Scott, as well as the California Coastal Commission, for leadership on sustainability, public access and coastal protection. Young social entrepreneur and clean-water advocate Lila Mokhtari will receive Heal the Bay's Next Wave Award.
The evening comes at a consequential moment. The beach surrounding the Santa Monica Pier welcomes millions of visitors, yet it remains one of California's most bacteria-impacted beaches. At the same time, coastal protections, public access and environmental safeguards face increasing pressure. That tension gives this year's theme, "Every Beach Deserves to Come Back," an urgency that extends beyond Santa Monica.
"The coast belongs to everyone, and protecting it requires people willing to invest in the science, advocacy, education, and sustained community action that keeps our waters safe and clean for beachgoers and wildlife," said Tracy Quinn, president and CEO of Heal the Bay. "Every guest who joins us becomes part of that work and part of the comeback."
For more than four decades, Heal the Bay has transformed concern for the coast into action. Its scientists test water and investigate sources of pollution, including underneath the Santa Monica Pier, and its Beach Report Card gives millions of people information to make safer choices.
Scott will be recognized for using his platform at the intersection of entertainment, real estate and entrepreneurship to encourage more sustainable homes and communities. The California Coastal Commission will be honored for its 50 years of work protecting California's coastline, preserving public access and safeguarding sensitive habitats.
"The California coast is not simply a view or a destination. It is a public trust, an ecosystem, an economic engine, and part of who we are," Quinn said. "Drew Scott and the California Coastal Commission have each helped move environmental responsibility into the public conversation, and we are proud to recognize that leadership."
Guests will experience an oceanfront evening featuring a curated dinner, creative cocktails, live and silent auctions, and immersive storytelling. Each $750 ticket helps support water-quality science, public-health information, environmental education, policy advocacy, habitat protection and community action. Heal the Bay aims to raise more than $1 million through the gala.
The sponsor reception begins at 5 p.m., followed by general admission at 6 p.m., at the Jonathan Club, 850 Palisades Beach Road. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at[ ](https://healthebay.org/event/bring-back-the-beach-gala-2026/?ref=smdp.com)[healthebay.org/event/bring-back-the-beach-gala-2026](https://healthebay.org/event/bring-back-the-beach-gala-2026/?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### 'Mutts and Mochas' Dog Adoption Event Comes to Venice on Sunday
URL: https://www.smdp.com/mutts-and-mochas-dog-adoption-event-comes-to-venice-on-sunday/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T18:59:00.000Z
Mutt Scouts will host a "Mutts and Mochas" dog adoption event Sunday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in partnership with the goodboybob Coffee cafe inside Deus Ex Machina at the corner of Venice and Lincoln boulevards.
The rescue organization will set up a pop-up adoption location in the parking lot, where attendees can meet adoptable rescue dogs.
The event benefits Mutt Scouts, and attendees can order a special Mutt Scouts Mocha from the goodboybob cafe inside Deus Ex Machina. All proceeds from sales of the drink will support Mutt Scouts and its efforts to find homes for rescue dogs.
goodboybob Coffee took its name from its owner's dog, Bob, and each of its three Westside locations has always been dog-friendly. The cafe said the event is one way it hopes to support the Venice community and help Mutt Scouts find homes for rescue dogs.
Event details are available at [partiful.com/e/WzO5k37bRdlPIrms2IYq](http://partiful.com/e/WzO5k37bRdlPIrms2IYq?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California’s vote by mail system works. It’s worth fighting for.
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-vote-by-mail-system-works-its-worth-fighting-for/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T16:00:00.000Z
Whether we agree politically, or whether we couldn’t disagree more — your vote is your sacred responsibility and right.
Recently, President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security claimed to have identified hundreds of thousands of illegally registered voters in four states. These claims were lies, as is slowly being revealed to the public.
Next door in Nevada, they claimed to have identified 278,000 illegal registrations. They’ve since walked that number back and admitted that 99.94% of those were fine. And they still haven’t provided any meaningful proof of a single improper registration among the remainder — just unproven accusations.
It’s a common pattern, and one they [often use to attack California’s voting system](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/06/trump-right-wing-voter-fraud/?ref=smdp.com).
The reality is that voter fraud is incredibly rare in America. Every serious investigation into the issue comes to the same conclusion: Voter fraud simply does not happen at a large scale. California has robust systems in place to catch wrongdoers, but the simple fact is that [very, very few people intentionally try to commit voter fraud](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/08/voter-id-barriers-proposition-39/?ref=smdp.com).
In my current term, we’ve run smooth elections with high turnout. Californians vote in record numbers because we make it easy to vote.
Universal vote by mail is convenient and accessible, and we allow voters time to cure their ballots if they run into issues. For instance, if a voter’s signature doesn’t match, we run it down and try to contact the voter to ensure we count every valid vote, while still providing a check against those who want to abuse the system.
Our system works.
Being Secretary of State requires putting politics to the side and doing what’s right. I’m willing to make hard decisions, like in the 2021 recall election, when [I refused Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request](https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2021/06/newsom-changes-own-recall/?ref=smdp.com) to improperly change his party label on the ballot, despite having been appointed by him just months earlier.
For me, the current fight over voting rights is personal. I was born in the Jim Crow South. My parents couldn’t vote until they fled Arkansas and moved to Los Angeles. They cast their first ballots here, and they raised me to treasure my right to vote. My mother even opened up our living room to serve as a polling place.
America is the only nation in the world where within one generation a family can go from being denied the franchise to vote to running the largest state election system in the country. I take that honor seriously, and I will do everything in my power to protect your right to vote.
\_\_\_\_\_
By Shirley Weber
### At 16, She Left High School to Find Her Voice — and a Cause
URL: https://www.smdp.com/at-16-she-left-high-school-to-find-her-voice-and-a-cause/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T16:00:02.000Z
At 16, when most of her classmates were finishing their junior year, Isabella Guglielmetti walked away from the traditional high school classroom altogether.
She took the HiSET, a high school equivalency exam for students under 18, and enrolled at Santa Monica College. She describes the decision without hesitation.
"I'm someone who genuinely loves to learn, but I remember in high school just feeling so agentless due to the lack of control you have over your courses and time, and I felt so disillusioned with learning," Guglielmetti said. When she discovered the HiSET was an option at the end of her sophomore year and her parents backed the idea, she said, "it felt like a complete no brainer."
What the college offered a teenager, she said, was freedom and a student body unlike any high school could provide. Choosing her own classes — among her favorites were psychology of environment, culture of food and creative writing — changed her relationship to school.
"Having agency over my course selection made me 100x more excited to go to class," she said, adding that "a sense of autonomy and freedom are some of the most important indicators for personal happiness."
The people surprised her, too. [SMC](https://www.smdp.com/moviemaker-magazine-names-santa-monica-college-among-30-best-film-schools/) classrooms mixed recent high school graduates with retirees, mid-career professionals and international students. "This makes every class at SMC so entirely distinct and the conversations you have, so vibrant," she said.
That freedom soon turned into action. Last semester, Guglielmetti enrolled in SMC's inaugural Social Action sustainability class, which challenged students to "practice hands-on democracy" by developing and leading a social-impact campaign on campus. She proposed tackling light pollution, an issue she had researched for a high school project.
"The topic seemed specific, actionable and exciting," she said.
Five students, including Guglielmetti, formed a group called Students for Stars and issued three demands: removing unnecessary campus lighting, directing remaining lighting downward and using warm-tinted lighting where possible. They launched at Sustainability Week in October 2025 and tabled at the campus planetarium opening the following month.
The work drew resistance, particularly over safety.
"Campus safety is a top priority, especially as a group of five women," Guglielmetti said. But the group's research, she said, showed "that reducing light pollution actually helps, not hurts, safety," because "reducing light pollution means smarter lighting, not no lighting."
A tabling event connected the students with astronomy professor Simon Balm, who helped them narrow their focus to glare from the Corsair Stadium lights that was obscuring images from SMC's new observatory. Over three months, the group gathered more than 100 petition signatures, spoke in classes, met with campus police and measured the stadium's light pollution. Administrators pledged to raise the issue with the campus safety committee and to test new lighting during a stadium remodel over winter break, though Guglielmetti said their "actual follow-through on this was unclear."
The campaign sharpened an instinct she has long held — that she is drawn more to the human side of environmental problems than the science.
"I've always been fascinated by why people do the things they do," she said. Recycling, she said, is a case in point: "The issue isn't really with the science of recycling; it's with us."
That framing, she said, is oddly hopeful. "We have solutions; we just need to figure out how to make it cool enough, easy enough, intuitive enough, or even sexy enough for people to follow through on." Approached that way, she said, sustainability "just turns into a fun puzzle."
This fall, Guglielmetti continues that pursuit at Amsterdam University College in the Netherlands, drawn by its interdisciplinary social sciences program and the chance to graduate without debt. A European Union passport, gained through her father's Italian ancestry, eased the move.
Along the way she also earned a noncredit Sustainability Assistant Certificate and one of three [Global Citizenship Symposium](https://www.smc.edu/community/global-citizenship/events/symposium.php?ref=smdp.com) scholarships SMC awards each year.
For Guglielmetti, the leap she took at 16 set the terms for everything that followed — a search less for a destination than for the freedom to keep exploring.
### California’s high cost of living places state near — but not at — the top in poverty rates
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-high-cost-of-living-places-state-near-but-not-at-the-top-in-poverty-rates/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T15:59:59.000Z
California politicians — Gov. Gavin Newsom in particular — are fond of portraying their state as an economic powerhouse of global stature.
“We dominate in every category,” Newsom bragged earlier this year, during a[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwP7gS3N5Vw&ref=smdp.com)[presentation to the Center for American Progress](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwP7gS3N5Vw&ref=smdp.com), a left-leaning think tank. “We are the center of the universe (and) America’s coming attraction.”
Newsom is weighing a run for the White House after his governorship ends in January. And he implies that were he to become president, the nation as a whole could emulate California’s productive economy.
There are, however, economic data points that he ignores in his recitations of California’s virtues, such as the state having the nation’s highest cost of living and an unemployment rate at or near the top.
And then there’s poverty.
Tuesday the Census Bureau released its[ ](https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/supplemental-poverty-measure/data/tables.html?ref=smdp.com)[latest calculations of poverty.](https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/supplemental-poverty-measure/data/tables.html?ref=smdp.com) The nation’s official poverty rate — the one that has been used for decades to guide the distribution of federal funds and qualifications for various forms of welfare — is 10.7%, the same as California’s rate.
The bureau also calculates what it calls a “supplemental poverty measure” that takes into account additional factors, such the cost of living, and is widely considered to be much more accurate in real world terms than the one-size-fits-all official rate.
The national supplemental rate is 13% and California’s is, as usual, much higher at 17.8%. That’s slightly higher than the 17.7% rate California had the last time supplemental rates were issued.
But the good news is that, for the first time in a long time, California doesn’t have the highest mark. It was tied with Louisiana the last time, but now that state has surged ahead of California to 19.8%.
In Louisiana and other states — particularly those in the South — that have above-average rates, low incomes are the primary factor. But in California the culprit is the aforementioned high costs of living, particularly for housing but also for utilities and transportation.
The Public Policy Institute of California and Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality used methodology similar to that of the Census Bureau to calculate a[ ](https://www.ppic.org/publication/poverty-in-california/?ref=smdp.com)[California Poverty Measure](https://www.ppic.org/publication/poverty-in-california/?ref=smdp.com) with similar results.
Their last foray, dated 2024, tabbed California’s poverty rate at 17.4%. However, the two research organizations took it further, calculating rates for the state’s 58 counties and devising “near poor” rates, defined as families with up to 150% of the $42,600 poverty line annual income.
Combining the poor and near poor, 35% of Californians were living in impoverished circumstances in 2024, struggling to put roofs over their heads, food on their tables and to meet other expenses in contemporary California.
That figure aligns exactly with the 13.9 million, or 35% of, Californians who qualify for Medi-Cal, California’s health care system for the poor,[ ](https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5146?ref=smdp.com)[which now costs $222 billion](https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5146?ref=smdp.com) and dominates the state’s budget.
Medi-Cal exemplifies both California’s efforts to lift people out of poverty and the limits of those efforts. The state cannot afford to overcome poverty by spending tax dollars. It can only soften its impact at the margin.
Poverty will decline only when the costs of housing and other living expenses moderate, or when the state’s economy — as it once did — creates jobs that are ladders to the middle class. At the moment, both factors are moving in the wrong direction, and California continues to be a two-tier society, with more than a third of its people mired in the lower tier.
Should Newsom seek the presidency, his rivals will certainly wield that fact as a political weapon.
\_\_\_\_
By Dan Walters
### Master Your Fictitious Business Name Publication Long Beach Requirements Without Missing Deadlines
URL: https://www.smdp.com/fictitious-business-name-publication-long-beach-guide/
Last updated: 2026-09-28T15:55:32.000Z
**TL;DR**
Launching a brand in Long Beach feels exciting until hidden filing rules slow down your momentum. You cannot run a company safely until you complete your **fictitious business name publication Long Beach** notice in a court-approved newspaper. Completing your public announcement protects your company, secures your trade identity, and allows you to open bank accounts without delay.
Guide to Long Beach fictitious business name publication requirements
## **Essential Legal Protections Behind Your Long Beach Publication**
Starting an enterprise in California takes real vision, drive, and dedication. However, many founders forget essential administrative steps after picking their trade identity. Once you file your paperwork with the county clerk, you must complete your **fictitious business name publication Long Beach** without delay. Under California state law, your trade identity is not fully protected until it appears in an official newspaper.
Skipping these legal requirements creates significant roadblocks for your company. Financial institutions will freeze your merchant accounts, and local courts can refuse to enforce your contracts if your trade name is not properly registered. Placing a public notice ensures full transparency while defending your operational rights across the state. Working alongside experienced publication specialists ensures you fulfill these statutory duties quickly and stress-free.
## **Key Statutory Timelines and Rules for Your DBA Notice**
Managing a **DBA publication Long Beach** process requires strict compliance with statutory timelines. According to [California Business and Professions Code Section 17917](https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/business-and-professions-code/bpc-sect-17917/?ref=smdp.com), business owners must launch their public notice within 45 days of registering their original statement. Missing this critical timeframe renders your initial filing void, forcing you to pay county fees again and restart the legal process.
To meet your **fictitious business name notice Long Beach** obligations accurately, your filing must be printed once every week for four consecutive weeks. You cannot print your notice in a basic local shopper guide or standard marketing brochure. California law mandates that you publish through a fully recognized newspaper of general circulation approved directly by the superior court.
| Steps in Process | Key Requirements | Statutory Deadlines | Common Pitfalls |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| 1\. Initial County Filing | File the form with the county clerk | Day 1 | Incorrect name spelling |
| 2\. Media Submission | Send the stamped form to the newspaper | Within 30-45 days of filing | Missing filing window |
| 3\. Four-Week Run | Print once weekly for 4 weeks | 28 days continuous | Skipping a week |
| 4\. Proof Affidavit | Newspaper signs sworn proof | Within 45 days after the run | Failing to file proof |
Tracking these exact deadlines protects your capital, preserves your brand equity, and keeps your opening timeline moving forward smoothly without legal delays.
## **Compliance Standards for Long Beach DBA Filings**
Meeting **Long Beach DBA publication requirements** demands strict focus on exact textual accuracy. The public announcement must match your clerk-approved document letter-for-letter, including capitalization, corporate designations, and punctuation. A single spelling error or missing middle initial forces a complete re-run, resetting your required four-week timeline from the beginning.
Understanding these detailed requirements safeguards your entity:
- Deliver your official clerk-stamped filing to a qualified media outlet.
- Confirm that the notice prints once every seven days without interruption.
- Receive your notarized affidavit of publication immediately following the final print date.
- Return the original signed affidavit to the clerk to finalize your record.
Managing calendars, verifying proofing drafts, and coordinating with print media take valuable time away from running your company. Relying on an experienced [legal notice service in LA](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notice-service-in-la/) ensures complete accuracy across all four publication cycles.
## **Smooth Procedures to Publish Your Fictitious Name Safely**
When you are ready to **publish fictitious business name Long Beach** notices, choosing a trusted publication partner prevents operational headaches. Skipping mandatory steps or selecting unapproved local circulars wastes financial resources and leaves your business unprotected.
If you run your announcement in an unapproved paper, county clerks will reject your proof, invalidating your trade identity. Following proven procedures keeps your company protected:
1. Confirm that your chosen newspaper is legally qualified to print official public notices.
2. Double-check that all listed owners, home addresses, and corporate entities match your county records.
3. Ensure the media house files your affidavit directly with the county or sends it to you promptly.
Working with reliable publication experts keeps your registration simple, efficient, and fully compliant with California standards.
## **Common Publishing Pitfalls and Financial Risks**
Managing a **legal notice publication Long Beach** cycle on your own often leads to costly technical oversights. Missing simple administrative deadlines can hold up loan applications, delay lease agreements, and freeze online merchant processing. According to economic reports on small business operations from the U.S. Small Business Administration, administrative delays and regulatory mistakes create heavy, preventable financial strain for new business owners.
You can safeguard your investments by steering clear of these common operational traps:
- **Failing the launch window:** Starting your publication past the 45-day cutoff invalidates your entire filing.
- **Typographical mistakes:** Misspelling partner names or business addresses renders your public notice invalid.
- **Selecting improper channels:** Choosing non-adjudicated circulars causes instant county rejection of your proof.
Utilizing a streamlined publishing system protects your investment and calendar. Reviewing common pitfalls detailed in [California legal notice publication](https://www.smdp.com/california-legal-notice-publication/) keeps your legal standing secure.
## **Strategic Benefits of Flawless Legal Compliance**
Completing your legal notice obligations does far more than satisfy county requirements; it provides strong operational foundations for your enterprise. Maintaining complete compliance builds instant credibility with commercial landlords, financial vendors, institutional lenders, and potential business partners. When your public records are pristine, corporate partners can verify your business legitimacy instantly.
In addition to protecting your commercial credibility, staying compliant keeps your business ready for growth opportunities. Whether you plan to expand operations across California, apply for municipal contracts, or onboard new partners, valid legal filings prevent costly structural delays. Reviewing key insights on public notices in [RFP public bid legal notice](https://www.smdp.com/rfp-public-bid-legal-notice/) highlights how critical proper notice compliance is across all formal commercial activities.
## **Complete Guidance for Commercial Banking and Growth**
Securing full legal compliance allows you to transition into active business operations seamlessly. The primary reason new entrepreneurs encounter sudden business interruptions is an incomplete public record. Commercial banking officers conduct thorough database searches before issuing debit cards, establishing lines of credit, or authorizing corporate checking accounts. Without a fully processed publication affidavit on file with the county, bank compliance departments must deny account access.
Working alongside an established, court-recognized newspaper gives you absolute confidence during your startup phase. Explore how fast and simple this entire filing requirement can be by visiting [Publish Fictitious Business Name](https://www.smdp.com/publish-fictitious-business-name/) to protect your corporate identity and start growing today.
## **Modern Solutions for Corporate Filing Requirements**
Navigating municipal legal procedures in Southern California can feel complex for new corporate leaders. Between tracking county clerk schedules, managing newspaper submission guidelines, and maintaining strict filing windows, business administrative duties mount quickly. Modern business owners rely on turnkey legal notice solutions that streamline every step of the notice workflow from start to finish.
Delegating these tasks to experienced administrative publishing professionals allows you to concentrate fully on client acquisition, brand building, and revenue generation. Check out proven approaches for local compliance on [where to publish DBA in Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/where-to-publish-dba-in-los-angeles/) to secure your corporate standing without stress.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What is a fictitious business name publication requirement?**
It is a state legal requirement to publish your filed trade name in an approved county newspaper once weekly for four straight weeks to inform the public.
**How long do I have to start publication after filing?**
Under California law, you must begin your newspaper publication run within 45 days from the date your initial statement was stamped by the county clerk.
**What happens if I miss the publication deadline?**
If you miss the statutory deadline, your statement expires completely, forcing you to submit a new filing, repay county fees, and start publication from scratch.
**Can I publish my notice in any local newspaper?**
No, your notice must appear in a newspaper of general circulation adjudicated by the superior court for the county where your business operates.
**How many times does the legal notice need to be printed?**
Your notice must print exactly four times, spaced seven days apart across four consecutive weeks without skipping any week.
**What is an affidavit of publication?**
An affidavit of publication is a sworn, notarized document issued by the newspaper proving that your legal notice ran for the required four consecutive weeks.
**Why do banks require proof of publication?**
Banks require proof of publication to verify your legal right to operate under a trade name before opening commercial accounts or issuing business loans.
**Do I need to republish if my business address changes?**
Yes, if key information on your filed statement changes, you must submit an updated filing with the county and run a new four-week publication cycle.
**How do I ensure my notice is processed correctly?**
Work with an experienced, court-recognized publication team that manages text formatting, schedules weekly runs, and files your affidavit directly with the clerk.
## **Key Takeaways**
- **Publishing is Mandatory:** Filing with the county is only step one; public printing makes your name legally valid.
- **Watch the Clock:** You must begin publication within 45 days of county filing to avoid starting over.
- **Use Adjudicated Papers:** Notices printed on non-adjudicated paper will be rejected by county clerks.
- **Protect Banking Access:** Financial institutions require a completed affidavit before activating business bank accounts.
## **Strategic Protection for Your Business Identity**
Preventing administrative delays or missed deadlines ensures your business moves forward smoothly. Protecting your company name requires executing every filing step with total precision. Partner with recognized publishing professionals to guarantee seamless legal compliance, protect your corporate status, and focus on building your brand's success today.
### Santa Monica starts beach repairs as it buffers the local coast in advance of a potentially harsh winter
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-starts-beach-repairs-as-it-buffers-the-local-coast-in-advance-of-a-potentially-harsh-winter/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T09:59:59.000Z
The City of Santa Monica began repairs this week to the beach south of the Pier, where storm surf and drainage runoff from Hurricane Marie eroded the site of the inaugural Ocean Way Festival over Labor Day weekend, forcing the event's cancellation and prompting officials to accelerate preparations for a string of major events set to unfold on the city's shoreline over the next two years.
Public Works crews have started moving sand from other parts of the beach to the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain outfall area using a front loader and dump truck, regrading the site with a tractor and rake, and building a protective berm along the waterline ahead of an approaching king tide and full moon. Crews are also opening and maintaining the beach's five storm drains ahead of a forecast El Niño winter, and the city is coordinating with Los Angeles County and private contractors to bring in heavier equipment and is evaluating whether it will need to import additional sand.
"It is massively disappointing that coastal erosion caused by Hurricane Marie impacted our beach to such an extent that we could not safely host the Ocean Way Festival," City Manager Oliver Chi said. "Fortunately, the beach is open, the Pier never closed, and our focus now is on repairing the damage as soon as possible."
The repairs come as the city prepares to host ESPN's Super Bowl LXI coverage from the Pier beginning Feb. 8, 2027, ahead of the Feb. 14 game at SoFi Stadium; the return of the Ocean Way Festival with Goldenvoice in 2027; and a series of Olympic hospitality houses during the LA28 Games in 2028, with Club France and House of Switzerland already announced.
The inaugural Ocean Way Festival, a two-day beachfront event planned for Sept. 26-27 as a partnership between the city and Goldenvoice, the AEG Presents subsidiary behind Coachella and Stagecoach, was canceled after city officials determined the storm-damaged site could no longer safely support the festival's infrastructure or crowd capacity. The event had been billed as the cultural centerpiece of the city's $60 million Realignment Plan, intended to boost tourism as the city struggles to pull out of a prolonged fiscal decline. Both the city and Goldenvoice have committed to relaunching the festival in 2027.
The damage stemmed from two separate impacts. Storm surf stripped sand from the beach south of the Pier, pushing the high-tide line 96 feet inland of the festival's planned fire lane — a production road that anchored every other element of the site plan, including the western gates, beach club structures, viewing areas and stage. Separately, stormwater discharged through the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain outfall cut a channel across the southern end of the site, undermining a beach access ramp and forcing the festival's planned entrance area roughly 500 feet to the north.
City staff spent Sept. 8 and 9 evaluating sand conditions, emergency access, construction needs, crowd circulation, tides and the extended forecast, and considered shrinking or relocating the festival footprint, regrading the sand or delaying load-in. None proved viable, and the city notified Goldenvoice on Sept. 11 that the event could not proceed. Officials note the damage is difficult to see at low tide on a beach as wide as Santa Monica's, and maintain both the beach and Pier remain open and safe for everyday use.
The erosion was one piece of broader damage Hurricane Marie inflicted across the Los Angeles County coastline. The storm, an Eastern Pacific hurricane that peaked at Category 2 strength roughly 100 miles offshore, never threatened landfall in California; instead, a long-period south swell combined with elevated Labor Day tides to produce high surf. In Malibu, waves undermined a beachfront property on Sea Level Drive, opening a sinkhole roughly 25 to 30 feet deep and forcing evacuations and red-tagging of 31 homes on the private road. On the Long Beach Peninsula, surf overtopped emergency sand berms, compromising a seawall, destroying sections of the boardwalk and prompting evacuation of about 20 oceanfront homes. Seal Beach saw parking lots flooded near its pier, and the coastal rail corridor through San Clemente was closed for several days after high tides damaged track. Los Angeles County lifeguards logged 457 water rescues over the holiday weekend, and no deaths were directly attributed to the storm.
City officials and scientists say the repair work is also a hedge against a bigger threat now approaching the coast: a coastally trapped Kelvin wave, a broad, slow-moving rise in sea level linked to a developing El Niño, expected to reach the Los Angeles area in early October. Experts said it could raise coastal sea levels by 6 to 12 inches for several months. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center has put the odds of a "very strong" El Niño this winter above 90%.
The wave itself is unlikely to cause flooding on its own, but scientists warn its effects could compound when it overlaps with California's highest tides of the year — king tides forecast for Nov. 24-26, Dec. 23-25 and Jan. 21-22 — as well as future storms. With Marie having already stripped protective sand from beaches between Malibu and Orange County, officials say the coastline, including the stretch south of the Santa Monica Pier, will have less buffer against whatever arrives next.
### Police Seek Additional Victims in Indecent Exposure Case at Clothing Store
URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-seek-additional-victims-in-indecent-exposure-case-at-clothing-store/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T03:19:00.000Z
The Santa Monica Police Department is asking additional victims to come forward after arresting a 72-year-old Calabasas man in connection with an indecent exposure incident at a women's clothing store.
Michael Greenwald was arrested Sept. 4 following an incident that police say occurred Aug. 29 at about 3 p.m. Investigators said a man entered the store and told an employee he needed to try on women's clothing for a television show he was filming. While trying on the clothing, he allegedly intentionally exposed his genitals and buttocks to a female employee before leaving without making a purchase, police said. The incident was reported to police the following day.
Detectives reviewed footage of the suspect's vehicle during the investigation, which led to his identification and arrest, according to police. Investigators also served a search warrant at his residence and recovered evidence related to the case.
Greenwald is described as a White male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds, with brown hair. Police said he is a registered sex offender with prior convictions for similar conduct.
On Sept. 8, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed one count of felony indecent exposure under California Penal Code section 314(1).
Police are urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of similar conduct involving Greenwald, or who has information relevant to the investigation, to contact Detective Carlos Madrid at carlos.madrid@santamonica.gov or 424-280-0133, or Sgt. George Burciaga at george.burciaga@santamonica.gov or 310-458-8952.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica College Invites Community to Coastal Cleanup Day at the 'Inkwell'
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-invites-community-to-coastal-cleanup-day-at-the-inkwell/
Last updated: 2026-09-17T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica College is inviting the community to take part in Coastal Cleanup Day, described as the world's largest volunteer event related to the marine environment, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 19, at Santa Monica Beach Tower 20, at the end of Bay St.
SMC students are helping to clean up the "Inkwell," the college's adopted section of beach. The site is where SMC student Nick Gabaldón and other African Americans challenged Jim Crow racism and helped open public beaches for all.
Gloves, buckets and safety training will be provided. Sunscreen, a hat and a reusable water bottle are strongly recommended.
Volunteers are encouraged to bike, walk or bus to the beach if possible. Those who must drive can request parking passes at the parking lot entrance between Bay St. and Bicknell St.
More information is available by emailing Ferris Kawar at kawar\_ferris@smc.edu.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Power to the People, POWER to the NEIGHBORHOODS!
URL: https://www.smdp.com/power-to-the-people-power-to-the-neighborhoods/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T21:38:46.000Z
On 12 April 2016, 3,806 days ago, the Pico Neighborhood Association brought suit against the City of Santa Monica for unfair elections. They sought to change the election of the members of the City Council from "At-Large" to "Districts".
Why did they do this? Perhaps because in the seventy (70) years since Santa Monica adopted at-large voting in Dec 1946, of the 64 persons who had been elected prior to 2016, only 3 or 4.7% had been Hispanic or Persons of Color. Since then, of the 16 persons who have served, 5 or 31% have been Hispanic or Persons of Color. Do you think the Lawsuit influenced the City Council when ALL three of the persons first SELECTED - Jara, McCowan, Negrete - were Hispanic or Persons of Color?
Let's get real, do you really think the Uller Pedophile horror would have gone on for twenty years if it were NOT in the Pico Neighborhood? Even today, does it seem "fair and equitable" that the Homeless Intake Shelter will be moved into the Pico Neighborhood?
Let's put aside, if we can, the racist and ethnic history of discrimination in Santa Monica - similar to America's history. For me, after public safety, the ultimate logic is that the first priorities are for each NEIGHBORHOOD. People living in Ocean Park have different priorities than those in Wilmont; North of Montana residents - the 6th most expensive ZIP code in the US - have different priorities than people living in the Pico Neighborhood. That is not racist or ethnic, it's simple geography, and why the people live in the neighborhoods they want and can afford.
Let's get basic, we want someone to represent us and our neighborhood FIRST. It's why the US in 1842 made district representation the rule for states in Congress; it's why Los Angeles adopted district representation in 1925, and why the majority of cities in CA and the US elect their City Council Members by district. Our new City Manager spent four years at the City of Irvine, which elects its City Council by districts and its mayor at large.
Let's talk about cost. The most recent estimate is that as of 30 June 2025, the City had paid $14.4MM to its outside law firm to defend against the Pico Neighborhood Association. That works out to $4,278 per day over the 3,806 days ending 30 June 2025\. The new City Council took office on 10 Dec 2024, and over its 642 days in office as of 12 Sep 2026, it has been responsible for $2,745,193 of these legal fees. By the time of the next court date, 22 Feb 2027, another 162 days or $694,379 in costs will have been incurred, making the new City Council responsible for $3,439,572 in legal fees over a lawsuit that could have been settled for ZERO ten years ago. They can stop the bleeding NOW!
Why have members of the City Council over the last decade and the last 21 months continued to fight district representation for OUR neighborhoods? "Cui Bono" - who benefits?
Four years ago, City Council members Zwick and Torosis each spent more than $50,000 to get elected over all seven districts. What if they or anyone else could afford just $7,000 of their own money on their own district? Doesn't that give a larger number of potential candidates? Don't we want "diversity" in our City Government, not just ethnic and racial?
Estimates for the current median household incomes for the City of Santa Monica are: $115,000 Zip Codes:
90401 - $110,400;
90402 - $159,000;
90403 - $121,900;
90404 - $95,100; and
90405 - 121, 200.
Last year the City of Santa Monica celebrated its 150th Birthday. I've lived here continuously since Oct 1996, after first living here briefly in 1967 and1987\. I moved here permanently because my children were off to college; in SM it has No Snow, No Ice, 8 Blocks to the Beach, less than an hour to an International Airport, and a major metro area where I could find a job. I have enjoyed living here and until Memorial Day, 31 May 2020, had only minor "issues" with Santa Monica's government. That day was SM's wake-up call. It brought into the open the mistakes and failures that had been festering too long in our Public Safety, Homeless Solutions, Economic & Financial Vulnerability, Education, etc.
It has been more than six years and we are still struggling. It has been more than 80-years, and we still refuse to give Power to the Neighborhoods, Power to the People. The Neighborhoods are where people are most affected and can most quickly improve OUR city.
Finally, OUR City Council Members CAN STOP the Hemorrhaging of $1.6MM a year, $4,300 a day on a Lawsuit that Prevents Power to the Neighborhoods. WE, citizens of Santa Monica, can elect those who will vote to stop the Hemorrhaging.
Monday, 22 Feb 2027, LA Superior Court, Case # BC816804
Pico Neighborhood Association vs City of Santa Monica
162-Days!
POWER to the [People](https://www.facebook.com/groups/449198495143013/user/100059510560668/?%5F%5Fcft%5F%5F[0]=AZgGL-U52bf20ayCavoQ%5FEaPDdeWmYAQ4PZj8B2K-2cPePXxEMleQ2ODXV08NBQN5ptUIrToMtH-B4kLNC5CcoM7yYcwDuUxKWLbivtpGrD2anFhDsMfL2amX-qam%5F3Mr2-1bWc&%5F%5Ftn%5F%5F=-]K-R)!
POWER to the NEIGHBORHOODS!
John Medlin
Santa Monica 90403
\*Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect Zwick and Torosis election spending was not their own money.
### Around Town: Thai Fest & Locals' Night Take Over the Beach
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-thai-fest-locals-night-take-over-the-beach/
Last updated: 2026-09-17T18:58:59.000Z
**SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes a punk-rock Pier party, Thai food by the beach, a new Santa Monica bakery, Eater's biggest LA food event, coastal cleanup efforts, National Geographic Live at BroadStage, and much more!**
**Locals' Night at the Santa Monica Pier - Punk Night Takes Over:** Locals’ Night returns to the Santa Monica Pier with a decidedly punk-rock kickoff to the new season. The free evening features live sets from Implicit Bias, Horny Toad and Riptide Band, plus salsa dancing, a classic car meet, DJ Cee Rock, local vendors, an art exhibition and more. **Thursday, Sept. 17, 3:30–10 p.m., Santa Monica Pier.** [santamonicapier.org/localsnight-sept](http://santamonicapier.org/localsnight-sept?ref=smdp.com)
**National Geographic Live Diving the Great Barrier Reef at BroadStage:** Enjoy an immersive presentation on diving and protecting the Great Barrier Reef, featuring stunning photography and first-person stories from marine explorers. **Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., 1310 11th St.** [broadstage.org](http://broadstage.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Pizza, Lucius & a Very Good Thursday:** Indie music platform The Wild Honey Pie brings its signature Pizza Party to The Eden with an intimate, stripped-down performance by indie-pop band Lucius accompanied by a string trio. Even better, the evening includes unlimited pizza from a Paulie Gee x Chef Gabi Chappel collaboration. **Thursday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., The Eden, 1301 Ocean Ave. Free with RSVP.** [thewildhoneypie.com](http://thewildhoneypie.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Marina Movie Nights - Addams Family Values:** Grab your family, a picnic dinner, and a blanket or low-profile beach chairs and make your way to Burton Chace Park for the free Summer Concerts presented by the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors on select **Saturdays through Sept. 26.** Movies start at 8 p.m. but arrive by 7 to pick out your spot on the lawn. Free admission! [visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights](http://visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights?ref=smdp.com)
**Coastal Cleanup Day:** Trade your beach towel for a trash bag and help clean Santa Monica Beach as part of Heal the Bay's annual Coastal Cleanup Day. The worldwide event brings volunteers to more than 60 sites across L.A. County. **Saturday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m.–noon, Santa Monica Beach.** [healthebay.org/coastalcleanupday](http://healthebay.org/coastalcleanupday?ref=smdp.com)
**Mexican Ballet Folklórico at the Santa Monica Library:** The library kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with a live Mexican ballet folklórico performance, the traditional regional dances of Mexico in full color and full skirts. **Saturday, Sept. 19, 12 - 2 p.m., Pico Branch Library, 2201 Pico Blvd.** [santamonica.gov/events/4j6frm206rv37yq7fmeq2bcvmy/202609191200](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4j6frm206rv37yq7fmeq2bcvmy/202609191200?ref=smdp.com)
**Thai Fest Takes Over the Pier:** The Santa Monica Pier transforms into a two-day Thai street market featuring regional food vendors, Muay Thai demonstrations, traditional dance, live music, Thai makers and a performance troupe traveling from Bangkok. **Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19–20, 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Santa Monica Pier.** [thaifestbythebeach.com](http://thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Habits of Waste: World Record Tennis Ball Recycling:** Celebrate the Guinness World Record for collecting tennis balls for recycling. **Saturday, Sept. 19, 2 – 4 p.m., Reed Park (1150 Lincoln Blvd.)** [https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E357721&id=71](https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E357721&id=71&ref=smdp.com)
**A Pierfect Benefit - All Aboard the S.S. Rex:** The Santa Monica Pier's annual fundraiser transforms the historic Merry Go-Round building into a 1930s-era gambling ship complete with live jazz, casino tables, craft cocktails, a silent auction and indulgent bites. Dress for the Art Deco-inspired occasion and prepare to gamble for a good cause. [santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) **Saturday, Sept. 19** [And here is a link to their online auction](https://givebutter.com/c/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com) for a variety of food, wellness, and travel prizes that you can bid on even if you are not attending the event.
**Stand-Up Jesus at Santa Monica Playhouse:** What if the Second Coming were a comedy special? Humorist Robert Dubac brings his solo show Stand-Up Jesus to Santa Monica Playhouse for three Saturday performances this fall, followed by a post-show wine-and-wafer reception. **Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m., 1211 4th St.** [santamonicaplayhouse.com](http://santamonicaplayhouse.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17); [Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com); [Perrys Beach House DJ Event](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays and Sundays in Sept.)
**WHAT'S NEW & DELICIOUS?**
**Petitgrain's New Little Sister:** Clémence de Lutz, the baker behind Petitgrain Boulangerie, has opened a tiny sibling bakery and chocolatier eight blocks away on Pico Boulevard. Petitpain … et Chocolat serves whole-grain breads and pastries, house-made chocolates, coffee and some intriguing new creations, including an almond-honey croissant, cinnamon bun and fruit bostock. **1013 Pico Blvd.; open Wednesday–Sunday, 6:45 a.m.–2 p.m.** LA Times glowed about the new spot: [latimes.com/food/story/2026-09-08/petitpain-et-chocolat-best-croissants-los-angeles-petitgrain-new-french-bakery-chocolatier](http://latimes.com/food/story/2026-09-08/petitpain-et-chocolat-best-croissants-los-angeles-petitgrain-new-french-bakery-chocolatier?ref=smdp.com)
**Cowabunga! The Infatuation Reviews TMNT Pizzeria:** The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed pizzeria on Third Street Promenade gets a new review from The Infatuation, which highlights its neon-green-and-purple decor, arcade games, extensive TMNT merchandise and turtle-themed cocktails. **1444 Third St. Promenade.** [theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-pizzeria](http://theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-pizzeria?ref=smdp.com)
**35+ Singles Wine & Mingle Night at AJA Vineyards:** Ditch the dating apps for a night of real-world connections as “Thursday” is taking over AJA wine bar for a 35+ singles gathering, pairing local boutique wines with a laid-back, open-format social hour designed for meeting local neighbors. **Thursday, Sept. 24, 7 – 10 p.m., 417 2nd St.** [ajavineyards.com/events](http://ajavineyards.com/events?ref=smdp.com)
**Wallys - A Tasting with Tenuta Trinoro & Passopisciaro:** This tasting is paired with a small cheese and charcuterie board for each guest. **Thursday, Sept. 24, 214 Wilshire Blvd.** [https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1020850&restref=1020850&experienceId=790883](https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1020850&restref=1020850&experienceId=790883&ref=smdp.com)
**FURTHER AFIELD:** **Eater Off Menu Brings Santa Monica Chefs to Atwater Village:** Eater's biggest L.A. food event of the year takes over the historic Tam O’Shanter with an all-star lineup of food and drinks—including Santa Monica's own Pasjoli and Holbox, plus Quarter Sheets and Café Telegrama. Tickets include unlimited food and drinks, with 100% of net ticket proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen. **Saturday, Sept. 19, 6 p.m., 2980 Los Feliz Blvd.** [events.voxmedia.com/eateroffmenu2026](http://events.voxmedia.com/eateroffmenu2026?ref=smdp.com)
**MORE FURTHER AFIELD:** **TenderFest All-You-Can-Eat Celebration of “All Things Pounded, Breaded, and Fried”:** , An all-you-can-eat celebration of gourmet chicken tenders featuring unlimited bites, custom dips, pop-up desserts, and a chef competition judged by Nancy Silverton, Cat Cora, and Rams stars Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams. **Saturday, Sept. 19, The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills** [tenderfest.com](http://tenderfest.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [The Other Art Fair](https://www.theotherartfair.com/la/?ref=smdp.com) (9/24-27); [Montana Avenue Art Walk](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com) (10/3); [Oktoberfest at the Fairmont](https://www.fairmont-miramar.com/events/oktoberfest-at-the-miramar-2/?ref=smdp.com) (10/8-10); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18); [LA Times Food Bowl](https://www.latimes.com/events/la-food-bowl?ref=smdp.com) (10/23-24)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Thai Fest & Locals' Night Take Over the Beach**
### Blame Canada
URL: https://www.smdp.com/blame-canada/
Last updated: 2026-09-17T15:59:59.000Z
The President of our country has said that Canadians are “nasty people” who have been “taking advantage of the United States for a long time.” In 1999, proposing war with Canada was so preposterous that it was the farcical plot of the first South Park movie. Now it’s a Tuesday.
Whether or not the President has a grudge against hockey sticks and poutine is anyone’s guess. Perhaps when you fantasize you’re a fighter jet pilot, everything looks like a shooting target. Just in the past week, the administration has attempted to restrict mail-in voting, siphoned funding from the National Institutes of Health to the Department of Defense, threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center, and suggested renaming New Mexico.
This short list doesn’t include the efforts already underway to stifle free speech, prosecute political opponents, terrorize immigrants, execute extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean, or wage war in Iran. And in case you missed it, the President has also set his sights on Santa Monica.
There was a [federal hearing](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-08-11/trump-administration-california-coastal-commission-performance-evaluation?ref=smdp.com) in our city last month to investigate the California Coastal Commission and potentially upend the federal law protecting our coastline. The accusation is that “environmental terrorism” is standing in the way of off-shore oil drilling and spaceport infrastructure. Yes, you read the last two words correctly. It’s the kind of brazen giveaway to Elon Musk’s SpaceX that even South Park would find too on the nose.
Amid the daily onslaught of criminality, corruption and cavalier cruelty, I’ve been questioning why I spend so much time writing about the errors of our City Council.
Is it useful to hold local leaders accountable for their actions when even their most outlandish actions can’t do a fraction of the damage emanating from the White House? And if the goal is to alert readers about threats to their safety and freedom, shouldn’t I be focused on the most dire ones?
Unlike our President, I believe our council members sought elected office to sincerely serve the public. Oh, they’re also there for ego gratification and political ambition. But I believe they have integrity, though I wouldn’t claim they always lead with it. Far too often, they parrot groupthink talking points and cave to political expediency. But it’s easy for me to say that.
I can take the high road and criticize them for rewarding union leaders and real estate developers with favorable policies, because I don’t have to plead for campaign donations in order to keep my job. And while some residents lambast the influence of these interest groups, others applaud it. That’s the messy reality of democracy.
However, I mentioned the Trump administration’s attack on the Coastal Commission and the desire to usurp its authority. What I didn’t mention is that six months prior, it was Santa Monica’s council members who were attempting to do the same thing by sponsoring legislation to override the Commission. It’s not the first time they’ve emulated the President’s tactics, though in this case he was emulating theirs.
They have purged commissioners appointed by former councils, and they have violated statutes. They’ve claimed good intentions and that may very well be the case, but it’s a slippery slope. The President has said the only limit on his power is his “own morality.” If we don’t agree with the “morality” he demonstrates, there’s very little we can do about it. But we have the ability to speak up when things are happening in our own backyard. More than that, we have the obligation.
A major problem in Washington is that the people with the power to push back aren’t doing so. Democracy requires checks and balances, and in a small city that’s a solemn responsibility for all of us.
Still, if we want decent people to go into politics, we need to treat those people with decency. We shouldn’t be accusing them of malicious motives every time we disagree with their actions. That’s how conspiracy theories are born, and we live at a time with far too many conspiracies.
It’s easier to believe someone is out to get us than to believe someone made a mistake, and part of the problem is people (and particularly politicians) don’t want to admit mistakes. People don’t want to admit to losing, whether it’s an argument or a Presidential race. So we have winners and we have victims. We don’t have a lot of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for our actions. It’s easier to blame someone. And if we want a bogeyman, there’s always Canada.
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### Santa Monica council advances single-family upzoning to shield transit zone from state housing law
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-advances-single-family-upzoning-to-shield-transit-zone-from-state-housing-law/
Last updated: 2026-09-17T15:59:59.000Z
The City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday to give initial approval to an ordinance raising development standards on 89 single-family-zoned parcels near the Expo/Bundy light-rail station, a targeted move designed to shield the city's last unprotected transit zone from a sweeping state housing law.
The measure passed on first reading after hours of debate and emotional public testimony. Councilmember Lana Negrete cast the only dissenting vote, and Councilmember Jesse Zwick was recused. A second reading is required before the ordinance takes effect.
At issue is Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, which took effect statewide July 1 and guarantees minimum development standards — greater density, height and floor area — for qualifying housing projects within a half-mile of major transit stops. In July, the council adopted an ordinance temporarily excluding six of Santa Monica's seven transit-oriented development zones from the law until one year after the city adopts its next housing element, expected around 2030.
The seventh zone, Expo/Bundy, did not qualify. Because the zone straddles the border with Los Angeles and Santa Monica controls too few high-capacity parcels on its side, the city fell short of a state threshold requiring at least 33% of sites to allow half the density SB 79 guarantees. Only 74 of 381 parcels — about 19% — met the standard.
To close the gap, the ordinance increases the allowed density on the 89 R1 parcels, bounded by the I-10 Freeway, Dorchester Avenue, Exposition Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, from one unit per parcel to 40 dwelling units per acre. It also raises the floor area ratio from 0.5 to 1.25, but only for projects that meet the higher density, a condition staff said would prevent owners from simply building larger single homes. The existing 28-foot height limit is unchanged. Staff estimated the change would push the zone to 42.7% of qualifying sites, enough to secure exclusion.
[Planners](https://www.smdp.com/storm-damage-forces-cancellation-of-santa-monicas-ocean-way-festival-city-and-goldenvoice-vow-2027-return/) stressed the increase remains far below what SB 79 itself would permit — 2.5 floor area ratio, 55 feet and 80 units per acre. Left unaddressed, staff warned, the zone stays open to SB 79 projects; denials of qualifying projects in high-resource areas become rebuttably presumed unlawful starting Jan. 1, 2027, carrying penalties of $10,000 per unit.
The debate centered on displacement. An earlier proposal to upzone 66 multi-unit R2/R3 parcels was set aside in July over concerns about renters, and staff concluded the R1 approach carried lower risk. Business-license data identified only two of the 89 single-family parcels as rentals, though five are registered under rent control.
Councilmember Dan Hall, who moved the recommendation, framed the choice as a defense of tenants and a bet on ownership. "When you flip a single-family home into a handful of townhomes, it contains rising prices," he said, arguing the alternative was blocks of "4.5, 5, 6 million McMansions." He drew a sharp line between homeowners and renters: "Choosing to sell your home is not displacement, but with renters in multifamily housing, eviction is always an option and thus a threat to stability."
Hall's motion, seconded by Councilmember Barry Snell, initially paired the staff recommendation with direction to begin planning the city's alternative TOD zones. Mayor Caroline Torosis then won a friendly amendment directing staff to simultaneously study the community's "dual ordinance" concept, possible exemptions for parcels with uses such as child care, and a citywide anti-displacement measure for rent-controlled homes. She said her priority was to "close the door as quickly as possible" on the expanded development window while pursuing those added protections. Torosis also voiced frustration at repeated shifts in the data presented to the council: "I feel like we're getting new information every time we discuss this, which is a little bit disconcerting."
Negrete pushed for more time, offering a substitute motion to revisit the R2/R3 approach while the dual-ordinance idea was studied. It failed for lack of support, in part because that approach had not yet been submitted to the state. "I can't support the upzoning because of the R1 neighborhood," she said in explaining her vote, adding that she remained "curious to see what comes back."
Staff rejected the dual-ordinance approach, saying SB 79 is silent on how to calculate capacity across city lines and that the state [Department of Housing and Community Development](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com) has not answered the city's request for guidance. City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln told the council the chance of a formal state response before the second reading was "nil."
Councilmember Ellis Raskin, who voted yes, signaled the item may yet change before final adoption. "Yes on first reading," he said. "Let's see what happens in the second."
### Santa Monica Pier Channels the SS Rex for A PIERfect Benefit
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-pier-channels-the-ss-rex-for-a-pierfect-benefit/
Last updated: 2026-09-17T09:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Pier Corporation will transform the historic Merry Go-Round Building into a Prohibition-era gambling den on Saturday, Sept. 19, when its second annual fundraiser, A PIERfect Benefit, invites guests aboard a re-creation of the legendary SS Rex casino ship for a night of gaming, live entertainment and bidding to support free public programming on the pier.
The immersive Casino Night will feature casino-style gaming, live Carousel Horse Racing on the pier's historic carousel, cocktails, [culinary offerings](https://www.smdp.com/things-to-do-this-september-in-santa-monica-the-westside/) and period jazz, all evoking the glamour of the 1930s gambling barge once anchored in Santa Monica Bay. Guests are encouraged to arrive in 1920s and 1930s attire.
"The story of the mobster Tony Cornero's gambling barge SS Rex is one of the most fun stories in Santa Monica Pier lore," said Jim Harris, executive director and historian of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. "Who can resist a tale of Depression-era games of chance staged on a boat miles out in the ocean?"
The real SS Rex was a fishing barge that mobster Tony "The Hat" Cornero converted into a floating casino and anchored 3 miles off the end of the Santa Monica Pier in 1938, in waters then considered beyond the reach of state gambling laws. Patrons reached it by water taxi. After years of legal battles and an eight-day standoff in which his crew repelled boarding officers with high-powered fire hoses, Cornero surrendered, reportedly saying he "needed a haircut."
"We are thrilled to re-live it via A PIERfect Benefit by bringing back that great 1930s casino-vibe with games of chance, horse racing — an imaginative use of the pier's carousel — great food, and period jazz," Harris said. "Put on your fedora and come join us!"
The evening's centerpiece is an auction that organizers have stocked with luxury getaways, VIP outings and pier treasures. Highlights include a two-night Calamigos Ranch & Spa escape in Malibu valued at $3,500, oceanfront hotel stays, a VIP tour of the Los Angeles International Airport airfield, a VIP pass to Hollywood's Magic Castle and a Pacific Park package offering four annual passes for 365 days of unlimited rides.
"A PIERfect Benefit's auction is about more than taking home something special — it's an opportunity to experience the places, people and traditions that make Santa Monica and the pier so distinctive," Harris said. "Every bid supports our nonprofit mission and helps us continue creating experiences on the pier that are free and accessible to everyone."
Online bidding is already open at givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026, allowing supporters to browse the full catalog and place bids from anywhere, whether or not they attend. Bidding continues at the event, where guests can track favorite items on their phones until the auction closes. Winning bidders will be notified by email.
The fundraiser marks a step up in ambition from its debut. Harris said last year's inaugural benefit was "primarily an exercise in changing the public perception of what the [Pier Corporation](https://www.santamonicapier.org/aboutus?ref=smdp.com) is."
"Most people assume that we are a branch of the City of Santa Monica, but in reality we are a nonprofit organization who produces a year-round slate of free public events on the pier," he said. Last year's event raised more than $30,000; this year's goal is $100,000.
Proceeds support the corporation, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds free, year-round programming including Youth Day, which welcomes underserved children from across Los Angeles County, and the annual Pier 360 Beach Festival.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath is again among the event's sponsors. "Supervisor Horvath has been a wonderful and loyal supporter of the Pier Corporation's free events through Los Angeles County grant funding, was a key contributor to our inaugural fundraiser last year, and is on board once again this year," Harris said. "We are ever so grateful for her support."
Given the casino theme and cocktails, the benefit is geared toward adults. "The event is more suitable to a 21-plus crowd, but not restricted to that age limit," Harris said.
Guests who buy gaming tickets in advance receive 50% off the day-of price, and winners at each table earn raffle tickets for additional prizes. Adele's of Hollywood is offering 15% off costume rentals and purchases with the code PIER.
Tickets, gaming packages, sponsorship opportunities and tax-deductible donations are available at givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026\. The Merry Go-Round Building is at 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica.
For more information, visit[ ](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com)[givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com).
### District Attorney will not seek death penalty in Reiner murder case
URL: https://www.smdp.com/district-attorney-will-not-seek-death-penalty-in-reiner-murder-case/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T18:59:59.000Z
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman has announced that his office will not seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his parents last December in their Brentwood home.
"This decision reflects our careful judgment about the most appropriate path to take in this case and does not diminish the severity of these crimes," Hochman said. "I have spoken to the Reiner family and evaluated the mitigating and aggravating factors that are part of special circumstance murder cases. Seeking capital punishment should be reserved for the most egregious instances, and we determined after a thorough review that the death penalty was not the appropriate resolution in this case."
Reiner, 32, was indicted on two counts of murder with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait. He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife.
He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return to court Oct. 7 for a motions hearing in Department 108 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. If convicted as charged, he faces life in state prison without the possibility of parole. He is being held without bail.
Prosecutors allege that on Dec. 14, 2025, Reiner fatally stabbed his parents, director Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, at their home in the 200 block of South Chadbourne Avenue in Brentwood. He fled the scene but was arrested later that evening.
The county medical examiner determined the couple died of multiple sharp force injuries. No motive has been released.
The case is being prosecuted by the District Attorney's Major Crimes Division and remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division. The charges filed are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Reiner, the third of Rob Reiner's four children, made his initial court appearance Dec. 17 wearing a suicide-prevention smock. At a subsequent hearing, defense attorney Alan Jackson, who has represented clients including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Read, asked to withdraw from the case, citing unspecified circumstances beyond his and his client's control.
Judge Theresa McGonigle granted the request in chambers, and Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene took over Reiner's defense.
The Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, through Ricardo D. Garcia, called the case an "unimaginable tragedy" for the Reiner family and the community. A family spokesperson said the Reiners trusted the legal process and would not comment further.
Rob Reiner was an American actor and filmmaker who twice reinvented himself as a pop-culture force. Son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, he first became a household name as Michael "Meathead" Stivic, Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, on the groundbreaking sitcom "All in the Family", winning two Primetime Emmys. He then became one of Hollywood's most versatile directors, launching with the cult mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap" and following with an extraordinary run: "Stand By Me", "The Princess Bride", "When Harry Met Sally…", "Misery", and "A Few Good Men", which earned four Oscar nominations including Best Picture. He co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, was a prominent Democratic activist, and won a posthumous 2026 Emmy for "The Bear."
Nick Reiner had previously spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction and mental health, including in connection with the 2015 film "Being Charlie," which was loosely based on his relationship with his father.
### Airport2Park Foundation and Great Park Coalition to Receive 2026 President's Award From Olmsted Network
URL: https://www.smdp.com/airport2park-foundation-and-great-park-coalition-to-receive-2026-presidents-award-from-olmsted-network/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T18:58:59.000Z
The Olmsted Network, which champions the legacy of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, will honor the Santa Monica Airport2Park Foundation and the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition with a 2026 President's Award on Sept. 25 at its Annual Awards Dinner in Portland, Oregon. Representatives from both organizations will accept the award.
The Olmsted Network, comprising more than 150 park advocacy nonprofits and conservancies, is the first and only national organization dedicated to protecting the parks, places and principles of the Olmsted firm. Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), considered the father of American landscape architecture, was a visionary and social reformer whose firm designed Central Park in New York City, Boston's Emerald Necklace, the Chicago World's Fair and thousands of other landscapes.
Olmsted Network President Sue Breitkopf said Airport2Park and the Great Park Coalition were selected in recognition of their work demonstrating how community vision can shape the next great American park. She said the organizations' efforts will help ensure that Olmsted's vision of "Parks for All People" becomes a reality in Santa Monica.
In announcing its 2026 award winners, the Olmsted Network said that in park-deficient Santa Monica, the Great Park Coalition has united residents, organizations and civic leaders around the restoration of a large park on the Santa Monica Airport site when it closes at the end of 2028\. The network said the work reflects Olmsted's belief that every community deserves access to inspiring public green space.
Key aspects of the network's mission include advocacy, education, stewardship, and principles of accessibility and inclusivity. The network expressly opposes privatization of public space.
Olmsted left a deep imprint in California, designing master plans for UC Berkeley and Stanford University. An originator of California's conservation movement, he was passionate about protecting Yosemite Valley and safeguarding public access. His advocacy helped initiate the 1864 Yosemite Valley Grant Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, which granted Yosemite Valley to the state of California and protected it for public use and recreation.
"The Santa Monica Airport2Park Foundation is extremely honored to receive this prestigious award," said Neil Carrey, president of the Airport2Park Foundation. "The award is national recognition that the Santa Monica community's vision of reclaiming the airport site for its original park purpose reflects the ideals that the Olmsted Network champions."
"Receiving this Olmsted Network President's Award is a great opportunity for both organizations to gain insights from the Olmsted Network's advocacy toolkit, and to potentially connect with other national resources and donors," said John Fairweather, president of the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition. "We hope this will become a long-lasting relationship for our City as the Great Park is built and becomes an essential part of our community."
Originally acquired through a 1926 parks bond, the site is now poised to fulfill its original purpose as one of the nation's great public parks.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Auction and casino night set for second annual 'A PIERfect Benefit' on Sept. 19
URL: https://www.smdp.com/auction-and-casino-night-set-for-second-annual-a-pierfect-benefit-on-sept-19/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T18:58:59.000Z
Luxury getaways, VIP experiences and Santa Monica Pier adventures headline the auction at A PIERfect Benefit, the Santa Monica Pier Corporation's second annual fundraiser, set for Saturday, Sept. 19.
Online bidding is open now at[ ](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com)[givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com), where supporters can browse the catalog, register and bid from anywhere. Bidding continues during the event, and attendance is not required to bid online.
Held inside the historic Merry Go-Round Building, the Casino Night evokes the SS Rex, the gambling ship once anchored in Santa Monica Bay. Guests can play casino-style games, watch live Carousel Horse Racing and enjoy cocktails, food, entertainment and prize drawings. Proceeds support free, year-round programming on the pier.
Confirmed auction highlights include a two-night Calamigos Ranch & Spa getaway in Malibu ($3,500), a Fairmont oceanfront stay ($1,780), a stay at the Art Deco Georgian Hotel ($1,200) and a night at The Pierside Santa Monica ($920). Other offerings include four two-day passes to the inaugural Ocean Wave Festival on Sept. 26-27 ($1,596), a VIP LAX airfield tour ($600), a private mezcal tasting ($500) and a VIP pass for four to Hollywood's Magic Castle. Pier-themed items include a Pacific Park premium annual pass package for four ($1,250), a swag collection and a Playland Arcade gift tote.
Jim Harris, executive director and historian of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, said every bid supports the nonprofit's mission to keep pier experiences free and accessible.
Guests who buy gaming tickets in advance receive 50% off the day-of price. Period attire from the 1920s and 1930s is encouraged; Adele's of Hollywood is offering 15% off costume rentals and purchases with code PIER.
Advance gaming tickets and EARLYBIRD admission savings of 20% are available through Sept. 8\. Tickets, gaming packages, auction details, sponsorships and tax-deductible donations are available at[ ](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com)[givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com). The event takes place at 200 Santa Monica Pier.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Teen-led group aims for Guinness World Record in Saturday sports ball recycling drive
URL: https://www.smdp.com/teen-led-group-aims-for-guinness-world-record-in-saturday-sports-ball-recycling-drive/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T16:00:00.000Z
A teen-led environmental group will try to set a Guinness World Record for the most sports balls recycled in a single day during a free community event Saturday, the culmination of a months-long drive that has already diverted more than 15,000 used balls from landfills.
Another Bounce, a youth initiative of the international nonprofit Habits of Waste, will host the event from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 19 at [Reed Park in Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/downbeat-720-celebrates-25th-anniversary-with-new-season/). A live Guinness World Record adjudicator will be on hand to verify the collection as the group attempts to claim the record ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Organizers describe the gathering as the largest sports sustainability event of its kind. Although the effort began with tennis balls and pickleballs, the group has expanded its collection to all types of used sports balls.
"This began as a school project around social entrepreneurship where one of my friends was frustrated with the amount of tennis and pickle balls that were being discarded each week during his lessons," said Milan Ramesh, a junior board member. "We came together and created Another Bounce to make change."
The group has been gathering balls since February, dropping collection boxes at tennis courts across Los Angeles and picking them up once the boxes fill. Ramesh said the response has been enthusiastic.
"We noticed that people were relieved to find a solution for this huge waste problem and they are happy to know that they can be recycled," Ramesh said. Balls collected at Saturday's event will be sent for recycling and turned into new balls, sports court surfaces and other materials, the group said.
Beyond the collection drive, the teens have taken their cause to city council meetings to press for stronger sports ball recycling policies. On Aug. 24, the city of Malibu invited the group to submit a draft ordinance.
"I think it's a great idea and I'd like to invite this group to prepare something," Malibu Mayor Silverstein said. "Actually prepare a draft legislation and present it to our staff so we can have an agenda item with the actual proposal as opposed to just the concept otherwise we will waste time. ... I would support it."
Ramesh, who described the first council appearance as intimidating, said the experience grew easier. "At the end of the first meeting I became comfortable with speaking about the policies, because I am so passionate about it and I had my peers around me," he said.
A realistic mandate, Ramesh said, would encourage players to deposit used balls in bins at public courts, with cities responsible for collecting them and delivering them to specialized recyclers. Owners of residential courts should keep their balls and drop them at collection centers, Ramesh said.
The environmental stakes are significant, according to the group. Hundreds of millions of sports balls are discarded worldwide each year, and because the rubber, synthetic and felt materials are not biodegradable, they can take more than 400 years to break down in a landfill. As sports participation continues to grow, organizers say, so does the waste.
"Working with teens who care deeply about the planet and showing them that there are effective pathways to create change is one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career," said Sheila Morovati, CEO and founder of Habits of Waste. "Solving a 'habit of waste' that is so relevant to their daily lives ... helps this next generation understand the power they hold to be changemakers."
To encourage donations, organizers will give free ice cream to every family or community member who brings a grocery bag full of used sports balls. Guests can also take home free pickleballs from Selkirk.
The event will feature pickleball matches, games, arts and crafts, and a live DJ. Recycling partner Ridwell will haul the collected balls to a recycling center afterward.
Habits of Waste, which previously led the #CutOutCutlery campaign behind California's AB 1276 limiting single-use plastic utensils, said the sports ball effort reflects its broader mission of shifting wasteful habits. More information about the organization is available at [anotherbounce.org](https://anotherbounce.org/?ref=smdp.com).
Free registration for Saturday's event is available at[ ](https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E357721&id=71&ref=smdp.com)[https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E357721&id=71](https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E357721&id=71&ref=smdp.com).
### Coastal Cleanup Day returns for 42nd year as El Niño looms
URL: https://www.smdp.com/coastal-cleanup-day-returns-for-42nd-year-as-el-nino-looms/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T16:00:00.000Z
California Coastal Cleanup Day returns this September for its 42nd year, and organizers expect the state's largest volunteer event to draw more than 50,000 people to hundreds of locations stretching from the shoreline to the Sierra Nevada.
This year's cleanup carries added urgency. A potentially historic El Niño is taking aim at California, and the [increased rainfall ](https://www.smdp.com/storm-damage-forces-cancellation-of-santa-monicas-ocean-way-festival-city-and-goldenvoice-vow-2027-return/)it brings can wash plastic pollution from creeks and streams into the ocean. Organizers say the event offers a chance to intercept that trash before it causes even greater harm to the coast and the wildlife that depends on it.
The cleanup also coincides with a milestone. The California Coastal Commission, which organizes the annual event, is marking the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act.
"As we celebrate the 50th year of the Coastal Act, Coastal Cleanup Day serves as an important reminder that we all need to show up to protect our coast," Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge said. "Year after year, Californians demonstrate their commitment to a clean and healthy coast and ocean, proving that Californians will take action to save our state's iconic shoreline."
The cleanup traditionally takes place on the third Saturday of September — this year, Saturday, Sept. 19 — and now spans all 58 California counties, including inland waterways far from the shore. Since 2020, the commission has also offered self-guided cleanups throughout the month. Last year, more than 40,000 volunteers turned out at over 700 sites on Coastal Cleanup Day itself.
In Los Angeles County, dozens of sites are already organized and short on hands.
"Our local coordinator, Heal the Bay, has organized dozens of sites that are open to volunteers and in need of help," said Eben Schwartz, statewide outreach manager for the commission. Residents can find a site and sign up at healthebay.org. In Santa Monica, the cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Last year, just shy of 9,000 volunteers turned out to more than 50 sites across the county, removing over 23,000 pounds of trash and recyclables, Schwartz said. This year he hopes to top 10,000 volunteers — and to see the amount of trash collected fall.
"Our goal every year is to bring more people out to find less trash, which would tell us that our year-round education and prevention efforts are working," Schwartz said.
Statewide, nearly 1.9 million volunteers have removed more than 13,770 tons of trash since the event began in 1985\. The most common items are cigarette filters, food wrappers, plastic straws and other utensils.
Whether the underlying trash problem is shrinking is harder to answer, Schwartz said, because the totals depend heavily on how many volunteers show up.
"Looking at averages, we are picking up significantly less per volunteer than we did just 5 to 10 years ago," he said. Still, he added, "it could be that there's more trash out there ... but we're doing a better job of picking it up throughout the year," noting that the commission runs more year-round cleanups than it once did and that weather remains a significant factor.
Policy changes, he said, have made a measurable dent. In 2007, before any local plastic grocery bag bans took effect, those bags made up about 9% of all the trash collected on Coastal Cleanup Day. After more than 100 local bans and a statewide ban, they now account for only about 1%.
"That's a significant change to our otherwise stable data set," Schwartz said. Similar drops have been recorded for cigarette filters on beaches where smoking has been banned.
The reach of the event extends well beyond the coast. Winter rains can flush debris through rivers, creeks and channels for hundreds of miles, meaning volunteers in Sacramento, Riverside and even the Sierra Nevada can help protect the shoreline, organizers said. The commission runs the event with help from hundreds of government and nonprofit partners across the state.
To find the nearest cleanup, visit coastalcleanupday.org, where publicity posters and T-shirts are also available.
The event is presented by the California Coastal Commission and Niagara Cares, with support from Oracle, Nordic Naturals, Klean Kanteen, Longboard Vineyards, the Whale Tail Specialty License Plate, the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund, GreenPolly and the California State Parks Foundation. This year's artwork was donated by Phyllis Shafer.
For more information or to find a cleanup site, visit [coastalcleanupday.org](http://coastalcleanupday.org/?ref=smdp.com). Los Angeles County residents can find local sites through Heal the Bay.
### Public safety unions expand endorsements alongside new survey saying the City is on the wrong track
URL: https://www.smdp.com/public-safety-unions-expand-endorsements-alongside-new-survey-saying-the-city-is-on-the-wrong-track/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T15:12:17.000Z
Santa Monica's two public safety unions expanded their slate of City Council endorsements Tuesday, adding candidates Doug Trussler and Ashley Oelsen to their earlier backing of incumbent Councilmember Lana Negrete, citing new polling that shows widespread voter anxiety about crime, homelessness and the direction of the city ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Santa Monica Firefighters, IAFF Local 1109, and the Santa Monica Police Officers Association said the expanded slate follows a survey the unions commissioned from EMC Research, which polled 250 likely November 2026 voters in Santa Monica from Sept. 5-9 using phone, email and text-to-web methods.
The results, the unions said, point to a city that wants the kind of individuals they have endorsed. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said Santa Monica is on the wrong track, and 61% said the city needs new people to change how things are done, compared with 32% who said it needs more experienced leaders. While the survey showed unease among voters over the state of the city, it specifically showed support for Negrete.
"Our members respond to this community's worst days, and we hear a consistent message: people love this city and they do not recognize it right now," said Garrett Childers, president of Santa Monica Firefighters Local 1109\. "We asked the residents we serve what they think, and they answered clearly. Standing with the community isn't a political calculation for us. It's part of the job."
The poll found residents split on safety in their own neighborhoods, with 52% saying they feel safe walking alone after dark and 48% saying they do not. Downtown fared worse, with 71% of voters saying the area around the Third Street Promenade is not safe after dark. Forty-three percent said they feel less safe than they did two years ago, while just 8% said they feel more safe.
Despite that unease, voters gave high marks to the city's first responders — 88% rated the Fire Department's performance as excellent or good, and 60% said the same of the Police Department, ratings the unions contrasted with lower marks for elected leadership. The survey also found 75% of voters said they are more likely to support a candidate endorsed by the firefighters, and 59% said the same of a Police Officers Association endorsement.
"That trust is the most valuable thing our organizations have," Childers said. "We don't spend it lightly, and we're spending it here because the stakes for this city are real."
Cody Green, president of the Santa Monica Police Officers Association, said the endorsements reflect an effort to elevate resident concerns. "This is about listening to the people we serve and making sure their voices are part of the conversation about Santa Monica's future," Green said.
The survey also highlighted the now-terminated interim housing projects on Ocean Avenue as a flashpoint. Seventy-two percent of voters said they were aware of the projects, but only 25% said they would have supported them, while 56% said they would have strongly opposed them. Sixty-three percent said they are unlikely to support a council candidate who backed those or similar projects, including 54% who said they are very unlikely to do so. The unions said the findings do not suggest Santa Monica should halt housing construction altogether, but that the city should coordinate more closely with residents and consider options such as workforce housing.
Local 1109 and the police association said they plan to release a fuller report on the poll results. Negrete previously received the unions' backing following a membership meeting and what the associations described as unanimous member support.
Negrete, Oelsen and Trussler have also picked up other endorsements. The Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City backed Negrete and Oelsen for council, citing Negrete's opposition to SB 79, a state law expanding large-scale residential development that every other sitting councilmember supported, and Oelsen's role fighting a city-backed measure that would have exempted Santa Monica from California Coastal Commission oversight. The Board of Northeast Neighbors likewise endorsed Negrete, Oelsen and Trussler, with Chair Tricia Crane calling them "honest, independent, resident-focused candidates."
But the broader endorsement landscape this fall is far less unified, with labor groups, tenant organizations and civic clubs splitting in different directions across a crowded field of 12 candidates competing for three council seats.
UNITE HERE Local 11, the hotel workers union, endorsed four candidates for the three seats — Mayor Caroline Torosis, Rent Control Board chair Danny Ivanov, Brett Morrow and Trussler. The union credited Torosis with protecting Pier restaurant workers' jobs amid ownership changes, backed Ivanov for his rent-control enforcement record, and supported Morrow based on his previous work for then-Rep. Keith Ellison, now Minnesota's attorney general. The union said it backed Trussler despite some disagreements because of his approach to labor and business working together.
Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights endorsed Torosis and Ivanov but could not agree on a third candidate; its steering committee later added Morrow to campaign materials. Santa Monica Forward backed Torosis, Eli Gill and Morrow. The Community for Excellent Public Schools split its endorsement between Torosis and Negrete, and the Santa Monica Democratic Club deadlocked without endorsing any candidate. Municipal employee unions had not issued endorsements as of this report.
The council race is one of four contested local elections this fall, alongside seats on the Rent Control Board, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education. Voters will also weigh five ballot measures, including a school parcel tax, amendments to the city's rent-control charter and a hotel-tax measure aimed at long corporate stays.
Mail ballots are set to go out by Oct. 5, vote centers open Oct. 24, and polls close Nov. 3, with results due to be certified by Dec. 3.
### As election day approaches, multiple forums provide ample opportunity to hear from candidates
URL: https://www.smdp.com/as-election-day-approaches-multiple-forums-provide-ample-opportunity-to-hear-from-candidates/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T09:59:59.000Z
Voters looking to size up the crowded field running for Santa Monica City Council this fall will get their chance in the coming weeks to see candidates in person, as local civic groups roll out their fall forum schedules ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The North of Montana Association will host a "Meet the City Council Candidates" forum as part of its Annual Meeting & Info Fair on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Franklin School Auditorium, 2400 Montana Ave. The group says all 12 qualified City Council candidates are expected to take part. The event is in-person only but may be available online after the fact. Questions for candidates can be sent in advance to NOMABoard@gmail.com.
The League of Women Voters of Santa Monica is working with several partners to host a series of forums. The first will be held with the Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education candidates on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the SMMUSD District Office, 1717 4th St. That forum will be hybrid: voters can attend in person at the district's board room or watch online, with the League directing viewers to register for a Zoom webinar link and offering a YouTube livestream for those who cannot join the video call. The forum will cover the four-seat school board race between incumbents Laurie Lieberman, Alicia Mignano and Stacy Rouse and challengers Harry Leshner and Robbie Staenberg. Questions can be directed to Barbara Inatsugu at candidateforums@lwvsantamonica.org.
The League will then partner with the Committee for Racial Justice for a City Council forum at the Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill St, on Oct. 4 from 6:30 - 9 p.m. A second Council forum will be televised in partnership with the City of Santa Monica on CityTV and online on Oct. 9\. Rent Control Board will also be part of the televised forum but there will be no studio audience. A third forum featuring both Council and Rent Control Board will be held in partnership with Community Corporation of Santa Monica at 1834 14th Street on Oct. 14 from 6:30 - 9 p.m.
The League has directed voters to its "Elections – Candidate Forums" page at my.lwv.org/california/santa-monica for more information.
The forums come as Santa Monica voters prepare to decide a packed Nov. 3 ballot that includes three four-year City Council seats, three Rent Control Board seats, four SMMUSD board seats, four Santa Monica College trustee seats and five city ballot measures, according to city candidate filing records.
Unlike past election cycles, this year's council race has yet to produce a clear group of front-runners or a unified slate, with endorsements from labor groups, tenant advocates and civic organizations splitting in different directions.
### Locals' Night Returns to Santa Monica Pier Sept. 17 With 'Westside Punk Night'
URL: https://www.smdp.com/locals-night-returns-to-santa-monica-pier-sept-17-with-westside-punk-night/
Last updated: 2026-09-15T18:58:59.000Z
Locals' Night returns to the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 3:30 to 10 p.m., launching the 2026-27 season of the free community series with "Westside Punk Night," featuring live music, salsa dancing, a new photography exhibition and community programming throughout the pier.
The season opener puts a Westside spin on Locals' Night, bringing together Southern California punk, salsa, art and contemporary programming.
"Locals' Night is about bringing our community together and creating experiences on the Santa Monica Pier that reflect the people, music and cultures that make Southern California such an extraordinary place," said Jim Harris, executive director and historian of the Santa Monica Pier. "We're excited to open a new season with a night that celebrates the Westside's punk roots alongside salsa, art and community programming. It's an unexpected combination, but one that feels completely at home on the Santa Monica Pier."
Live music runs from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on the Pier Deck, with Riptide at 5:30 p.m., Horny Toad at 7 p.m. and Implicit Bias at 8:30 p.m.
The opening reception for "Afterglow: Portraits by Sam Comen" runs from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the Merry Go-Round building. The exhibition features 274 locals, travelers and international visitors photographed during three summer days at the pier in July.
Other programming includes Books & Cookies Musical Storytime at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. at the Merry Go-Round building, and a Classic Car Meetup and DJ set from 4 to 8 p.m. on the Pier Deck, with DJ Cee Rock spinning alongside a showcase of vintage cars.
Salsa Way at West End runs from 5 to 10 p.m., with live music by Orchestra Son Mayor, free salsa lessons with Courtney Parisi, an open dance floor over the ocean, and Super DJ Robby spinning.
The evening also spotlights the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the highway that leads to the Santa Monica Pier. More information is available at[ ](http://www.santamonica.com/route66?ref=smdp.com)[www.santamonica.com/route66](http://www.santamonica.com/route66?ref=smdp.com).
Locals' Night is presented by Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier and produced by the Santa Monica Pier Corporation with support from community partners NEFT Vodka, Harvelle's and Costco.
Free tickets are available at[ ](http://pierlocalsnight.eventbrite.com/?ref=smdp.com)[http://pierlocalsnight.eventbrite.com/](http://pierlocalsnight.eventbrite.com/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA28 Opens Second Round of Resilience Champions Fund for Los Angeles Nonprofits
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la28-opens-second-round-of-resilience-champions-fund-for-los-angeles-nonprofits/
Last updated: 2026-09-15T18:58:59.000Z
The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee has opened the second round of applications for the LA28 Resilience Champions Fund, continuing its investment in nonprofit organizations advancing locally led solutions to strengthen resilience across the Los Angeles region. Nonprofits from across the region can apply through Oct. 30.
"Building a more resilient Los Angeles starts with investing in the people and organizations who know their communities best," said Becky Dale, LA28 vice president of sustainability. "With the second round of the Resilience Champions Fund, we're excited to build on the momentum of our inaugural grantees whose projects are currently underway, and support more locally led solutions that can deliver a meaningful impact that starts before the Games and endures long after 2028."
Launched earlier this year, the fund is part of the broader LA28 Resilience Champions Initiative, designed to strengthen community resilience leading up to and beyond the 2028 Games. In May, LA28 announced the fund's inaugural cohort of eight nonprofit grantees, each receiving $100,000 to implement projects across the region.
"The Resilience Champions Fund is opening opportunities for Chrysalis clients to be a part of the LA28 legacy," said Mark Loranger, president and CEO of Chrysalis. "This effort has strengthened our workforce development program by providing resources, expertise, as well as meaningful partnerships with other nonprofits tackling challenges across Los Angeles."
Round two will continue to support projects aligned with the fund's three focus areas. For wildfire resilience and nature restoration, coming out of the 2025 wildfires, the fund will support projects such as planting fire-resilient native plants or vegetation management. For ocean protection, it will support solutions such as restoring wetlands and coastal habitats. For cooling solutions, it will support projects such as native tree planting or installation of shade structures.
"As we prepare to welcome the world for the 2028 Games, we're proud to partner with LA28 to continue prioritizing solutions that address today's climate realities and deliver sustainable infrastructure that will serve Angelenos well beyond 2028," said Randall Winston, deputy mayor of infrastructure and climate resilience for the city of Los Angeles and an advisory group member.
The fund is administered by Community Partners, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit intermediary organization, with grant recipients selected by LA28 in collaboration with an advisory group representing the public, academic, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. It builds on commitments in LA28's Impact and Sustainability Plan, released in August 2025.
Nonprofit organizations interested in applying can learn more about eligibility and apply through the LA28 Resilience Champions Fund page at Community Partners. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 30.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### One flight became his life: Documentary set for Sept. 16 release
URL: https://www.smdp.com/one-flight-became-his-life-documentary-set-for-sept-16-release/
Last updated: 2026-09-15T17:35:30.000Z
A new short documentary about a Los Angeles pilot who found flying almost by accident during the pandemic will be released Sept. 16, offering an intimate look at the aviation community that still gathers around Santa Monica Airport.
The film, titled "One Flight Became His Life," follows Tedd, a pilot whose relationship with aviation began during COVID-19 when feeling stuck at home led him to take an introductory flight at the airport. Six years later, he flies both airplanes and helicopters and is building flight time toward his commercial helicopter license.
Directed by filmmaker Valentine Di Marco, the 10-minute, 38-second film will be released through What a Life, an independent documentary series, on YouTube and on the project's website.
The film is structured around a single helicopter flight from Santa Monica along the Southern California coast and back into the hangar. Di Marco said she built the story around one flight to spend time with her subject and capture a piece of his daily life.
"I wanted the film to unfold through something Tedd actually does," Di Marco said. "Following one flight felt like a natural way to spend time with him and document one part of his everyday life, while also understanding the place flying has in it."
She said the approach was meant to let viewers share in the experience rather than simply hear about it.
"You see the coastline from his perspective, you follow the flight with him, and you get a sense of the freedom he finds in it," Di Marco said. "I wanted people to understand why he's so drawn to flying, not just hear him talk about it."
While Di Marco said the film is not about the future of the airport, it captures a small part of the aviation community that still exists there today. She said working on the project deepened her understanding of what such places mean to the people who use them.
"Places like this are more than just places where people fly," Di Marco said. "They become part of people's routines, work, friendships and everyday lives."
For Tedd, she said, the airport is woven into a larger life built around flying.
"The airport isn't just where he takes off from," Di Marco said. "It's part of the world he has built around flying, and part of the community that comes with it."
Di Marco warned that something is lost when a community airport disappears.
"When a place like that disappears, you lose some of those connections too," she said.
The filmmaker said she was first drawn to Tedd not simply because he flies helicopters, but because of how far a single introductory flight had carried him. During the pandemic, Tedd was feeling stuck at home and wanted to get out, so he decided to take the flight.
"That desire for freedom ended up leading him to something that would become a huge part of his life," Di Marco said.
Over time, she said, flying stopped being just a pastime.
"Flying wasn't just something he enjoyed doing anymore," Di Marco said. "It had started influencing his schedule, his goals, and the way he built his life."
That transformation is the thread running through the broader series. What a Life explores the lives people build around the things that matter to them, using an observational approach rooted in everyday life. Di Marco said the idea grew from a curiosity about how personal interests can reshape a person's choices, routines and relationships.
She said she is drawn to a particular moment in her subjects' lives, "when an interest becomes much more than a hobby and starts shaping the way someone lives."
Most of the people she films are those she meets naturally around Los Angeles, and she said she prefers to let a story emerge rather than arrive with one already written.
"I don't like going into a film with the story already decided," Di Marco said. "I prefer spending time with someone, seeing what their everyday life is actually like, and letting the story come from that."
The film is set to be available beginning Sept. 16 on the What a Life YouTube channel, @whatalife.stories, and at whatalifestories.com.
### Latest in Waymo case favors rideshare company over the city
URL: https://www.smdp.com/latest-in-waymo-case-favors-rideshare-company-over-the-city/
Last updated: 2026-09-15T10:00:00.000Z
The City of Santa Monica’s ongoing legal dispute with Waymo hit a speedbump this month when the court overturned a previous ruling that had prevented Waymo from using its disputed facility on Broadway.
The new ruling allows Waymo to continue operations in the city.
“The petition for writ of supersedeas filed on August 11, 2026, has been read and considered, along with the opposition and reply. The petition is granted. The preliminary injunction issued on July 27, 2026 is stayed during the pendency of the appeal. The request for judicial notice is denied as unnecessary to the decision,” said the court.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge previously granted the City of Santa Monica's request for a preliminary injunction barring Waymo from operating its Broadway autonomous vehicle charging facilities overnight, siding with residents who had complained for more than a year about noise, light and traffic at the sites. The order prohibited Waymo from running its charging lots at 1222 and 1310 Broadway between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. while the underlying public nuisance case proceeded toward trial. The court found the city had established a reasonable probability of prevailing on its nuisance claim, and that the harm to residents outweighed any harm to Waymo, since the company could still offer overnight rides using vehicles charged during the day.
The dispute began in November 2024, when Waymo started using the two lots — run by charging company Voltera Power on property owned by SMF Property Holdings LLC — to charge vehicles serving the greater Los Angeles area. Residents reported reverse-beeping, humming, late-night worker noise, flashing lights and alley traffic congestion. In November 2025, the Santa Monica City Council voted 6-0 to order overnight operations shut down and declared the facilities a public nuisance. Waymo did not comply and instead sued the city on Dec. 17, 2025, arguing its operations were lawful; the city countersued a week later, seeking to have the lots declared a nuisance, which formed the basis for the injunction.
Waymo said it had taken steps to reduce noise and light and had invested heavily in the Santa Monica community. The court scheduled an Oct. 23 status conference to review potential remediation measures at the sites, with the injunction remaining in effect until trial.
### Missing man found dead in Malibu
URL: https://www.smdp.com/missing-man-found-dead-in-malibu/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T20:48:02.000Z
A Los Angeles composer and choral singer who vanished after saying he was headed to a Santa Monica job interview has been found dead in the ocean off Malibu.
Braden Pontoli, 36, was last seen around 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, near a WeWork co-working space in downtown Santa Monica, according to his partner, Tommy Lei, who reported him missing to the Santa Monica Police Department. Lei said Pontoli had gone there for an in-person interview and messaged that he had arrived safely, but was not heard from afterward — behavior friends described as out of character.
A missing-person flyer described Pontoli as 5-foot-11 and about 200 pounds, last seen in a blue button-up shirt and black pants, and asked the public to help locate his blue 2019 Nissan Kicks.
According to the LA County Fire Department, first responders were dispatched around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, to the beach north of Malibu Lagoon near the pier after reports of a body in the water. The man, who was not wearing clothing, was pulled from the water and pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified him as Pontoli, listing the place of death as the beach and the cause as suicide by blunt trauma.
His car was later found parked in a public garage in downtown Santa Monica, miles from the beach where his body was recovered.
Pontoli was raised in Beaver, Pennsylvania, earned a bachelor's in music education from Baldwin Wallace University and later a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts. A baritone and bass, he had performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale since November 2023 and appeared with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and he began directing choirs at Claremont United Methodist Church in 2025.
### Malibu Hires Jesse Mays as Assistant City Manager
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-hires-jesse-mays-as-assistant-city-manager/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T18:58:59.000Z
The city of Malibu has appointed Jesse Mays as assistant city manager. He brings experience in municipal government, strategic planning, communications, infrastructure and community engagement.
"Jesse brings an impressive combination of public-sector leadership, innovative thinking, and a deep understanding of city operations and community engagement," said City Manager Joe Irvin. "His experience working collaboratively with elected officials, residents, businesses, and regional partners will be a tremendous asset to Malibu as we continue rebuilding, investing in our infrastructure, and planning for the city's future."
Mays will work alongside Malibu's city manager and existing Assistant City Manager Christopher Smith to address community priorities on community resiliency, customer service, government relations and the future of the community lands.
He joins Malibu after a career in local government, most recently as assistant city manager for Culver City, where he led many externally facing city operations and served as a strategic advisor to the city manager.
During his tenure in Culver City, Mays managed the city's public-private partnership to connect every home and business to fiber internet, a project completed in two years at no cost to the city. He oversaw the development of major community infrastructure, including affordable housing, a new community center and long-term supportive housing.
Mays also guided Culver City's entry into the regional Clean Power Alliance, making 100% renewable energy the default choice for residents. He helped establish the city as a leader in transparency by expanding digital communications and developing new approaches to public engagement. He also worked with the City Council to develop and implement policies addressing rental housing and homelessness.
"I am honored to join the City of Malibu and excited to serve a community with a strong sense of place," Mays said. "Malibu has an incredible opportunity to build on its strengths while addressing important challenges, and I look forward to working with City staff, residents, businesses, and community partners to help move that work forward."
Mays began his career in public service as a staff member for San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner, who represented La Jolla and other coastal neighborhoods. He worked with those communities on development and transportation projects and ultimately served as Lightner's chief of staff.
Mays holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a bachelor's degree from Pomona College. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children and coaches Little League baseball in his free time.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA28 Opens Applications for Local Food Truck and Vendor Program at 2028 Games
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la28-opens-applications-for-local-food-truck-and-vendor-program-at-2028-games/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T18:58:59.000Z
LA28 has opened applications for the LA28 L.ocal A.uthentic Program, described as the largest integration of food trucks and mobile vendors of its kind, which will give hundreds of small and local food businesses from across the Los Angeles region the opportunity to serve spectators during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Applications are open from Sept. 10 through Nov. 16 on RAMPLA.
"The Games are an extraordinary opportunity to show the world what makes Los Angeles special while creating meaningful opportunities for the local businesses that make this city what it is," said Reynold Hoover, LA28 chief executive officer. "From neighborhood favorites to food trucks and family-run businesses, we want millions of visitors to experience the L.A. that Angelenos know and love — and give the entrepreneurs behind those businesses a platform to grow well beyond 2028."
Through the program, LA28 will select hundreds of small food businesses from across the region to serve spectators at competition venue zones and non-competition venues. The initiative supports LA28's broader procurement targets to direct 75% of addressable procurement spend to businesses in the Los Angeles region and 25% to small businesses. The program is designed to work alongside LA28's official sponsors and operators, combining their expertise and support with the creativity and authenticity of local businesses.
The program marks the first time in Olympic and Paralympic Games history that local small and micro businesses, such as food trucks, festival-style pop-ups and food carts, will play a central role in the Games food and beverage strategy.
Across the Games as a whole, the broader food and beverage operation is expected to deliver more than 17 million meals, all of which will meet a variety of needs while incorporating more sustainable choices.
Selected vendors will receive more than a place within the 2028 Games. LA28 and its partners will provide mentoring and tools to help them prepare for Games-time operations and pursue growth beyond 2028\. Support will include strategies to scale production, strengthen financial models, navigate insurance and permitting requirements, and refine inventory, staffing and logistics.
Vendor applications and instructions can be found on [www.rampla.org/s/](http://www.rampla.org/s/?ref=smdp.com) starting Sept. 10 and running through Nov. 16.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Lions Return to Tradition at New Santa Monica Home
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lions-return-to-tradition-at-new-santa-monica-home/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T15:59:59.000Z
As we viewed the ever-changing skyline of Santa Monica from the penthouse of the Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica, PDG/President Carol Ann, called the Santa Monica – Pacific Palisades Lions meeting to order. Following our traditional Lions opening ceremonies, we enjoyed a delicious buffet created by chef Johnny and were welcomed by Heidi, the catering manager. The hotel had even created a special non-alcoholic drink to honor our first meeting at our new location.
The evening was a return to Lions traditions, as PDG/President Carol Ann had promised during her installation. She started off by handing out a new Lion’s information booklet she had composed with Lion Kingsley and was designed by IPP Derrick. It is a great refresher for long-time Lions as well as an instrumental resource to be used to welcome new Lions to our club. She also gave gifts to the two IPPS, Derrick and Pam for their past year of club leadership.
And, because our motto is We Serve, the meeting moved toward a discussion of service projects that our club members were and would be supporting. That evening, Lion Brian, our service chair, collected bags from members who brought groceries he would take and donate to the Westside Food Bank on our behalf. Fortunately, he has a large SUV and we filled it. And because the fall is always a busy time, he then reviewed the upcoming events where Lions will be participating, the Foundation Fighting Blindness VisionWalk is Saturday, 9/19 at 9 AM at the Crescent Bay Park and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Walk is Saturday 10/10 at 9 AM at the SM Pier. Brian also shared that at our October meeting he is hoping to share information regarding hygiene packages we will be assembling.
We were happy to have a new prospective member, Maryam, join us. She was enthusiastic and full of questions, as she is extremely interested in community service and potentially using her skills to increase our online impact.
Lion Kingsley reminded everyone that the next Lions Lunch Social gathering would be a week earlier than usual, on September 9th at Hop Li on Pico. These new lunch gatherings have been a popular addition to our club activities. They are not required and no Lions business is discussed, but they are a great opportunity to get to know your club members better and just have fun.
If you would like to discover what being a Lion is all about, please consider joining us at a dinner meeting as our guest on October 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica, 530 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica. Valet parking is available. To RSVP, please contact Kingsley, our membership chair, at 310-454-2960 or [smpplionsclub@gmail.com](mailto:smpplionsclub@gmail.com).
### Santa Monica moves to preserve public access to school fields before 2027 deadline
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-moves-to-preserve-public-access-to-school-fields-before-2027-deadline/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T15:59:59.000Z
The City Council voted last Tuesday to direct City Manager Oliver Chi to open negotiations with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District on a new agreement governing public use of school fields, gyms and playgrounds, aiming to head off a possible loss of community access when the current pact expires in 2027.
The item passed on a 6-0 voice vote on a request from Mayor Caroline Torosis and Councilmember Dan Hall. Councilmember Lana Negrete recused herself, citing a potential conflict of interest involving her music store and a pending determination from the state [Fair Political Practices Commission](https://www.fppc.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com), and left the room before the discussion.
At issue is the Master Facilities Use Agreement, or MFUA, a decades-old arrangement that lets residents, youth sports leagues and city recreation programs use school property during non-school hours. The agreement is set to terminate June 30, 2027, and the council's action instructs staff to negotiate a successor deal addressing resident concerns over permitting, scheduling, facility availability, fees and how costs are divided between the two agencies.
Chi was also directed to analyze the fiscal and operational effects of both outcomes of Measure ES, a school parcel tax on the November ballot, and to bring contingency options to the council's March budget study session if the measure fails.
Hall, who brought the item with Torosis, said the council wanted to make clear that if the measure passes, "we intend to use those funds for a successor agreement." He said the permitting, scheduling and cost issues the negotiations must resolve "have been pain points over the past couple of decades," and asked staff to return in March with "the trade-offs that we will have to make if Measure ES does not pass." Torosis seconded the motion.
In the 2024-25 period, the city transferred just over $30 million to the district across two agreements — about $11.4 million from the general fund for elementary and middle schools and playground programs, and $18.8 million in transaction and use tax revenue tied to Measures YY and GS for [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/hotel-union-endorses-four-candidates-for-three-open-spots-on-the-city-council/) High School and Los Amigos Park, according to a Recreation and Parks Commission letter included in the meeting record.
Measure ES, the parcel tax at the heart of the timing, is headed to the November ballot. Supporters describe it as a way for residents to take on the funding the district now receives from the city, giving the district a dedicated revenue source of its own.
The agreement dates to 2005, part of a City-school funding relationship residents trace back roughly two decades. A 2012 version ran for 10 years, and a 2022 modification extended the term to the current 2027 end date. In May, the school board unanimously affirmed community access to its fields, gyms and play areas, a commenter noted.
Residents and the city's parks commission submitted written comments ahead of the vote, most urging the council to act quickly.
Ann Bowman, a former Recreation and Parks Commission member, wrote that school campuses "belong to the people," not the district, and argued the city is the appropriate entity to keep them open after hours. Others pointed to a shortage of open space. Resident Matt Goldenberg noted the city averages just 1.55 park acres per 1,000 residents and said families in much of the city depend on the elementary and middle school fields the MFUA covers.
Elizabeth Van Denburgh, chair of the Wilmont neighborhood, said her area's 12,500 households have few yards and one true neighborhood park, making school-ground access essential.
Some backers pressed for urgency for strategic reasons. Karen Melick, vice chair of the Recreation and Parks Commission, warned that if the parcel tax passes, it "removes the primary financial incentive for the District to share its facilities," weakening the city's negotiating position.
Not everyone endorsed the approach. Nikki Kolhoff, a Sunset Park resident, called the item overdue and argued the parcel tax amounts to a "city tax disguised as a school tax," contending the council could have simply amended the agreement's dates years ago rather than let a termination loom.
The council's action directs staff to begin negotiations ahead of the agreement's June 2027 expiration.
### Police release video of fatal officer-involved shooting
URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-release-video-of-fatal-officer-involved-shooting/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T15:33:54.000Z
The Santa Monica Police Department has released a Critical Incident Community Debriefing Video detailing the Aug. 22 fatal officer-involved shooting of a man in Palisades Park near the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue, including body-worn-camera footage of the encounter.
The video, which combines footage, audio and information gathered during the preliminary investigation, is meant to give the public additional context about the shooting, according to SMPD. Its release does not represent final findings, and the incident remains under investigation.
According to police, officers were in the area at approximately 12:49 p.m. on Aug. 22 responding to a reported domestic violence incident when a man who was not connected to that call charged toward them while armed with a knife.
Officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the knife and tried to create distance from him, police said, but he continued to advance. One officer then fired, striking the man.
Officers immediately began lifesaving measures, and Santa Monica Fire Department personnel arrived and continued providing emergency medical care, according to police. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:49 p.m.
No officers or members of the public were injured, police said. Multiple knives were recovered at the scene.
The man was described by police as being in his mid-40s and homeless. Officers said he was not known to the department beforehand and may have been new to the area. His identity will be released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office once he is formally identified and his next of kin notified, according to police.
Investigators preserved evidence, interviewed witnesses and reviewed available video, including body-worn-camera footage and other footage from the area, Police Chief Darrick Jacob said. He cautioned that the information released so far is preliminary and could change as investigators gather more evidence.
"Our officers answer calls for help knowing the circumstances can change in an instant," Jacob said. "On August 22, they encountered an armed individual while assisting with an unrelated call. I recognize the lasting impact an incident like this can have on the officers and personnel who responded, and they have my support. When a life is lost during a police encounter, our responsibility to provide a clear and open account is especially important. Releasing this video is an important step in providing that account to our community."
Jacob added that "any incident resulting in the loss of life is significant" and that the department recognizes the impact on the man's family, those who knew him, the community and the personnel who responded. He called the shooting a reminder of the unpredictability officers face on the job.
Mayor Caroline Torosis also addressed the shooting, praising the officers involved.
"I am grateful for the courage our officers showed in the face of an armed threat and for the lifesaving efforts that followed," Torosis said. "Our officers are part of this community, and violence against them puts everyone around us at risk. Their safety is inseparable from the safety of the people they serve. The officers and personnel who responded that day deserve our gratitude and support for their bravery, compassion and commitment to Santa Monica."
California law requires law enforcement agencies to release video and audio recordings related to a critical incident within 45 days, subject to limited statutory exceptions and extensions. SMPD said it releases the debriefing videos as part of its commitment to transparency and to help the public better understand the circumstances surrounding significant uses of force.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or who has relevant video to contact Sgt. George Burciaga at George.Burciaga@santamonica.gov or the SMPD Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.
To view the video, visit [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EQLgNR4a5o&rco=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EQLgNR4a5o&rco=1&ref=smdp.com)
### SMMUSD Appoints Thomas Piland as New Chief Communications Officer
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-appoints-thomas-piland-as-new-chief-communications-officer/
Last updated: 2026-09-13T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has appointed Thomas Piland as its new chief communications officer, the district announced at its Sept. 9 board meeting.
Piland brings more than a decade of experience in strategic communications, community engagement, crisis response and public relations across the corporate, nonprofit and media sectors. Most recently, he served as U.S. marketing director for Ayming, a global financial consulting company, where he led digital marketing, social media, internal communications and event initiatives. Earlier in his career, Piland worked at The Recording Academy, supporting education programs and GRAMMY Week events. He also brings experience managing media relations and covering breaking news.
"I'm grateful to be back home in Santa Monica and Malibu, where I spent years working and volunteering. As a former Angeleno, I look forward to hitting the ground running and serving the community as SMMUSD's Chief Communications Officer," Piland said. "Effective communication is rooted in transparency, community engagement and empathy. I look forward to working closely with Superintendent Dr. Shelton, the Board of Education, school site administrators, employees and families to foster strong relationships and elevate the stories and achievements of our students."
"We are thrilled to welcome Thomas Piland to our leadership team," said Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton. "His extensive background in effective communication strategies, bilingual outreach and crisis communications, combined with his dedication to continuing our school district's commitment to transparency and community trust, makes him a great fit for our district. We look forward to his leadership in keeping our staff, families and community informed and engaged."
Piland holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus on leadership from California State University, Northridge; a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin; and a Digital Marketing Certification from UT Austin's McCombs School of Business. He is proficient in English and Spanish.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Surfboard made from 10,000 cigarette butts, with Santa Monica roots, gets online premiere
URL: https://www.smdp.com/surfboard-made-from-10-000-cigarette-butts-with-santa-monica-roots-gets-online-premiere/
Last updated: 2026-09-13T16:00:00.000Z
Many of the cigarette butts pressed into a working surfboard that has become a traveling symbol of ocean activism were plucked from the sand here, along local beaches where the litter proved all too easy to find.
That board is the centerpiece of "The Cigarette Surfboard," a feature documentary that follows Venice and Santa Monica native Taylor Lane as he builds a functional surfboard from 10,000 cigarette butts collected off California beaches. The film begins a two-week online premiere Sept. 15, timed to International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 19.
For Lane, who graduated from Santa Monica High School 15 years ago, the coastline was both inspiration and raw material. He said gathering the butts was, unexpectedly, the least difficult part of the build.
"We had thousands of butts come off Santa Monica beaches, and surprisingly, this was the easiest part of building the boards due to how ubiquitous cigarette butt litter is on our beaches, unfortunately," Lane said.
He credited a local partner for the effort. "We worked heavily with local organization Heal The Bay to organize these ciggy butt cleanups to collect butts for our boards," Lane said. "We estimate that we collected about 100,000 cigarette butts off California beaches and processed them into surfboards."
The film has already reached local audiences. "We did a screening at The Waterfront (in Venice) back in November of 2025 (hosted by Venice Surfing Association), but we are thrilled to bring it to audiences around the world with our Online Premiere launching September 15th," Lane said.
He framed the project as a homecoming with wider reach. "As a Venice/Santa Monica native, it's been an incredible opportunity to bring this issue to the attention of others, including the policymakers in Santa Cruz who passed the first policy in the nation to ban the sale of single-use cigarette filters," Lane said.
Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world and the No. 1 item picked up off U.S. beaches, according to the filmmakers, who note that many people do not realize the filters are made of plastic.
Turning that trash into a rideable board took trial and error. "The first Ciggy Board actually didn't work, so we learned from those failures and made ones that did," Lane said. "We worked with volunteers to collect the butts off the beach, and found a way to also work alongside professional surfboard shapers that mentored us through the process to make the boards lighter, stronger and more functional than our first iterations. From there, the project lit up!"
The idea took shape in 2017, when Lane entered a contest run by the surf brand Vissla and the Surfrider Foundation that challenges people to build surf craft from upcycled materials. Filmmaker Ben Judkins, who met Lane through the Santa Cruz surfing community in 2014, said he started shooting immediately.
"I knew this was a story worth following, and began filming from the very first butt," Judkins said. "I was excited to explore how surfing as a medium could help tell a universal story of people standing up for the health of the ocean and planet — but I had no idea how this story would unfold."
Judkins, who directed the roughly 93-minute film and completed it in 2024, said he wanted to avoid the despair common to environmental documentaries.
"We set out to make a film that was solution-driven, with an optimistic outlook for the future of our planet, and to ultimately be able to inspire people to take action," Judkins said. He described the biggest lesson of the project as "how anyone — no matter who you are — truly has the capacity to make positive changes in their personal life and local community."
He was blunt about the tone he was after: "The Cigarette Surfboard is fun, at times funny, and blends surf film with environmental documentary," Judkins said. "For surfers and non-surfers alike, it'll fire you up, make you laugh, while still taking on a big, serious issue."
The online premiere runs Sept. 15-27 and is available to rent at watch.eventive.org/thecigarettesurfboard. Ticket holders can join live, virtual question-and-answer sessions with professional surfers and ocean activists featured in the film, including chemist Cliff Kapono of Hawaii, activist Hannah Bennett of Fiji, regenerative farmer Fergal Smith of Ireland, researcher Easkey Britton of Ireland and Surfers Against Sewage co-founder Chris Hines of the United Kingdom.
Since its completion, the film has screened 60 times at festivals across 12 countries and 16 states, winning 16 awards, including audience honors at the Bend and Cambridge film festivals. The filmmakers also say the board helped push a first-in-the-nation policy: the County of Santa Cruz, the city of Santa Cruz and the city of Capitola have moved to ban the sale of single-use cigarette filters, with the ordinances set to take effect in 2027.
"These are the first laws of their kind," Judkins said, "and proof that local action can help change the world."
### Inaugural Brentwood Bash to bring vendors, food and family activities to San Vicente Boulevard
URL: https://www.smdp.com/inaugural-brentwood-bash-to-bring-vendors-food-and-family-activities-to-san-vicente-boulevard/
Last updated: 2026-09-12T18:58:59.000Z
The first Brentwood Bash, a free community festival, will bring food, shopping, entertainment and family activities to San Vicente Boulevard on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the eastbound side of San Vicente Boulevard between Montana Avenue and Barrington Avenue. Organizers describe it as the first community event of its kind in the Los Angeles neighborhood.
More than 40 local vendors and businesses are expected to take part, along with restaurants, community organizations, entertainment, family-friendly activities and a petting zoo. Several vendors from Santa Monica will join Brentwood businesses at the event.
The festival was created to bring the neighborhood together while supporting and highlighting local businesses, restaurants, organizations and community partners, organizers said.
The Brentwood Bash is being organized by Alexis Pappas, Carolyn Jordan, the office of Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park and Barbara Roll. It is presented in partnership with community supporters including the CD11 Foundation, Vicente Foods and the Brentwood Homeowners Association, which is marking its 80th year of service.
Organizers said they hope to establish the Brentwood Bash as an annual tradition for the neighborhood.
The event is free and open to the public. Families and residents from Brentwood and surrounding areas are encouraged to attend.
Vendors interested in participating, or anyone with event questions or interested in getting involved, can contact Alexis Pappas at [contact@alexisnpappas.com](mailto:contact@alexisnpappas.com) or visit www.thebrentwoodbash.com
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California law that helped students sleep more before school is getting high marks
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-law-that-helped-students-sleep-more-before-school-is-getting-high-marks/
Last updated: 2026-09-12T15:59:59.000Z
One might think — or at least hope — that scientific research would be an important factor as politicians contemplate changes in public policy.
Alas, it’s generally given no more weight than other inputs, such as public opinion or political pressure from affected interests. It’s cited when it bolsters proposed changes and often ignored when it questions those changes.
Seven years ago, somewhat miraculously, the California Legislature required school days to start a bit later, implementing research findings that more sleep was vital to students’ welfare and overcoming opposition from many parents and most of the education establishment.
The issue had been kicking around for years, debated in academic circles, in the media and in the Legislature. While the contending factions generally agreed that children and teenagers needed more sleep, the sticking point was whether the state should mandate later starting times or leave it to parents and local school systems.
Opponents said later starts would upset such things as extracurricular activities and parents’ dropping their children off at school on their way to work. In brief, their objections were more about the effects on adults than the effects on kids.
“Not only would mandating a later start time across the board not have the desired effect, it would impose a hardship on too many working families,” Orange County’s then-superintendent of schools, Al Mijares, [wrote in a 2019 guest commentary for CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/10/later-school-start-times-is-no-solution-for-teenagers/?ref=smdp.com), as a bill mandating later start times was being considered. “In fact, this bill would disproportionately burden students whose socio-economic status is already a significant educational barrier.”
However, a legislative staff analysis of the issue put it this way: “The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are among the organizations and experts that have reported on the harm being done to the physical and emotional health of adolescents due to the sleep deprivation caused by such developmentally-misaligned school hours.
“Similarly, researchers report that academic success and school attendance is greatly improved by later starting school days.”
The Legislature passed a bill in 2018 during Jerry Brown’s last year as governor, but he vetoed it, saying, “This is a one-size-fits-all approach that’s opposed by teachers and school boards. Several schools have already moved to later start times. Others prefer beginning the school day earlier. These are the types of decisions best handled in the local community.”
Brown was never a father. But his successor, Gavin Newsom, had four children, and when the same bill reached him in 2019, he signed it, thus requiring most middle schools to start classes no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., beginning with the 2022-23 school year.
The debate continued as local school systems and parents adjusted to the mandate. But whatever the logistical effects may have been, a [new study](https://www.nber.org/system/files/working%5Fpapers/w35184/w35184.pdf?ref=smdp.com) concludes that California’s first-in-the-nation decree is having positive effects on kids’ education.
That’s important because, as we all should be aware, California lags in academic achievement vis-à-vis other states.
Four academic researchers examined the data and, in a report published in May by the National Bureau of Economic Research, revealed that students are getting more sleep, having fewer mental health issues and are doing better on math and English tests.
The researchers used data from several sources to chart the trends between 2022 and 2025 and found that while improvements were noticed across all subgroups, they were especially evident among boys and Latino students.
“Rest and sleep are incredibly important in the function of schools,” Osea Giuntella, an author of the report, [told the Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-08/california-later-school-start-times-study?ref=smdp.com).
That should settle the matter once and for all.
\_\_\_\_\_
**By** [**Dan Walters**](https://calmatters.org/author/dan-walters/?ref=smdp.com)
### Storm damage cancels Ocean Way Festival just weeks before its debut
URL: https://www.smdp.com/storm-damage-forces-cancellation-of-santa-monicas-ocean-way-festival-city-and-goldenvoice-vow-2027-return/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T23:04:30.000Z
The inaugural Ocean Way Festival, which had been set for Sept. 26-27 on the beach south of the Santa Monica Pier, has been canceled after storm surf and drainage runoff eroded large sections of the festival site, the city and concert promoter Goldenvoice announced Friday.
City officials said the beach can no longer safely support the festival's production and audience capacity. With construction and load-in scheduled to begin the following week, officials said cancellation was the only responsible option. Plans are already underway to bring the festival back to Santa Monica in 2027.
The damage stemmed from Hurricane Marie, an Eastern Pacific storm that reached Category 2 strength and sent a large south swell into Southern California beaches on or about Sept. 5, accompanied by rain across Los Angeles County on Sept. 6 and 7\. The National Weather Service kept a High Surf Advisory in effect for the Los Angeles County coast through Sept. 8\. The same storm system caused coastal flooding and property damage in Long Beach and Seal Beach, prompted local emergency declarations in Malibu and Dana Point, and eroded beaches across the region.
In Santa Monica, the surf stripped away enough sand south of the pier that the festival's safe shoreline setback would have needed to move 96 feet inland. At the same time, runoff from the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain outfall cut through the southern end of the site, pushing the festival's southern boundary about 500 feet to the north. City staff assessed sand conditions, emergency vehicle access, construction and load-in requirements, crowd circulation, tides and the extended forecast, and concluded the combined loss of usable beach meant the festival infrastructure could not be built safely on the remaining footprint. The Santa Monica Pier was not damaged and remains open.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said she was disappointed by the turn of events but said safety was the top priority. "We've spent more than a year on this festival, and I've spent most of it telling anyone who would listen that music was coming back to this beach," Torosis said. "I wanted to stand on the sand, see the Pier lit up behind that stage, and sing along with our community. I feel for the fans, the artists, and the businesses counting on that weekend, and I'm right there with them. But the surf took the beach we planned this on, and we cannot put tens of thousands of festival-goers on that sand until it's safe. What didn't wash away is the partnership. Goldenvoice has been a responsible partner from day one, and that work continues. Next year, the show goes on."
Goldenvoice Chief Operating Officer Melissa Ormond said the company backed the city's call. "While we share everyone's disappointment that the show can't go on this year, we fully support the city's decision to prioritize safety, and we believe canceling for 2026 is the right call," Ormond said. "We are committed to returning to Santa Monica in 2027 and delivering the Ocean Way Festival experience we envisioned for the community, artists and fans."
All tickets purchased for the 2026 festival will be automatically refunded to the point of purchase, organizers said. Even with the event canceled, the city and Goldenvoice plan to move forward this year with many of the community benefit programs developed alongside the festival, with details to be announced in the coming days.
Ocean Way Festival was conceived as a partnership between the city and Goldenvoice, the AEG Presents subsidiary that also produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach. It was planned as Santa Monica's first major music festival, a two-day, all-ages event featuring live music, local artists, food and community programming on the sand south of the pier, an area organizers had branded "The Sandbox."
Council Member Dan Hall, who introduced the motion directing city staff to explore a beachfront festival, said the storm damage was part of a broader pattern of severe weather affecting the region this month.
"I am deeply saddened that severe weather and beach conditions have forced the City and Goldenvoice to make this difficult decision. However, the safety of festival-goers, our residents, and the Pier must remain our priority," Hall said. "With Hurricane Marie also causing sinkholes in Malibu and triggering home evacuations in Long Beach due to rising surf, the rapid erosion of the beach near the Sandbox event space over the past few days is deeply concerning. The City is working rapidly to keep the Pico storm drain and shoreline repaired and ready for upcoming weather."
Hall also reflected on the festival's origins. "I want to thank Goldenvoice for their partnership in bringing my idea of a beach festival to life," he said. "The announcement of Ocean Way successfully placed Santa Monica back 'on the map' for pop culture and the arts, and it was exciting to see such an incredible artist lineup that truly captured the essence of a Santa Monica summer. By involving local restaurants and hotels, Goldenvoice has demonstrated a genuine commitment to our community. While we are all disappointed, I remain optimistic about bringing Ocean Way back next summer. I will continue working hard to ensure Santa Monica remains a clean, safe, affordable, and fun place for everyone."
The 2026 lineup had been headlined by The Killers on Saturday and Olivia Dean on Sunday, with a 22-act, two-stage bill spanning rock, indie, soul and house music, including Jack White, Sublime, Khruangbin and Hiatus Kaiyote. The festival, planned for noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at 2030 Ocean Ave., was designed as all-ages with children 5 and under admitted free, and organizers had arranged transit-first access through the Metro E Line, Big Blue Bus service, bike valet and paid off-site shuttle lots, with no on-site parking. General admission tickets had started at $229 for a single day and $399 for two days, with premium packages reaching roughly $2,250.
City officials have described the festival as the cultural centerpiece of Santa Monica's $60 million Realignment Plan, an effort to reverse declining tourism and address a projected $29.6 million structural deficit. The City Council approved preliminary agreements with Goldenvoice on Dec. 16, 2025, granting the company exclusive negotiation rights, and unanimously adopted municipal code waivers for the event on April 14\. The California Coastal Commission approved the plan June 11.
Goldenvoice said it will announce dates, programming and ticketing for the 2027 Ocean Way Festival when details are finalized. Community members with questions can contact community@oceanwayfestival.com or 424-260-1923.
### 'Afterglow' Portrait Exhibition Captures America Through Santa Monica Pier Visitors
URL: https://www.smdp.com/afterglow-portrait-exhibition-captures-america-through-santa-monica-pier-visitors/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T18:58:59.000Z
A new photography exhibition featuring people photographed during three summer days at the Santa Monica Pier opens inside the historic Merry Go-Round building this month.
"Afterglow: Portraits by Sam Comen" will open with a special reception from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, during the Santa Monica Pier's Locals' Night. The free exhibition runs Sept. 10 through 30.
In July, photographer Sam Comen transformed a corner of the pier into a simple outdoor portrait studio and, over three days, conducted brief sittings with 274 people. Working in California's summertime light, Comen captured a cross-section of the people who found their way to the pier — locals, travelers and international visitors representing different ages, backgrounds and moments in life.
Alongside the portrait sessions, Comen invited participants into brief conversations about what brought them to the pier and how they see America at this moment. Together, the photographs and conversations offer a glimpse of America in its 250th year through the people who met at the edge of the continent as three summer days turned toward evening.
The location is an integral part of the exhibition's story. The Santa Monica Pier sits where Los Angeles meets the Pacific Ocean and marks the western end of historic Route 66.
"The Santa Monica Pier has always been a place where people from across Los Angeles and around the world come together," said Jim Harris, executive director and historian of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. "Afterglow captures that beautifully. These portraits remind us that the Santa Monica Pier isn't defined only by its history and landmarks, but by the millions of people who bring their own stories, experiences and perspectives here."
Comen specializes in photographing human stories connected to American political and social issues. Over his 20-year career, he has collaborated with civic institutions, labor unions, foundations and community organizations. His photographs are held in the collections of the Library of Congress, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs' Art Bank, and his work has twice been exhibited at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. More of his work can be seen at samcomen.com.
"I chose the Santa Monica Pier because it's a place where so many different people and journeys come together," Comen said. "Taken together, these portraits reveal an America that is incredibly diverse, deeply personal and always changing."
The exhibition, presented inside the Merry Go-Round building at 200 Santa Monica Pier, is a collaboration with the Santa Monica Pier Corporation and was made possible by Art of Recovery, an initiative of the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Palisades Community Renewal Center Marks One Year of Healing and Recovery
URL: https://www.smdp.com/palisades-community-renewal-center-marks-one-year-of-healing-and-recovery/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T18:58:59.000Z
The Palisades Community Renewal Center will celebrate its first anniversary with a free community open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at 3212 Nebraska Ave.
The center, known as PCRC, has spent the past year supporting the emotional recovery of individuals and families affected by the Palisades fires. Since opening, it has provided free therapy, creative arts programming, wellness activities, support groups and community gatherings, reaching more than 1,500 community members.
While the first year after a disaster often brings an outpouring of support, emotional recovery is a long-term process. "The impact of a wildfire can continue to unfold long after the immediate crisis has passed," said Dr. Kim Low, clinical director of Maple Counseling at PCRC. "As people move into the next stages of rebuilding, they may process grief, loss, anxiety and trauma in new ways. Continued mental health support and community connection can be a vital part of that healing."
"This anniversary is about more than marking a year," said Juliet Curry, director of the center. "It's an opportunity to celebrate our community's resilience and thank the incredible partners and community members who have made this work possible. Healing happens in community, and we are honored to walk alongside our neighbors as they continue in their recovery journey."
The celebration will let attendees meet the Maple Counseling team and learn about available mental health resources. It will feature hands-on art activities for all ages with P.S. ARTS, a Labyrinth Lab with artist Marni Gittleman, and live music including a performance by singer-songwriter Sydney Yates and musical guests from Theater Palisades Youth.
Food and drinks will be available from local Palisades businesses, including Caffè Luxxe, Sunset Smash Burgers, Espresso Express and Palisades Garden Cafe. Other activities include a community book giveaway with Reading Among Ruins, an exhibit called "The Animals Rise from the Ashes" by artist Kate Samuels, and a five-minute Reiki reset with Lynn Cooper.
The event is free and open to the public.
The center is a program of the Picerne Family Foundation, dedicated to supporting the emotional recovery and long-term resilience of individuals and families affected by the Palisades fires.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica marks 9/11 at Fire Station #1
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monic-2/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T17:26:18.000Z
The City of Santa Monica marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with a ceremony at Fire Station #1\.
The department holds a brief, solemn ceremony each year in accordance with protocols recommended by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The public was encouraged to attend alongside representatives from the Police Department and City Hall.
An artifact from the World Trade Center site is on display just outside the department's community room at Fire Station 1 and is open for public viewing during normal business hours.
### Santa Monica joins regional housing trust, extends autonomous-vehicle zoning rules
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-joins-regional-housing-trust-extends-autonomous-vehicle-zoning-rules/
Last updated: 2026-09-13T13:37:44.000Z
In a meeting that stretched into the early morning hours, the [Santa Monica City Council voted](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-approves-red-light-cameras-new-road-safety-framework-in-unanimous-vote/) to join a four-city regional affordable housing trust and to extend emergency zoning rules governing autonomous-vehicle fleet operations for two more years.
Both items passed unanimously at the council's Sept. 8 meeting, though the housing resolution drew written opposition from residents who questioned the council's transparency and warned against ceding local control.
## **Council joins Westside Cities Affordable Housing Trust**
The council adopted a resolution approving the city's membership in the Westside Cities Affordable Housing Trust, a regional Joint Powers Authority formed alongside West Hollywood, Culver City and Beverly Hills to expand affordable housing financing across the Westside.
The trust would provide a dedicated structure to receive, manage and deploy affordable housing funding — chiefly Measure A dollars distributed through the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, known as LACAHSA. The four cities do not receive direct county allocations and instead draw funding through the Westside Cities Council of Governments, which cannot issue loans under its current structure.
"The only way there would be any city contribution to this affordable housing trust is if we came back here," Riley O'Brien, program director for the [Westside Cities Council of Governments](https://westsidecities.org/?ref=smdp.com), told the council, adding that each city council would have to approve any such fee.
O'Brien said the council of governments has already committed the capital and administrative funding needed to operate the trust for its first year, meaning no money would be drawn from the city's general fund. He said the trust could officially form once at least three cities join, with a target of Sept. 22 and a first board meeting in late October or early November.
The item returned to the council after members raised concerns at a July 28 meeting. Staff said the joint powers agreement was revised to make clear no city contribution would occur without each council's approval, and to reduce the number of board seats to the minimum required by state law. Under the revised structure, the board would consist of one elected official and one alternate appointed by each member city, plus one housing and homelessness policy expert appointed by the trust board, all with voting authority.
Councilmember Dan Hall, who had previously voiced concerns, said they had been satisfied and moved to approve the staff recommendation. He sought to reassure colleagues that Santa Monica funds would remain walled off from projects elsewhere.
"There is no situation where Measure GS or any general fund dollars from Santa Monica goes to programmatic or affordable housing production in other cities without the explicit blessing of this council," Hall said.
Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick recused himself from the item, citing his employment as Southern California director of the Housing Action Coalition, a pro-housing advocacy group. The council appointed Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya as the city's director on the trust board and Hall as the alternate.
The resolution passed 6-0\. Several residents had urged rejection in written comments, arguing the agreement would hand financing and land-use decisions to an unelected board and pointing to transparency and conflict-of-interest concerns. Staff and council members countered that membership does not obligate the city to approve any development, contribute local funds or waive land-use authority.
## **Council extends emergency rules for autonomous-vehicle fleets**
Following a public hearing, the council also voted to extend for two years an emergency interim zoning ordinance regulating fleet operations for autonomous vehicles, keeping in place standards first adopted July 14 that were set to expire Sept. 12.
The ordinance created a new land-use classification for light fleet-based autonomous-vehicle services — fleets of three or more vehicles under 10,000 pounds — and allows them as a permitted use in the industrial conservation, general commercial and transit-adjacent zoning districts, with tougher conditions for sites within 100 feet of residential property.
Community Development Director Jing Yeo said the circumstances that prompted the ordinance persist. The city has one pending application under review and has continued to field inquiries from operators.
"It's very clear operators are interested in opening these kinds of facilities in the city," Yeo said, describing the extension as time to monitor how the rules work and to develop a permanent ordinance.
City staff has cited operational concerns including vehicle queuing, staging in the public right-of-way, and noise and lighting from around-the-clock operations. At existing facilities, staff reported queues reaching roughly 15 vehicles, potentially occupying 330 to 375 feet of street.
The lone public speaker, resident and planning commissioner Jacob Wasserman, objected to the extension. He argued it was unfair to single out autonomous vehicles when gas stations operate around the clock within 100 feet of homes, said a two-year term was too long, and contended the matter should go to the Planning Commission rather than be handled as an emergency.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said the council had explained why the situation qualified as an emergency. Zwick asked whether staff could develop a permanent ordinance simultaneously; Yeo said that was the ultimate goal.
The ordinance passed 7-0.
### Hotel union endorses four candidates for three open spots on the City Council
URL: https://www.smdp.com/hotel-union-endorses-four-candidates-for-three-open-spots-on-the-city-council/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T01:11:22.000Z
The hospitality workers union UNITE HERE Local 11 is urging voters to support four candidates for Santa Monica City Council ahead of November's election — Mayor Caroline Torosis, Rent Control Board member Danny Ivanov, Brett Morrow and Doug Trussler — while explicitly opposing two others, Lana Negrete and Phil Brock.
The union's endorsement of Torosis cites her work protecting the jobs of workers on the Santa Monica Pier when restaurants change ownership. Ivanov earned support for his role enforcing the city's rent control protections as chair of the Rent Control Board. Morrow previously worked on the staff of then-Congressman Keith Ellison, now Minnesota's attorney general, whom the union described as a labor champion. Trussler's endorsement came despite disagreements with the union on some issues, based on what Local 11 called his pro-union vision of business and labor succeeding together. Torosis, Ivanov and Morrow also carry the endorsement of Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR).
In opposing Negrete and Brock, the union pointed to their support for expanding the Shore Hotel in 2021\. The hotel is not unionized and has been the site of numerous protests by Unite Here regarding the unionization of the property. The Union’s endorsement did not mention the union status of the hotel but instead criticized the hotel’s history as being constructed without appropriate permits and the criminal behavior of Steve Farzam whose family owns the hotel and who used to work there as COO.
UNITE HERE Local 11 represents more than 32,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas and convention centers across Southern California and Arizona.
The union's endorsement of four individuals with only three open seats is part of a broadly chaotic endorsement process that has seen multiple individuals and groups of candidates endorsed by various organizations.
The Santa Monica Police Officers Association and the Santa Monica Firefighters, IAFF Local 1109, jointly endorsed Councilmember Lana Negrete, calling it an "initial pick." Both unions said additional endorsements would follow in coming weeks.
Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights members endorsed Torosis and Ivanov and failed to select a third. However, SMRR's steering committee added Morrow to the group's campaign materials.
Torosis has also picked up backing from the pro-housing group Santa Monica Forward, which endorsed her along with Eli Gill and Morrow, and from the Community for Excellent Public Schools, which split its endorsement between Torosis and Negrete without backing a candidate for the third, open seat.
Voters here will decide four contested local board races in the Nov. 3 general election. Twelve candidates qualified for three open City Council seats. Five candidates are vying for three seats on the Rent Control Board. Five candidates filed for four seats on the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees. Five candidates are running for four seats on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education.
Voters also will weigh five city measures, all requiring a simple majority: Measure ES, the “Excellent Santa Monica Public Schools Parcel Tax,” a $495-per-parcel tax generating an estimated $12 million annually for schools; rent-control charter amendments Measures GG, RR and VV, addressing eviction protections; and Measure TT, which imposes the city’s hotel tax on corporate lodging bookings longer than 30 days.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters no later than Oct. 5, when drop boxes also open. Vote centers open Oct. 24.
The last day to register to receive a mailed ballot is Oct. 19; voters may register and vote conditionally afterward through Election Day. Polls close at 8 p.m. Nov. 3\. The county must certify results by Dec. 3.
### Bill would create low-interest loans for wildfire home hardening
URL: https://www.smdp.com/bill-would-create-low-interest-loans-for-wildfire-home-hardening/
Last updated: 2026-09-10T19:00:30.000Z
A first-in-the-nation bill that would establish low-interest loans to help Californians pay for wildfire retrofitting has been sent to Gov. Newsom.
[SB 894](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB894&ref=smdp.com), introduced by state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, received unanimous, bipartisan support from the Senate and Assembly before advancing to the governor's desk Thursday.
The measure aims to lower the cost of home-hardening renovations that supporters say can save lives and property but remain out of financial reach for many residents.
"We've held a lot of conversations and demonstrations on how residents can make their homes safer from wildfire, but some of the renovations are too costly and out of reach for many Californians," Allen said. "It's time to lower this financial barrier, so more of us can take the steps that have been shown to save lives and property."
If signed into law, the bill would create a program to provide low-interest loans for wildfire retrofitting. It is modeled after California's[ ](https://www.gogreenfinancing.com/energy-efficiency-home-loans-california/eligible-financing-projects/?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=21795346721&gbraid=0AAAAAC6jg-WNkokxtQ8hZ1mwIhLJZvubU&gclid=CjwKCAiAvaLLBhBFEiwAYCNTfx1EK%5FulNXfFRK4X48vGpv-GuwDLt8HjRSOGoaBnjfS8Lhhf6xogGhoCYhsQAvD%5FBwE&ref=smdp.com)[GoGreen energy-finance platform](https://www.gogreenfinancing.com/energy-efficiency-home-loans-california/eligible-financing-projects/?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=21795346721&gbraid=0AAAAAC6jg-WNkokxtQ8hZ1mwIhLJZvubU&gclid=CjwKCAiAvaLLBhBFEiwAYCNTfx1EK%5FulNXfFRK4X48vGpv-GuwDLt8HjRSOGoaBnjfS8Lhhf6xogGhoCYhsQAvD%5FBwE&ref=smdp.com), which provides state-backed loans for energy-efficient home upgrades and has expanded access to improvements that would otherwise be unaffordable for many working families.
The proposal reaches Newsom as debate over home hardening intensifies. Insurance premiums continue to rise because of increased fire risk, and Zone Zero regulations were[ ](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-08-19/state-approves-zone-zero-fire-safe-landscaping-rules?ref=smdp.com)[recently finalized](https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-08-19/state-approves-zone-zero-fire-safe-landscaping-rules?ref=smdp.com) for communities most at risk of wildfire.
"Many of us are now being asked to make expensive home hardening upgrades in order to maintain or even find homeowners insurance," Allen said. "While the home improvements are shown to provide significant savings on the backend, the upfront costs are still difficult to meet. I'm grateful for my colleagues' support on SB 894 that will meaningfully improve resilience and affordability across California."
Newsom has until Sept. 30 to act on the bill.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Around Town: Block Parties, Americana Beats & Aussie Eats
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-block-parties-americana-beats-aussie-eats/
Last updated: 2026-09-10T18:35:54.000Z
**SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes the Promenade Block Fest, Americana in the Park, the new Bower Surf Club, and much more!**
**Bergamot Station Fall Open:** Bergamot Station kicks off its fall season with a free daylong celebration featuring gallery openings, artist talks, curator walkthroughs and special events. Curator and advisor Hannah Sloan will lead two guided tours highlighting exhibitions throughout the complex at noon and 3 p.m. **Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., 2525 Michigan Ave.** [bergamotstation.com](http://bergamotstation.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Wilmont Movies in the Park:** The second of 3 monthly free movie screenings is Jumanji in Palisades Park featuring live music, picnicking, free popcorn for the movie. **Saturday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m.,** [wilmont.org](http://wilmont.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Marina Movie Nights: Michael (2026):** Grab your family, a picnic dinner, and a blanket or low-profile beach chairs and make your way to Burton Chace Park for the free Summer Concerts presented by the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors on select **Saturdays through Sept. 26**. Movies start at 8 p.m. but arrive by 7 to pick out your spot on the lawn. Free admission! [visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights](http://visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights?ref=smdp.com)
**Tongva Twilight Says Goodbye to Summer:** Spend your Saturday night under the stars at TONGVA TWILIGHT: Sounds & Cinema, a free outdoor series blending live music, iconic films, and summer vibes in Tongva Park. Grab your friends, pack a picnic and enjoy complimentary popcorn on movie nights while supplies last. **This week is a Concert & Film: Myra Washington – Country, Soul, Funk + screening of Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). Saturday, Sept. 12, 7-10 p.m., 1615 Ocean Ave**. [santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series](http://santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series?ref=smdp.com)
**Santa Monica Block Fest & Night Food Market:** Downtown Santa Monica again hosts this massive second-Saturday evening block party featuring live EDM DJs across all three blocks of the Promenade, an open-air night food market on Arizona Ave., and late-night restaurant specials. **Saturday, Sept. 12, 5 p.m. – Midnight, Third Street Promenade** [eventbrite.com/e/santa-monica-block-festival-tickets-1995782844212](http://eventbrite.com/e/santa-monica-block-festival-tickets-1995782844212?ref=smdp.com)
**Jazz at the Ballroom: Blues & Taboos:** Travel back to Prohibition-era speakeasies with Jazz at the Ballroom’s Blues & Taboos at the Ruskin Group Theatre. The lively evening highlights the playful, provocative, and risqué songs that defined 1920s dance halls and late-night clubs, featuring live performances from vocalists Olivia Chindamo, Tawanda, trumpeter Alphonso Horne, and the Lineage Trio. **Saturday, Sept. 12, 8 p.m., 2800 Airport Ave.** [jazzattheballroom.com](http://jazzattheballroom.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K & Promenade Festival:** Lace up your running shoes to support neurological disease research. Whether you're aiming for a personal record or taking a scenic walk, stick around afterward for the post-race Finish Festival on the Promenade complete with music, bites, and community celebrations. **Sunday, Sept. 13, 7 a.m. – 11 a.m., Third Street Promenade (1300 Block)** [santamonicaclassic.com](http://santamonicaclassic.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Free Venice Street Fair:** With more than 150 local artists and makers, the fair will close 3rd Ave between Rose Ave and Sunset Ave. **Sunday, Sept. 13, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.** [instagram.com/theartistfair](http://instagram.com/theartistfair?ref=smdp.com)
**Americana in the Park Returns to Gandara Park:** The sixth annual outdoor festival returns for an all-ages afternoon of live roots, blues, jazz, and folk music. This year's stellar lineup features Grammy-winning guitarist Albert Lee, Afro-Cuban innovators Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, folk-rock multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner, singer-songwriter Jason Luckett, and a performance by the historic Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Pack a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy food trucks, crafts, and family activities on the grass. **Sunday, Sept. 13, 1:30 – 6:30 p.m., 1819 Stewart St.** [santamonica.gov/events/americana-in-the-park](http://santamonica.gov/events/americana-in-the-park?ref=smdp.com)
**National Geographic Live Diving the Great Barrier Reef at BroadStage:** Enjoy an immersive presentation on diving and protecting the Great Barrier Reef, featuring stunning photography and first-person stories from marine explorers. **Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., 1310 11th St.** [broadstage.org](http://broadstage.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Pizza, Lucius & a Very Good Thursday:** Indie music platform The Wild Honey Pie brings its signature Pizza Party to The Eden with an intimate, stripped-down performance by indie-pop band Lucius accompanied by a string trio. Even better, the evening includes unlimited pizza from a Paulie Gee x Chef Gabi Chappel collaboration. **Thursday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., The Eden, 1301 Ocean Ave. Free with RSVP.** [thewildhoneypie.com](http://thewildhoneypie.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17); [Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com); [Perrys Beach House DJ Event](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays and Sundays in Sept.)
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Bower Surf Club Opens at Colorado Center:** A new all-day cafe, bar and restaurant inspired by Australian surf culture is opening at Colorado Center, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The menu blends Aussie-inspired breakfast fare with grain bowls, burgers and evening dishes, along with cocktails, organic wines and specialty matcha. **Grand opening Thursday, Sept. 10, 7:30 a.m., 2501 Colorado Ave., Suite 190\. Three-hour parking validation is available.** [bowersurfclub.com](http://bowersurfclub.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Zaca Mesa Winemaker Dinner at Chelsea:** Chelsea hosts a five-course dinner paired with wines from Zaca Mesa Winery, with winemaker Kristin Bryden on hand to discuss the wines and their pairings. The menu includes dishes ranging from seared jumbo scallop and slow-braised pork ribs to naan tacos with Syrah-braised short ribs. **Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., 2460 Wilshire Blvd.** [resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/zaca-mesa-winemaker-dinner-2026-09-10](http://resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/zaca-mesa-winemaker-dinner-2026-09-10?ref=smdp.com)
**Tipsy Scholar: How to Blind Taste Wines:** Ever wanted to guess a wine's origin and varietal with just a sip? Tipsy Scholar is holding an interactive, low-stakes blind tasting class in Santa Monica. Learn how to break down flavor profiles, identify key tasting notes, and uncover what's in your glass like a pro while enjoying a guided flight of distinct wines. **Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m., AJA Vineyards, 1417 2nd St.** [eventbrite.com/e/tipsy-scholar-how-to-blind-taste-wines-tickets-1997796132010](http://eventbrite.com/e/tipsy-scholar-how-to-blind-taste-wines-tickets-1997796132010?ref=smdp.com)
**Fall Specials at JINYA Ramen Bar:** The Main St. staple is launching two limited-time seasonal menu items for autumn. Spice lovers can try the "Aka Oni" (Red Demon), a spicy garlic ramen with clear chicken broth, pork and chicken chashu, fried garlic, and chili oil. They are also offering a classic crispy Tonkatsu pork cutlet served with signature sauce and steamed rice. **2457 Main St.** [jinyaramenbar.com](http://jinyaramenbar.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**LA Times Profile on Citrin & the Impact of Dine LA Restaurant Week:** It discusses how “many \[people\] were excited to try the $99 three-course tasting menu in a Michelin one-star restaurant that normally charges $165 for a four-course menu.” “And though the reduced-price menu has come to an end for now (Dine LA will return early next year), Citrin offers a way to experience its cuisine at happy hour pricing all year long, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (reserve at the bar, not the dining room).” [https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2026-09-08/when-restaurants-lower-prices-what-happens](https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2026-09-08/when-restaurants-lower-prices-what-happens?ref=smdp.com)
**Perse Restaurant Elevates Modern Persian Cuisine:** Brentwood's newest standout is redefining modern Persian dining on the Westside. This isn't your typical old-school Persian places dotting all along Westwood Blvd. with plates of meat vying for room with an immense amount of rice. This is more chef-driven with a menu of elevated ingredients resulting in impressive and complex flavors. My favorites so far are the Kashk Bademjan (smoked eggplant), Beef Cheek Tahchin (saffron rice cake filled with tender beef), and the Wagyu kabobs. The cocktail menu is impressive too, with some fun Persian flair to it. Highly recommend! 11677 San Vicente Blvd. [perserestaurant.com](http://perserestaurant.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield:** **LA WineFest Returns to a New Home:** The 21st annual LA WineFest moves to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank for two days of wine tasting, craft beer, cider, kombucha, food trucks, live music and boutique shopping. More than 75 wineries are participating, making this a legitimate destination event rather than just another weekend festival. **Saturday, Sept. 12, 2–6 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 13, 1–5 p.m., Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Dr., Burbank.**
**Looking Ahead:** [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [The Other Art Fair](https://www.theotherartfair.com/la/?ref=smdp.com) (9/24-27); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Montana Avenue Art Walk](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com) (10/3); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Block Parties, Americana Beats & Aussie Eats**
### How California can do data centers differently and win back community trust
URL: https://www.smdp.com/how-california-can-do-data-centers-differently-and-win-back-community-trust/
Last updated: 2026-09-10T15:59:59.000Z
Americans finally found something to agree on: concern about the rapid proliferation of data centers.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only [1 in 3 Americans approves](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-data-center-boom-reutersipsos-poll-shows-2026-06-11/?ref=smdp.com) of the current pace of data center construction, and [most would oppose](https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/08/california-data-center-backlash-big-tech-lobbying/?ref=smdp.com) a facility being built in their own community. That skepticism comes at a time when [confidence in Big Tech](https://news.gallup.com/poll/712436/confidence-institutions-remains-near-time-low.aspx?ref=smdp.com) is at an all-time low, according to Gallup.
These concerns deserve attention, not because the [data center](https://calmatters.org/tag/data-centers/?ref=smdp.com) boom can be stopped, but because it can’t.
[More than 800 data centers](https://about.bnef.com/insights/data-centers/ai-data-center-build-advances-at-full-speed-five-things-to-know/?ref=smdp.com) are under construction across the United States, with the largest technology companies collectively spending hundreds of billions of dollars each year to expand AI infrastructure. McKinsey & Company estimates that the cumulative global investment in data centers [could reach nearly $7 trillion](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-cost-of-compute-a-7-trillion-dollar-race-to-scale-data-centers??ref=smdp.com) by 2030.
The combination of a once-in-a-generation infrastructure buildout and a public trust deficit poses a defining challenge for the tech industry. If it wants communities to accept the infrastructure powering the AI revolution, Big Tech must embrace transparent planning, ensure that host communities truly share in the benefits and accelerate clean energy deployment — rather than deepen dependence on fossil fuels.
As my colleague [Charles Zukoski](https://viterbi.usc.edu/directory/faculty/Zukoski/Charles?ref=smdp.com), a USC engineer and host of the “[Electric Futures” podcast](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ab9AFByeNCZhQYaY1OAXO?ref=smdp.com), says, “Social license isn’t free.”
In other words, community approval is not a given.
Yet data center developers often spend years planning projects behind closed doors, shielded by nondisclosure agreements, only to face fierce opposition once residents finally learn what’s coming.
From the public’s perspective, NDA might as well stand for “No data centers allowed.”
Building trust requires meaningful engagement long before permits are filed. Residents deserve honest conversations about electricity demand, water use, traffic, tax revenues and employment opportunities.
[Microsoft has already ended its practice](https://local.microsoft.com/blog/putting-communities-first-our-decision-to-end-ndas-with-local-governments/?ref=smdp.com) of requiring nondisclosure agreements from government officials during parts of its site selection process. Other technology companies should follow its lead.
Transparency is only part of the equation. Communities that host this critical infrastructure should also share equitably in its economic benefits.
Tom Steyer, a former candidate for California governor, proposed a “[token tax](https://www.eenews.net/articles/tom-steyers-tech-and-ai-plan/?ref=smdp.com)” on corporate AI use, with proceeds funding direct payments and workforce training modeled on Alaska’s Permanent Fund, which distributes a share of oil revenues to residents.
While his proposal remains hypothetical, [Virginia has already taken a similar step](https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2026/07/13/power-bill-fears-drove-virginias-first-in-nation-data-center-tax/?ref=smdp.com). Since July 1, the state has imposed a 1.1-cent-per-kilowatt-hour tax on electricity consumed by data centers, a policy expected to generate as much as $600 million annually. For now that revenue flows to the state’s general fund, rather than back to residents, so the community payoff is yet to be seen.
Finally, there is the issue of energy. The International Energy Agency projects that global electricity consumption from data centers [will more than double](https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/executive-summary?ref=smdp.com) between 2024 and 2030, roughly matching Japan’s entire current electricity demand.
Today more than half the electricity powering U.S. data centers [comes from fossil fuels](https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-center-energy-needs-are-upending-power-grids-and-threatening-the-climate?ref=smdp.com), with gas serving as the [single-largest source](https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/lbnl-2024-united-states-data-center-energy-usage-report%5F1.pdf?ref=smdp.com).
The same extraordinary demand driving the expansion of data centers could become one of the strongest market forces for clean energy deployment. Long-term power purchase agreements can finance new wind, solar, geothermal, advanced nuclear and grid-scale storage projects that might otherwise struggle to attract investment.
If companies pair AI infrastructure with investments in transmission, energy efficiency and carbon-free generation, data centers could help modernize America’s electric grid instead of simply straining it.
The data center boom presents the tech sector with a rare opportunity to rebuild public trust.
By bringing communities into the planning process early, sharing the benefits of development more equitably and leading the transition to clean energy at the scale this moment demands, the industry can demonstrate that innovation and community wellbeing can advance together.
There is still time to get this right.
\_\_\_\_\_
**By Allison Agsten**
### Pier Play returns to Santa Monica Pier for first two-day edition
URL: https://www.smdp.com/pier-play-returns-to-santa-monica-pier-for-first-two-day-edition/
Last updated: 2026-09-10T15:59:59.000Z
After four straight sold-out editions, the dance music festival that transforms the Santa Monica Pier into an oceanside playground is doubling in size this fall.
[Pier Play](https://www.rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival?ref=smdp.com) will stage its first two-day event Oct. 3 and 4, running from 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. each day on the landmark pier at Ocean and Colorado avenues. The 21-and-older festival, billed by organizers as an immersive dance music experience, is headlined this year by Meduza, Monolink and Claptone.
The expansion marks a milestone for the boutique festival, which launched in 2024 as the first recurring dance music festival of its kind on the pier. Producer RASA World frames the move to a two-day format as a response to demand outgrowing a single day after four consecutive sell-outs.
This year's lineup is the strongest the festival has booked, spanning chart-crossover house, live singer-songwriter electronica, masked house showmanship, piano house, Ibiza house and melodic techno. The bill splits across the weekend. Saturday leans toward Monolink, Mind Against, LP Giobbi and Kaz James, while Sunday features Claptone, Meduza and Rinzen. Support acts include Bain, HRSHY, Lara G and Malas, with organizers promising more to come.
What sets the festival apart, organizers say, is the venue and format. The event turns one of the most photographed locations in the world into what RASA calls a "limited-capacity" playground, pairing an oceanside stage and sunset views with carnival games, brand activations and dancing from afternoon into night. Past editions have featured vintage arcade and carnival games, interactive art installations, learn-to-DJ stations, photo moments and food-and-beverage vendors, along with quirky one-offs. The marketing pitch invites attendees to trade the boardwalk's tourist traps for a curated, high-fidelity music experience.
The festival also leans on the character of the location itself. Beyond the DJ sets, organizers describe an [interactive](https://www.smdp.com/grow-with-google-closes-route-66-tour-with-free-ai-workshop-for-santa-monica-small-businesses/) playground atmosphere spread across the pier, with programming designed to draw guests from set to set rather than anchoring them to a single stage. The "bright, colorful and playful" ethos, as RASA describes it, is central to how the event has been marketed since its debut.
Presale registration started at $65, and ticketing platform DICE lists passes from $90.64, a fee-inclusive floor. Prices rise as tiers sell. VIP tables, which include expedited entry, a dedicated section and service, and access to lounges and activations, are available by inquiry. Organizers note that parking is paid and that there are no refunds. Official information and passes are available through RASA, with listings also on DICE, Eventbrite and other platforms. No specific capacity cap has been published beyond the "limited capacity" language.
By RASA's count, the October event is the fifth edition, dubbed "Pier Play V." It follows the October 2024 debut; two dates in 2025, in May and October; and a May 2026 edition anchored by the global debut of "Âme Live Presents…" with special guest Rhye. RASA World, a live-experience company, says annual attendance at Pier Play has grown fivefold since 2024, and that its two 2025 dates drew more than 6,000 guests combined. Those figures are self-reported.
The Santa Monica Pier, which opened in 1909, carries its own long musical history. The La Monica Ballroom, which opened in 1924, was once billed as the "acme of dance palaces," and the free Twilight Concert Series drew thousands to the deck each summer for more than 35 years during its long run. Today the pier hosts Pacific Park's amusement rides, including the solar-powered Pacific Wheel, along with the historic carousel and restaurants — a stretch of boardwalk that normally empties out after dark, which is precisely the opportunity RASA identified.
For two days this October, that quiet after-dark deck becomes a dance floor by the sea.
Pier Play V takes place Oct. 3 and 4 at the Santa Monica Pier. Tickets and information are available at[ ](https://www.rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival?ref=smdp.com)[www.rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival](https://www.rasa.fyi/event/pierplay-festival?ref=smdp.com).
### Santa Monica approves red-light cameras, new road-safety framework in unanimous vote
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-approves-red-light-cameras-new-road-safety-framework-in-unanimous-vote/
Last updated: 2026-09-10T09:59:59.000Z
The City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to authorize an automated red-light camera program and to adopt a broad new framework for reducing traffic deaths, capping a decade in which Santa Monica fell short of its goal of eliminating fatal and serious crashes.
The vote directed staff to establish an Automated Traffic Enforcement System, or ATES, under a 2025 state law and endorsed a shift from the city's longstanding "five-E" safety model to a seven-element "Safe System" approach. It also advanced a neighborhood traffic-calming toolkit, a curb-management pilot and a modernized delivery-robot program.
"Tonight's action would just authorize the city to establish a program," Mobility Division Manager Colleen Stoll told the council, describing the camera measure as "the very preliminary step." No vendor or camera locations were selected. Staff said an initial deployment would target two signalized intersections, with a [citywide program](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-seeks-cafe-operator-for-camera-obscura-switzerlands-2028-olympic-house/) possible over time.
The camera program relies on Senate Bill 720, which routes red-light violations through a civil administrative process rather than criminal citations. Penalties are tied to the vehicle's registered owner and range from $100 for a first violation to $500, plus a $50 late fee, with lower amounts for low-income drivers. Stoll emphasized the cameras would operate separately from police. Asked by Councilmember Ellis Raskin whether the Police Department could use them, she said, "No. So that's part of SB 720\. These cameras are completely separate."
The action came against a backdrop of unmet goals. The city committed in 2016 to eliminating fatal and severe-injury crashes by 2026\. From 2021 through 2025, Santa Monica recorded 214 such crashes, including 21 fatalities. "Of those 21 fatalities, 20 involved somebody biking or walking," Stoll said. Total fatal and severe-injury crashes fell from 62 in 2024 to 52 in 2025, but pedestrian-involved crashes rose every year of the period.
Stoll said the crashes were widely dispersed rather than clustered at a few intersections, which "tells us that we can't rely on just fixing a couple of locations." The Safe System framework, she said, assumes "we are humans, and humans make mistakes," and calls for designing streets so mistakes are less likely to be fatal. Santa Monica's version adds two elements not found in most versions elsewhere: Safe Land Use and Safe and Viable Transit.
Much of the discussion focused on traffic diversion — treatments that redirect cut-through traffic to other streets. Staff proposed requiring neighborhood support for resident-initiated diverters, using thresholds borrowed from the city's block-party rules: 51% support in single-family areas and 25% in multifamily areas. "I like to say it's diversion, not evaporation," Stoll said, noting the city would study where displaced trips go.
Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick pressed to ensure that diverters already contemplated in adopted greenway plans, including the Michigan Avenue and Washington Avenue corridors, could move forward without repeated approvals. "I would hate for us to say we want to do this thing, and then us to say, well, we can't actually do the thing we said we want to do unless another whole thing happens," he said. His motion directed staff to implement diverters on approved greenways to reach target traffic volumes.
Councilmembers attached several conditions. Mayor Caroline Torosis sought limits on how long camera images are retained and a bar on using them for facial recognition or sharing with outside agencies. Staff said non-violation images must be destroyed within five days under state law. Torosis also asked staff to study income-based payment plans. Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya questioned why only two intersections were planned; Stoll said the city wanted "a manageable pilot program to start with."
Councilmember Dan Hall thanked staff "for taking the direction we passed back in February and bringing it to life," while adding requests to study hardening bollards after a driver recently plowed through a row of them. Zwick, whose motion carried, proposed design-speed standards of 20 mph for most streets, 15 mph for greenways and 25 mph for some arterials.
Public comment ran heavily in favor. The [Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce](https://smchamber.com/?ref=smdp.com) backed expanding the delivery-robot program, and advocacy group Santa Monica Forward urged the council to "ensure staff has the direction, authority, and accountability necessary to use those tools aggressively." Some residents raised concerns; one asked how camera enforcement would apply to unlicensed cyclists and scooter riders.
Staff said it would return in coming months with the curb-management vendor, the roadway safety plan and the camera program's specifics before any citations are issued.
### Evacuation warnings issued as brush fire burns near Getty Center
URL: https://www.smdp.com/evacuation-warnings-issued-as-brush-fire-burns-near-getty-center/
Last updated: 2026-09-10T01:29:23.000Z
Fire officials issued evacuation warnings Wednesday afternoon for two neighborhoods near the Getty Center as a brush fire broke out along the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass.
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued the warnings — a lower-level alert urging residents to prepare to leave, but not a mandatory evacuation order — for Genasys zones LFD-0895 and LFD-0967 shortly after the fire ignited. The warning area was bounded by Promontory Road to the north, Sunset Boulevard to the south, the 405 Freeway to the east, and Bundy Drive to the west, covering parts of Brentwood and Bel-Air. No structures were reported threatened, and LAFD said residents should stay alert to changing conditions and follow instructions from responders in the field.
The blaze, named the Getty Fire for its location next to the Getty Center museum, was first reported around 4:15-4:20 p.m. on a brush-covered hillside near Getty Center Drive. LAFD's official estimate placed the fire at approximately five acres of "well-involved brush" as of 4:50 p.m., a figure most outlets echoed through the evening. Some outlets cited lower figures around three acres, while one unofficial estimate from the Watch Duty app put the size at 20 acres — notably higher than LAFD's own count. No containment percentage had been released by LAFD or CAL FIRE by Wednesday evening.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation. Officials emphasized the blaze was not wind-driven, distinguishing it from the destructive, Santa Ana-fueled Getty Fire of 2019\. Southern California was in the midst of an extreme heat warning, with temperatures forecast between 92 and 108 degrees and record humidity contributing to difficult conditions.
The Getty Center evacuated its visitors and staff as a precaution and closed for the remainder of the day. A spokesperson for the museum said its art and collections were safe and that it was coordinating with the fire department to monitor the situation.
Crews mounted a rapid air-and-ground response. Additional engines, water tenders and hand crews were requested soon after the fire broke out, and a Chinook helicopter began drawing water from the Stone Canyon Reservoir to drop on the flames. Some reports said as many as 10 additional engines were called in. No total personnel count had been released.
As of Wednesday evening, no road closures had been announced on the 405, though heavy smoke drifted across the freeway toward Bel-Air; traffic was reported to be moving despite the smoke. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Air quality officials had already warned of elevated ozone levels across parts of Los Angeles County this week because of the heat wave, though no smoke-specific air quality advisory had been issued in connection with the Getty Fire itself, which remained small and localized to the Sepulveda Pass area.
### Allen insurance bills target nonrenewals, stronger enforcement
URL: https://www.smdp.com/allen-insurance-bills-target-nonrenewals-stronger-enforcement/
Last updated: 2026-09-09T18:58:59.000Z
State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, has advanced two bills aimed at protecting insurance ratepayers from losing coverage unnecessarily or being harmed by bad business practices. Both now head to Gov. Newsom.
"California ratepayers have faced an increasingly difficult insurance market, with rising premiums and fewer options available to them in the face of increasing disaster risk," Allen said. "Working families need better protections to maintain their existing policies and ensure businesses are operating in a manner that best serves them."
California has recorded the[ ](https://abc7news.com/post/california-home-insurance-renewals-here-are-top-bay-area-neighborhoods-affected/15846687/?ref=smdp.com)[fourth-highest rate](https://abc7news.com/post/california-home-insurance-renewals-here-are-top-bay-area-neighborhoods-affected/15846687/?ref=smdp.com) of insurance nonrenewals in the nation, contributing to a[ ](https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/?ref=smdp.com)[250% increase](https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/?ref=smdp.com) in the FAIR Plan's total exposure since 2022\. Notices often fail to explain why a policyholder is being dropped, and some have been dropped[ ](https://abc7news.com/post/bizarre-list-reasons-insurance-companies-dropped-california-homeowners-neighbors-toilet/15973925/?ref=smdp.com)[for faulty reasons](https://abc7news.com/post/bizarre-list-reasons-insurance-companies-dropped-california-homeowners-neighbors-toilet/15973925/?ref=smdp.com), such as claims of mold or algae on a roof that never existed.
[SB 1301](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB1301&ref=smdp.com) requires nonrenewal notices to include the reasoning behind the decision and to give policyholders a path to fix the identified risk and keep their coverage. It also requires insurers to send notice 90 days before a policy expires, allowing time to remediate or shop for a new policy before relying on the FAIR Plan. The detail requirements also give policyholders grounds to contest a nonrenewal.
The Department of Insurance conducts routine market examinations to verify insurers operate fairly and legally, issuing reports that identify corrective actions. While most insurers comply voluntarily, there is no clear tool to require it. A 2025 examination of the FAIR Plan found it had implemented less than half the recommendations from a 2022 report, contributing to failures in serving policyholders after the 2025 Los Angeles fires.
[SB 1209](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB1209&ref=smdp.com) expands the department's authority by authorizing penalties of up to $20,000 per violation, decided through a formal hearing process.
"When insurance companies break the rules, policyholders pay the price. SB 1209 closes the enforcement loop by holding insurers to strict, non-negotiable timelines to fix systemic violations," Insurance Commissioner Lara said. "Partnering with Senator Ben Allen on this bill ensures the Department isn't just identifying bad practices, we're stopping them before consumers suffer."
Newsom has until Sept. 30 to act on the bills.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Fire department to mark 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with ceremony
URL: https://www.smdp.com/fire-department-to-mark-25th-anniversary-of-sept-11-with-ceremony/
Last updated: 2026-09-09T18:59:00.000Z
The Santa Monica Fire Department will hold a community remembrance ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, inviting residents to honor the lives lost and the first responders who answered the call.
The ceremony will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Fire Station 1, 1337 7th St. It will bring together firefighters, city officials, community members and local public safety partners for a morning of reflection.
The department holds a Sept. 11 remembrance each year as part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. This year's ceremony offers an especially meaningful opportunity to remember those who died, including the 343 firefighters killed while responding to the World Trade Center, the department said.
Community members are invited to attend and stand in solidarity with the city's firefighters and public safety community. The ceremony will include moments of reflection honoring the lives lost and recognizing the courage and selflessness of first responders.
Fire Station 1 is also home to a steel artifact recovered from the World Trade Center site, on permanent display outside the department's community room. The artifact serves as a tangible reminder of the day and is available for public viewing during normal business hours.
Twenty-five years later, the department said, it continues to honor the legacy of Sept. 11 by remembering those who were lost, recognizing those who served, and reaffirming the importance of community, service and resilience.
For more information, visit[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4nzyh7xm9d1aexmsb35zwgre5y/202609110730?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/events/9-11-remembrance-ceremony](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4nzyh7xm9d1aexmsb35zwgre5y/202609110730?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Malibu Declares Emergency, Evacuates 31 Parcels After Sinkhole Forms on Sea Level Drive
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-local-emergency-orders-evacuations-after-sinkhole-at-sea-level-drive/
Last updated: 2026-09-09T21:03:29.000Z
The city of Malibu has declared a local emergency and ordered the evacuation of 31 parcels after a sinkhole formed on Sea Level Drive, caused by coastal erosion from high waves and tides associated with Hurricane Marie.
The incident was reported at approximately 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, when the collapse of a beachfront driveway extended into the roadway, blocking resident and emergency access. Sea Level Drive has a single entry and exit.
The city's director of emergency services made the emergency proclamation in consultation with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, citing public safety concerns as the expanding sinkhole restricted vital access for residents and emergency services. Authorities warned conditions were likely to worsen with forecasted high tides and rain, and a Coastal Flood Advisory was issued until 11 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8.
Sheriff's deputies notified residents in person, and the city issued a digital alert through Everbridge. All 31 properties have been red tagged due to hazardous conditions and the loss of access for fire and sheriff's personnel responding to medical, fire or law enforcement emergencies. The American Red Cross established a temporary shelter for affected residents at Malibu High School, 30215 Morning View Drive.
Overnight, the sinkhole and erosion did not significantly expand. SoCalGas shut off gas service Tuesday evening to address a gas leak and prevent further leaks, and Waterworks District 29 shut off water service to prevent water main breaks.
The homeowners association, which controls the private roadway, began repairs with city permits within hours of the incident. The HOA is continuing construction to repair and shore up the area, work expected to be completed in about five weeks depending on conditions.
The city continued to coordinate with the fire and sheriff's departments, SoCalGas, the American Red Cross and the HOA. No injuries were reported. The mandatory evacuation and red tags remain in place. Officials said public safety remains the city's top priority and that they are working with partners so residents can return home as quickly and safely as possible.
The incident is part of broader regional coastal conditions. The city is also monitoring coastal erosion along Pacific Coast Highway in the Palisades Fire burn area and at Point Dume State Beach, along with other vulnerable coastal points, and is preparing for potential strong storms, high surf, heavy rain, mudslides and coastal erosion this winter associated with forecast El Niño conditions.
For more information on the emergency proclamation, visit[ https://malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/38668/Emergency-Proclamation—Sea-Level-Sinkholedoc](https://malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/38668/Emergency-Proclamation%E2%80%94Sea-Level-Sinkholedoc?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Venice Blvd Productions to reimagine Montana Avenue Art Walk for Route 66 milestone
URL: https://www.smdp.com/venice-blvd-productions-to-reimagine-montana-avenue-art-walk-for-route-66-milestone/
Last updated: 2026-09-09T15:59:59.000Z
Montana Avenue will transform into an open-air arts destination on Saturday, Oct. 3, when the [Montana Avenue Art Walk](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com) returns as one of the city's signature celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66.
The free, day-long event will stretch 10 blocks along Montana Avenue, from Sixth to 17th streets, and will feature fine art installations, live music, wellness experiences, artisan vendors, culinary offerings, interactive brand activations and family-friendly programming, organizers said. The street will be closed to vehicle traffic for the day.
This year marks a shift in how the annual event is produced. The Montana Avenue Merchant Association has selected Venice Blvd Productions to reimagine the Art Walk, the company behind The Venice Fest, a Westside festival that has grown to draw more than 20,000 attendees since its 2021 launch.
Sarah Fisk, owner of Venice Blvd Productions, said the goal is to build on the event's longtime identity rather than replace it.
"The foundation of the Montana Avenue Art Walk remains the same, a celebration of art, local businesses, and the community that makes Montana Avenue so special," Fisk said. "Rather than changing what the Art Walk has always been about, we're adding new layers to the experience — creating more opportunities for people to engage with art, discover local businesses, participate in programming, and explore Montana Avenue from end to end."
Those new layers include a curated live music stage featuring local musicians, interactive art installations, dedicated family and wellness programming, a classic car showcase and new community and brand partnerships, Fisk said.
The event's timing alongside the Route 66 Centennial gives the celebration added significance. As Santa Monica's official Route 66 Centennial event, the Art Walk honors the city's role as the historic western terminus of the highway while showcasing its coastal culture and creative community.
"And with this year coinciding with the Route 66 Centennial, we have a unique opportunity to celebrate Montana Avenue's place within that history while creating something that feels fresh, elevated, and distinctly Santa Monica," Fisk said.
Organizers emphasized that Montana Avenue's boutiques and restaurants will be woven into the day's programming. The 10-block footprint will become an Entertainment Zone, allowing participating restaurants to offer drinks to-go that attendees can enjoy while walking the avenue. Merchants are also encouraged to create their own programming, from special promotions and shopping experiences to artist showcases, music and in-store events.
"The existing Montana Avenue boutiques and restaurants are an integral part of the Art Walk and, this year, we're creating even more opportunities for them to become part of the programming," Fisk said. "We want attendees to discover an artist, hear live music, participate in an experience, stop into a boutique, grab a drink or a bite, and continue exploring, making the entire avenue part of the experience."
Michelle Kelly of the Montana Avenue Merchant Association said the event is a highlight of the year for the neighborhood.
"We're so excited to open up Montana Avenue and share it with everyone as we showcase incredible artists," Kelly said. "It's something we look forward to every year, and we love seeing the street come alive with both the creative energy of the artists and the vibrant community who joins us."
Over the past five years, Venice Blvd Productions has collaborated with brands including Airbnb, Waymo, Gatorade, Athletic Brewing, Smartwater, Sparkling Ice, King's Hawaiian and Postmates. Fisk said the approach that translates from The Venice Fest is a focus on placemaking and giving people a reason to stay and explore, though she noted Montana Avenue's established character calls for a different touch.
"Montana Avenue already has such a distinct identity," Fisk said. "Our approach isn't to bring The Venice Fest to Montana Avenue, it's to take what we've learned producing large-scale community events and apply it in a way that feels authentic to Montana Avenue."
Organizers said they are working with the City of Santa Monica on a traffic and operations plan that includes temporary street closures within the footprint while keeping major signalized intersections open. Because the avenue is surrounded by residential streets, Fisk said minimizing [neighborhood impact](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-seeks-cafe-operator-for-camera-obscura-switzerlands-2028-olympic-house/) remains a priority, with attention to traffic flow, safety, event hours and cleanup.
The Art Walk is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to walk, bike or drive, with nearby parking and dining available.
### LA's swamp summer will last through this week with Wednesday expected to be the worst
URL: https://www.smdp.com/las-swamp-summer-will-last-through-this-week-with-wednesday-expected-to-be-the-worst/
Last updated: 2026-09-09T09:59:59.000Z
Hot, humid conditions will grip Los Angeles County through at least Thursday, with forecasters warning that unusually high overnight temperatures and elevated moisture will make the heat feel more oppressive than the daytime numbers alone suggest.
The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory effective through Thursday, Sept. 10, covering the Malibu Coast, Los Angeles County beaches, the Los Angeles inland coast, the western and eastern Santa Monica Mountains, Calabasas and Agoura Hills, the west and east San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, and the Palos Verdes Hills.
According to the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard office, a weak offshore pressure gradient is limiting the region's usual sea breeze, allowing temperatures to climb even as lingering moisture from former Hurricane Marie pushes humidity levels well above normal. Forecasters said that combination will make the heat "feel quite uncomfortable across the area," with advisory-level conditions likely across the Los Angeles Basin.
Overnight lows are expected to stay unusually warm as well, with widespread readings in the 70s and some areas in the foothills reaching into the 80s.
Los Angeles County Public Health officials urged residents to take precautions, warning that heat is a leading cause of weather-related death nationally. "Heat causes more deaths in the U.S. annually than floods, storms, and lightning combined," said Dr. Muntu Davis, the county's health officer, adding that older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes and people with chronic medical conditions face the greatest risk.
Officials said residents should call 911 immediately if someone shows signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, including confusion, fainting, hot or red skin, a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, a rapid pulse, headache, dizziness or nausea.
Public Health recommended that residents stay hydrated throughout the day, avoid outdoor activity during peak heat hours, wear lightweight and light-colored clothing, and use sunscreen when outdoors. Officials also warned that vehicles can become dangerously hot within minutes and urged residents never to leave children or pets inside a parked car, even briefly, saying anyone who sees a child or pet alone in a vehicle should call 911.
Residents without air conditioning were encouraged to use cooling centers, libraries, shopping malls or other air-conditioned spaces, or to call 211 for help locating one. The county said cooling centers, splash pads and community pools are available for those without access to air conditioning, with locations listed at ready.lacounty.gov/heat.
The heat threat is expected to expand Wednesday, when additional Heat Advisories take effect for Ventura County's coasts and valleys, the Santa Clarita Valley, and all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, remaining in place through Wednesday evening. Forecasters said there is a 20% to 30% chance humidity levels could climb high enough Wednesday to trigger heat warnings, a more serious designation than an advisory.
Inland areas of the Central Coast could see temperatures reach 100 to 102 degrees Wednesday as offshore flow develops, with some locations running 20 degrees or more above normal for this time of year, according to the NWS.
Forecasters said relief should begin arriving Friday, as high pressure weakens and onshore flow strengthens, bringing 3 to 6 degrees of cooling to most of the region. Similar cooling is expected Saturday, potentially pushing temperatures a few degrees below normal, with Sunday's temperatures expected to be similar. There is a 20% chance the cooling trend could be delayed by a day, forecasters said. A slight warming trend of 1 to 2 degrees is possible by Monday as onshore flow weakens again.
### Santa Monica Democratic Club endorses Goldsmith for state Senate
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-democratic-club-endorses-goldsmith-for-state-senate/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Democratic Club has endorsed Brian Goldsmith for state Senate District 24, adding the largest Democratic club in the district to his coalition.
Goldsmith won nearly 60% of the endorsement vote, which followed a head-to-head candidate debate. During the debate, he emphasized common-sense solutions to California's challenges, including the cost of living, homelessness and what he described as the Trump administration's ongoing attacks on the state.
The club is the latest Democratic organization to back Goldsmith, following the Heart of LA Democratic Club, San Fernando Valley Democratic Council, Blue Wave Democratic Club and Culver City Democrats United.
"Santa Monica needs a State Senator who understands this community, knows how to work with all stakeholders to get things done, and will fight hard for the things we care about," said Jon Katz, president of the Santa Monica Democratic Club. "Brian Goldsmith made a compelling case that he is that person."
Goldsmith said he was grateful for the endorsement. "Grassroots Democratic organizations are the heartbeat of our party, and I look forward to working side-by-side with Santa Monica Democrats to win in November," he said.
Running for elected office for the first time, Goldsmith has been endorsed by a range of officials, including former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, retired Sen. Barbara Boxer, Rep. Julia Brownley and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. State Sens. Henry Stern, Josh Becker and Susan Rubio and several Assembly members have also endorsed him.
His support extends to local officials across the district, including Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and mayors and council members in cities such as Beverly Hills, Calabasas, El Segundo, Agoura Hills, Redondo Beach and Santa Monica.
Goldsmith has also earned backing from organizations including California EnviroVoters, Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, Climate Action California, several law enforcement associations, Teamsters Joint Council 42, ILWU locals, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and Democrats for Israel Los Angeles. In all, more than 150 leaders and organizations have endorsed him.
Goldsmith is running in the open race to succeed Sen. Ben Allen in 2026.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Downbeat 720 celebrates 25th anniversary with new season
URL: https://www.smdp.com/downbeat-720-celebrates-25th-anniversary-with-new-season/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T18:58:59.000Z
Downbeat 720, a high school performing arts collective sponsored by the city of Santa Monica's Recreation and Arts Department, celebrates its 25th anniversary with the start of a new season Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The free open mic night for high school students is hosted by comedian Joe Hernandez-Kolski and beatboxer Joshua Silverstein, with music by DJ Jedi. It takes place on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at the Miles Memorial Playhouse,[ ](https://www.google.com/maps/search/1130+Lincoln+Blvd?entry=gmail&source=g)[1130 Lincoln Blvd](https://www.google.com/maps/search/1130+Lincoln+Blvd?entry=gmail&source=g). Doors open at 7 p.m., with the first performance at 7:20 p.m. All performance-based genres are welcome, and no advance RSVP is required. Teens may perform or attend as audience members, and adults may attend when accompanying a teen performer.
The program invites students to perform music, poetry, comedy or art for fellow participants and professional artist mentors, who offer feedback to help strengthen their skills and provide a space for self-expression.
"Santa Monica is proud to celebrate 25 years of Downbeat 720 and the remarkable young artists who have made this program a creative home," Recreation and Arts Department Director Jenny Rogers said. "By giving teens a welcoming stage to share their voices, build their skills and connect with professional artists, Downbeat 720 continues to strengthen our community through the power of the arts."
Downbeat 720 was created in 2001 by Justin Yoffe, Ameenah Kaplan, Hernandez-Kolski and DJ Jedi. Professional artists who have performed for students include Grammy Award-winning musicians Aloe Blacc and Raul Pacheco of Ozomatli, comedian Craig Robinson of "The Office," Akil the MC of Jurassic 5, poet and actress Amber Tamblyn of "Joan of Arcadia" and a host of HBO's "Def Poetry." Alumni include singer-songwriter Jules Paymer and actor and singer Owen Thiele of Hulu's "Adults."
The program was held at the Miles Memorial Playhouse until 2020, when it moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned to in-person sessions at the Virginia Avenue Park Teen Center while the playhouse in Reed Park was revitalized. It returned to the Miles Memorial Playhouse in October 2025, months after the space reopened during Santa Monica's 2025 State of the City.
For more information, visit[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/downbeat-720?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/programs/downbeat-720](https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/downbeat-720?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA County debuts new public comment system to make board meetings more accessible
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-debuts-new-public-comment-system-to-make-board-meetings-more-accessible/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T18:58:59.000Z
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors rolled out a new public comment registration system at its Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting, part of an effort to make board meetings more accessible for residents.
The system, supported by PublicInput, registers residents who want to address the board during public comment, whether by phone or in person. It eliminates the need for an access code or PIN when calling in and sends registered speakers real-time text messages when it is their turn, replacing the "raise hand" feature. Callers who are disconnected do not lose their place in line. The system is ADA-compliant and includes a screen-reader-friendly portal.
"Government works best when people can easily participate. By modernizing the public comment process, we are reducing barriers and creating more opportunities for residents across Los Angeles County to make their voices heard," said Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis.
Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell said the system respects residents' time by notifying them when their item is coming up. Third District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said it makes participation "more accessible, more transparent, and more responsive." Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn said the overhaul aims to empower residents who cannot travel downtown on a Tuesday. Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger said modernizing the system makes it easier for residents to weigh in on county decisions.
Registration takes four steps. Speakers register online at publiccomment.lacounty.gov and select the items they wish to address. They receive a text message when their item is active. They then call the local line, 213-444-2600, with no access codes or PINs required. A voice announces each speaker's turn by name.
Speakers need to register only once, whether for one item or several. Registration opens 30 minutes before each meeting, and residents may register in advance for meeting reminders when the agenda is released.
"This new system removes the barriers that have historically kept people from making their voices heard — whether it's navigating parking downtown or not knowing when your agenda item will come up," said Edward Yen, executive officer for the board. "Now, anyone with a phone can register, stay informed in real time, and speak their mind."
For instructions on using the system, finding board agendas or other information, visit bos.lacounty.gov.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Lightning alert closes Santa Monica beach
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lightning-alert-closes-santa-monica-beach/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T18:20:21.000Z
Lightning has been reported near the Santa Monica beach and officials are asking everyone near the beach/Pier area to go inside a building or into their cars for the next 30 minutes until the storm has passed.
### Keep Politics Out of Medical Research
URL: https://www.smdp.com/keep-politics-out-of-medical-research/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T16:00:00.000Z
As a rheumatologist, I’ve seen countless patients with rheumatic disease benefit from Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) inhibitors, a life changing medical innovation made possible by research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
As the world's largest public funder of biomedical research, the NIH drives breakthroughs that ensure Americans receive world class care. However, that progress is now in jeopardy. The administration is proposing structural changes to how research decisions are made and funded, shifts that threaten U.S. competitiveness, public health, and the future of scientific discovery.
Congress must intervene to stop these changes. Taxpayer dollars should support the most rigorous, promising science, not whatever is politically popular. When political oversight replaces unbiased peer review, patients lose.
Neha Singh, DO, Santa Monica
### Newsom’s pattern of closed-door dealmaking is unbefitting of a presidential hopeful
URL: https://www.smdp.com/newsoms-pattern-of-closed-door-dealmaking-is-unbefitting-of-a-presidential-hopeful/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T16:00:00.000Z
There’s a deeply troubling ongoing pattern in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approach to land and water policies in California [involving closed doors](https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/09/california-end-of-session-secret-deals/?ref=smdp.com), backroom deals and disingenuous — or more often than not — inadequate community engagement to move projects forward.
Circumventing guardrails and sidestepping public opinion have become the norm with the [Delta Conveyance Project](https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/09/delta-tunnel-fast-track-dead/?ref=smdp.com) and [voluntary water agreements](https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article314567336.html?ref=smdp.com), all while the Newsom administration continued its attempts to fast-track [California Forever](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-forever-shipyard-pressure-campaign/?ref=smdp.com) — another potential boondoggle.
Billionaires, lobbyists and [administrative insiders](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-forever-solano-shipyard-deal/?ref=smdp.com) should not be shaping California’s future; Californians should. This pattern of bad governance is preventing the people of California from receiving the transparency and due process they deserve, along with the chance to weigh in on decisions that directly impact their communities.
Who exactly is bearing the cost for these projects? The rest of us.
California Forever, for example, wants to bring as many as 400,000 people to Solano County, creating a free-for-all in the absence of established water rights, stressing a state system that is already oversubscribed and imbalanced. This saga has unfolded as Native American tribes continue to fight for their [long-denied water rights](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/26/california-indigenous-water-rights-bay-delta?ref=smdp.com) and against [regulators accused of being discriminatory](https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/?ref=smdp.com).
And don’t forget the fisheries. For three consecutive years, commercial [salmon fishing was shut down](https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2025/04/commercial-salmon-season-shut-down-again-california/?ref=smdp.com) due to excessive diversions, raising water temperatures and killing salmon eggs which cost the industry [$45 million in 2023 alone](https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2024/03/california-salmon-restrictions-ban-2024/?ref=smdp.com). It was only this year that salmon fishing has [reopened](https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/04/california-salmon-season-reopen-closure/?ref=smdp.com), yet the policies that led to its suspension remain in place, with voluntary agreements poised to only make things worse.
Water policies and [proposals like the voluntary agreements](https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5163/Bay-Delta%5FPlan%5FVoluntary%5FAgreements%5FLegislative%5FOversight%5F031826.pdf?ref=smdp.com) and the Delta tunnel project only add to the strain, and now California Forever is poised to add even more imbalance, with tech-backed billionaires seeking water rights in a system that already cannot maintain its commitments.
The same water flow decisions determine what is left for farmers within the Delta and Delta-adjacent areas who are already losing land and water supply. All of this is happening [without the input of Californians](https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/newsom-california-forever-solano-county-22363963.php?ref=smdp.com). Communities have a right to create economic and development plans from the ground up, not at the behest of the ultra-rich.
Tribes and impacted communities have a [right to a seat at the table](https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article314567336.html?ref=smdp.com) when their livelihoods are on the line.
Unfortunately, from watching negotiations in Sacramento over water and land throughout the last seven years, the secrecy and backroom deals being conducted by the Newsom administration come as no surprise. Still, the disappointment is immense for tribes and environmental groups that have made attempt after attempt to ensure transparency and public review.
Land and water policies shaped by a few powerful voices, while excluding many, do not reflect the track record expected of a [presidential hopeful](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/08/which-version-newsom-presidential-campaign/?ref=smdp.com).
Billionaires, lobbyists and administrative insiders should not be the only ones shaping California’s future. From decisions regarding the Delta Conveyance Project and voluntary water agreements to what unfolded this year with California Forever, the public must have a fair say in how our land and water is used.
Having a voice in our own future is not a courtesy but a right.
\_\_\_\_\_\_
By Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla and Gary Mulcahy
### Santa Monica Council to Take Up Red-Light Cameras, Housing, City Land Deals
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-to-take-up-red-light-cameras-housing-city-land-deals/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T09:59:59.000Z
The City Council tonight will weigh an automated red-light camera program, new housing rules near a transit station and lease talks for a string of city properties, part of a wide-ranging agenda that also touches parks, schools and pedestrian safety.
**Roadway safety**
Topping the public agenda is an ordinance introducing an Automated Traffic Enforcement System, or ATES, to cite drivers who run red lights at two intersections. The program, brought by Public Works Director Christopher Dishlip, relies on Senate Bill 720, the Safer Streets Act, which lets cities pursue red-light violations through a civil process. Under that law, citations go to a vehicle's registered owner rather than the driver, carry lower penalties and do not add points to a DMV record.
Proposed fines start at $100 and rise to $200, $350 and $500 for repeat offenses within three years, with a $50 late fee. The amounts are capped by state law, and the staff report frames the program as a safety measure rather than a revenue source, noting any surplus must be spent on transportation safety. The report cites Culver City, which has run red-light cameras since 1999 and reported a 12.6% drop in violations in 2017.
The cameras are a companion to a [Vision Zero](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-launches-two-year-vision-plan-for-beach-and-pier/) study session, at which staff is seeking council direction and acknowledges the city fell short of its 2016 goal of eliminating fatal and severe-injury crashes by 2026\. From 2021 through 2025, Santa Monica recorded 214 such crashes and 21 traffic deaths; 20 of those killed were pedestrians or bicyclists. Total fatal and severe-injury crashes fell from 62 in 2024 to 52 in 2025, but pedestrian-involved crashes rose every year, from nine to 22\. Staff proposes moving from the city's longtime "five E's" model to a seven-element "Safe System" framework.
**Housing and zoning**
The council will hold a public hearing and consider first reading of an ordinance raising development standards on 89 single-unit (R1) parcels north of Interstate 10 in the Expo/Bundy area. The change responds to Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, effective statewide July 1, and would let the Expo/Bundy zone qualify for a temporary exclusion from the law until one year after the city adopts its next housing element, expected in 2030\. City Planning Director Jing Yeo's report says density would rise to 40 units per acre and the floor-area ratio would increase from 0.5 to 1.25 for qualifying projects, with the 28-foot height limit unchanged. The council chose the R1 approach July 28 over upzoning multifamily parcels, citing displacement risk.
Separately, the council will consider extending for two years emergency zoning rules for "Light Fleet-Based Service for Autonomous Vehicles," adopted July 14 and set to expire Sept. 12\. Staff reports fleet operations have produced vehicle queues of up to 15 cars, along with street and alley staging and noise and lighting impacts near homes.
**City property talks**
The council is scheduled to meet in closed session this evening at 5:30 p.m. to take up lease negotiations on several city-owned properties, with City Manager Oliver Chi as negotiator. They include Miles Playhouse and portions of Reed Park and Jocelyn Hall, where the city is in talks with Ceská olympijská a.s., a Czech Olympic organization whose "Czech House" project director, Blanka Konecná, is the listed negotiating party.
Other properties include the Bergamot Station Arts Center at 2525 Michigan, where negotiators including Housing and Human Services Director Aileen Reynolds and Housing Manager Natalie Verlinich would meet with parties including Bridge Housing and Michaels; city sites on Airport Avenue, involving Gradient Holdings and Transwestern; and 256 Santa Monica Pier, where the city is negotiating with Santa Monica Brew Works CEO Scott Francis.
**Parks and community**
On the consent calendar, the council will consider a five-year concession agreement, with a five-year renewal option, to move the Santa Monica Trapeze School to Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd. The school, at the Santa Monica Pier since 2008, would pay $4,000 a month plus 8% of concession sales, invest $170,000 in startup costs and add about $48,000 a year to the General Fund.
The council will also consider a request from Mayor Torosis and Councilmember Hall to open negotiations with the [Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District](https://www.smmusd.org/?ref=smdp.com) on a successor Master Facilities Use Agreement governing community access to school facilities, and to weigh contingency options should Measure ES fail. A separate request from Councilmembers Raskin and Negrete and Torosis seeks $1,188 in discretionary funds for the Santa Monica Ballet Folklorico Dance Company's classes at Virginia Avenue Park.
### Grow with Google closes Route 66 tour with free AI workshop for Santa Monica small businesses
URL: https://www.smdp.com/grow-with-google-closes-route-66-tour-with-free-ai-workshop-for-santa-monica-small-businesses/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T10:00:04.000Z
More than 30 local small businesses gathered at the Annenberg Community Beach House on Aug. 28 for a free workshop aimed at teaching entrepreneurs how to put artificial intelligence to work in their day-to-day operations.
The two-hour session was the final stop of Grow with Google's "Make AI Work for You" tour, a series of small-business workshops the company hosted along Route 66 in honor of the highway's centennial. The Santa Monica event was held in partnership with Downtown Santa Monica, the [City of Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/police-increase-patrols-after-weekend-shootings/) and GO-Biz.
"We were pleased with our turnout of more than 30 local small businesses in attendance," a Google spokesperson said.
The morning focused on practical, hands-on instruction rather than theory. Attendees worked through a session titled "Prompt like a Pro" and tested a range of the company's free tools alongside product experts.
"During the two-hour Santa Monica event, attendees participated in a workshop called 'Prompt like a Pro,' detailing tips and tricks for getting the most out of AI," the spokesperson said. "Attendees also learned how to master Google's no-cost AI tools — from the Gemini App and Gemini Notebook, to AI features embedded directly into Google Workspace — through deep-dives and hands-on tutorials with product experts."
The workshop was pitched to business owners at any level of experience. Organizers said newcomers could expect to leave with a working foundation, while more experienced users would still pick up new techniques.
Although the sessions highlighted Google's own products, the company said the curriculum was built to teach skills that apply across any AI tool, not just its own.
"'Make AI Work for You' is a course designed specifically to help SMBs use AI to get more done and grow their businesses," the spokesperson said. "The workshop is designed to teach foundational, practical AI skills that apply across any tool. We start by showing small business owners how to interact with AI in everyday language, focusing on how to write effective prompts, evaluate results, and use AI as a brainstorming partner."
The company said it also demonstrated how owners can apply those concepts using accessible, no-cost tools such as the Gemini App and Gemini Notebook, and how AI features can streamline routine tasks inside Google Workspace.
For business owners who could not attend the Santa Monica stop or any of the tour's earlier dates, [Grow with Google](https://grow.google/?srsltid=AfmBOopQ9-kL5axgNM28scnUgC1tIKLeY0jISSo3lygVYOiajYxU88kw&ref=smdp.com) said the same training resources, guides and courses are available on demand at grow.google/smb. The company positioned the free materials as a way for owners to keep building skills on their own schedule after the road tour wrapped.
The event also landed at a moment when many Los Angeles-area businesses are still rebuilding. Google said its outreach to small businesses recovering from the region's wildfires has centered on long-term resilience, not just reopening.
Last year, the company partnered with the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity to host the "Rebuild LA: Small Business Tech Fair," which brought together more than 120 local entrepreneurs affected by the fires. Google said the tools and resources from that event remain available to any small business owner — whether recovering from a crisis or simply looking to modernize — through the same grow.google/smb hub used for the workshop series.
The company framed AI adoption as part of a broader shift already underway among California businesses. Google's 2025 Economic Impact Report found that 2.2 million businesses in the state used the company's tools to connect with customers. Among the local examples the company cited was Santa Monica-based nēdl.
Friday's workshop was free to attend, and the company provided complimentary parking along with light food and refreshments. Participants were encouraged to bring a laptop to follow along with the hands-on tutorials.
The Annenberg Community Beach House, where the event was held, sits at 415 Pacific Coast Highway.
The Santa Monica stop closed out the Route 66 centennial tour, but the company said its training resources, guides and courses will remain freely accessible on demand to owners who want to keep learning.
More information and on-demand resources are available at grow.google/smb.
### Santa Monica library marks Card Sign-Up Month with special-edition cards, local discounts
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-library-marks-card-sign-up-month-with-special-edition-cards-local-discounts/
Last updated: 2026-09-06T18:58:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Public Library is celebrating Library Card Sign-Up Month this September with a special-edition library card designed by local artist Al Mercado and the return of its Read Local, Shop Local: Community Discount Program.
Throughout September, patrons who sign up for a card at any of the library's five locations will receive the special-edition card, while supplies last. Families are also invited to the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., on Sept. 12 to decorate a card sleeve and lanyard to personalize and protect their cards.
The card features artwork from the city's Art Everywhere: Local Canvas initiative, which showcases the work of local artists throughout the city's streetscape.
"Libraries are places where creativity, learning and community come together, and this special-edition card is a wonderful expression of that spirit," said Recreation and Arts Department Director Jenny Rogers, who oversees the city's Cultural Affairs division.
A library card provides free access to books, music, movies, video games, databases, study rooms and other resources. Cardholders also receive access to exclusive offers from local businesses through the discount program.
"Your library card opens the door to far more than books. It connects you to resources, experiences and the people and places that make Santa Monica special," said Director of Library Services Erica Cuyugan.
Launched in September 2025, the program was created to encourage residents to get a card while strengthening ties between the library and the business community. By presenting their card at participating businesses, cardholders can receive discounts at local restaurants, retailers, cultural attractions and service providers.
The program returns for its second year. Returning partners include Bike Attack Electric, Crow Comedy, Good Body Pilates, Offhand Wine Bar, Santa Monica History Museum, Solidarity, Sweet Lady Jane and The Curious Palate. New partners this year include AJA Vineyards, Alinea Orthodontics, Backyard Bowls, Chick-fil-A Santa Monica, Crossroads Trading, Harvelle's, Love Tap, Road Runner Sports and The Spot.
To view participating businesses and discounts, visit santamonica.gov/programs/library-community-discount-program.
Library Card Sign-Up Month originated in 1987 in response to then-U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett's call for every child to have a library card. It was established by the American Library Association and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.
Getting a card is free. California residents 18 and older can apply in person during open hours, while qualified Los Angeles County residents can apply online. Teens ages 13-17 can register in person with a school ID. For children under 12, a parent or guardian must be present. For more information, visit santamonica.gov.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Americana in the Park returns to Gandara Park for sixth year on Sept. 13
URL: https://www.smdp.com/americana-in-the-park-returns-to-gandara-park-for-sixth-year-on-sept-13/
Last updated: 2026-09-06T15:59:59.000Z
The sixth annual Americana in the Park will bring roots, blues, jazz and folk music to[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/places/parks/gandara-park?ref=smdp.com)[Gandara Park](https://www.santamonica.gov/places/parks/gandara-park?ref=smdp.com), 1819 Stewart St., on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. The free, all-ages event features kid-friendly activities and onsite food trucks.
Presented by[ ](https://www.mccabes.com/?ref=smdp.com)[McCabe's Guitar Shop](https://www.mccabes.com/?ref=smdp.com) in partnership with the city of Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division and KCRW, the concert showcases local talent playing traditional Americana and its modern forms. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket, lawn chair and picnic.
The 2026 lineup includes[ ](http://albertleeofficial.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Albert Lee](http://albertleeofficial.com/?ref=smdp.com), a Grammy-winning British guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking and multiple "Best Country Guitarist" honors from Guitar Player Magazine;[ ](http://www.makinaloca.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca](http://www.makinaloca.com/?ref=smdp.com), blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with pan-African styles such as soukous, semba and kizomba;[ ](https://www.abbyposner.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Abby Posner & the Big Fall](https://www.abbyposner.com/?ref=smdp.com), a genre-defying multi-instrumentalist recently featured on NPR's Mountain Stage;[ ](https://jasonluckett.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Jason Luckett](https://jasonluckett.com/?ref=smdp.com), a singer-songwriter mixing jazz, soul and samba with social justice themes; and the[ ](https://www.bobbakermarionettetheater.com/?ref=smdp.com)[Bob Baker Marionette Theater](https://www.bobbakermarionettetheater.com/?ref=smdp.com), the nonprofit puppet theater and Los Angeles Cultural-Historical Monument serving the community since 1963.
Public transportation is encouraged. Big Blue Bus Route 43 serves Gandara Park with buses every 45 minutes, and Metro Rail's E Line stops nearby at 26th St./Bergamot Station, with trains every 10 minutes between East Los Angeles and Downtown Santa Monica. Plan trips at[ ](https://www.bigbluebus.com/?ref=smdp.com)[bigbluebus.com](https://www.bigbluebus.com/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California lawmakers introduce bill to protect film and television jobs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-protect-film-and-television-jobs/
Last updated: 2026-09-06T09:59:59.000Z
State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Hollywood, have introduced[ ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB186&ref=smdp.com)[AB](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB186&ref=smdp.com)/[SB 186](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB186&ref=smdp.com), a budget trailer bill aimed at protecting middle-class jobs tied to film and television production in the state.
The measure is designed to mitigate the impact of SB 122, a tax bill enacted in June to ensure corporations pay their fair share of state taxes. Lawmakers say SB 122 unintentionally imposed an additional cap on the already capped and allocated Film & TV Tax Credit Program, undermining commitments made to projects already underway.
"Last year, we took action to get families back to work and jumpstart the state's film and television industry," Allen said. He warned that momentum and jobs could be lost without action by month's end, and credited Gov. Gavin Newsom, Zbur and legislative leadership with helping find a path forward to keep California the global hub of entertainment.
Zbur said the effort protects progress made last year and reflects a priority shared by many colleagues. He noted the modernized program drew 170 projects to California and supported nearly 35,000 cast and crew jobs in its first year. He said AB/SB 186 would provide greater stability for productions and workers and mitigate the effects of the tax credit limitation, while acknowledging more work remains in the coming months.
Last year, Newsom signed the[ ](https://zbur.asmdc.org/ab-1138-california-film-television-jobs-act?ref=smdp.com)[California Film & Television Jobs Act](https://zbur.asmdc.org/ab-1138-california-film-television-jobs-act?ref=smdp.com), authored by Zbur and Allen, to modernize the[ ](https://film.ca.gov/tax-credit/the-basics-4-0/?ref=smdp.com)[Film and TV Tax Credit Program](https://film.ca.gov/tax-credit/the-basics-4-0/?ref=smdp.com) and curb "runaway production." The act, which won bipartisan support, raised the annual cap to $750 million, increased the credit amount and expanded eligibility.
The program's first year, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, awarded credits to 170 new projects, bringing an estimated $6.6 billion in economic activity and creating almost 35,000 jobs statewide.
AB/SB 186 would exempt independent productions from the SB 122 caps; lower the discount on refunds in the 4.0 program from 10% to 5% and provide payout over two years instead of five; and protect unused credits earned in the earlier 2.0 and 3.0 programs from premature expiration if the company has a project awarded under the 4.0 program.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica appoints Walfred Solorzano as new city clerk
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-appoints-walfred-solorzano-as-new-city-clerk/
Last updated: 2026-09-05T20:54:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council has appointed Walfred Solorzano as the city's next city clerk, concluding a national recruitment that began earlier this year and was overseen by a council ad hoc committee.
Solorzano succeeds Interim City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren, who retired from the post in 2023 and returned in January to lead the office during the search.
"Walfred has built a career within City Clerk offices throughout the state," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "That depth of experience is what Santa Monica needs to ensure our City Clerk's Office continues to operate smoothly and effectively. I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Denise for returning to manage the City Clerk's Office while we conducted this search."
Solorzano has worked in local government for more than two decades, with nearly a decade as a city clerk, assistant city clerk or deputy city clerk. He served as city clerk for Sausalito from December 2022 to July 2026 and has been interim city clerk for Lodi since July 28\. Before Sausalito, he was assistant city clerk for Half Moon Bay and had worked for other California cities.
"I've spent more than 20 years in government, and I still believe in the deeply human business of public service. Local government matters because this is where democracy becomes accessible to everybody," Solorzano said. "Being selected as Santa Monica's City Clerk feels like both a homecoming and a new adventure. I'm excited to bring my experience and energy to the job, and to serve a city and community that has never been afraid to have a personality of its own."
Solorzano holds a bachelor's degree from Azusa Pacific University. He will join the city Monday, Sept. 21.
The city clerk is Santa Monica's elections official, Political Reform Act filing officer, and compliance officer for the Brown Act and the Public Records Act. The office prepares City Council agendas and records proceedings, manages the city's records and public records requests, runs the boards and commissions appointment process, and accepts passport applications.
For more information about the City Clerk's Office, visit[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/departments/city-clerks-office?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/departments/city-clerks-office](https://www.santamonica.gov/departments/city-clerks-office?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California seniors have more saved than most, but long-term care money runs out fast
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-seniors-long-term-care-savings/
Last updated: 2026-09-25T21:08:45.000Z
Set aside $250,000 for long-term care in California and, at the state's median prices, it will last about 2.5 years. That is roughly four months shorter than the national average and ranks California 37th among the 50 states for how far the money goes.
The ranking comes from a [state-by-state analysis](https://www.carescout.com/resources/how-long-250k-covers-long-term-care-by-state?ref=smdp.com) from [CareScout, publisher of an annual survey of care prices](https://www.carescout.com/?ref=smdp.com), and the reasons are easy to find in the price list. A semi-private nursing home room in California costs a median $146,000 a year, enough to use up $250,000 in 1.7 years. Assisted living runs $84,000 a year, or 3.0 years of coverage, and a non-medical in-home caregiver costs $91,520, or 2.7 years.
Each of those prices is above the national median. Across the country, a nursing home room costs $114,975, assisted living $74,400 and in-home caregiving $80,080\. The prices are drawn from [the 2025 survey behind the rankings](https://assets.carescout.com/x/8fcb50422f/282102.pdf?ref=smdp.com), and CareScout averaged how long $250,000 would cover each setting to produce a single score for every state.
What sets California apart is that its seniors are better positioned than most to have that $250,000 in the first place. The typical senior household in the state has a net worth of $492,840, nearly twice the benchmark and well above the national figure of $343,980\. The estimate, drawn from Census Bureau data and adjusted for age, counts financial assets, retirement accounts and home equity.
Long-term care affordability chart showing annual decline in coverage from 2020 through 2025
That combination, more wealth and higher prices, is a pattern the report found across the country's most expensive states. A high cost of living tends to inflate household net worth, largely through home equity, while also pushing up what care costs. In Hawaii, where typical senior net worth is about $1.25 million, $250,000 covers 1.9 years of care, tied with Alaska for the least in the nation.
Within the West, California sits in the lower half. Of 13 Western states, eight stretch $250,000 further, including Arizona at 2.9 years, Nevada at 2.7 and Colorado at 2.6\. Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii fare worse. The West as a whole averages 2.60 years of coverage.
The statewide numbers carry a caveat that matters in a place like Santa Monica. They are medians, and the report notes that actual costs depend on the local market and the provider a family chooses, so prices in any one city may run higher or lower.
Nationally, the trend is moving in the wrong direction. The same $250,000 covered 3.8 years of care in 2020\. It now covers 2.8 years, the lowest level this decade, and the figure has fallen every year in between. Arkansas stretches it furthest, at 3.9 years.
The findings arrive ahead of Medicare's open enrollment, which begins Oct. 15\. The report points to a common misunderstanding: many Americans expect Medicare to pay for long-term care and find out when they need it that it does not, leaving them to draw on savings.
For California families, the gap between care settings may be the most practical number in the study. At state prices, $250,000 lasts 3.0 years in assisted living and 1.7 years in a nursing home, a difference of more than a year. The report advises planning for a blend of settings rather than budgeting for the cheapest one, since many people move from home care to assisted living to a nursing home as their needs change.
For a state whose seniors are, on paper, among the better prepared, the analysis is a reminder that being prepared is measured against local prices. In California, those prices take a large bite out of even a well-funded plan.
### Hazardous Surf, Possible Flooding Loom Over Labor Day Weekend as SMPD Urges Caution
URL: https://www.smdp.com/hazardous-surf-possible-flooding-loom-over-labor-day-weekend-as-smpd-urges-caution/
Last updated: 2026-09-05T10:00:38.000Z
Beachgoers across Los Angeles County should brace for hazardous surf, strong rip currents and possible coastal flooding this Labor Day weekend as swells from a tropical system move through the region, forecasters said Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a High Surf Advisory and a Coastal Flood Advisory for the coast, both in effect from 6 a.m. Saturday to 11 p.m. Tuesday. A Beach Hazards Statement is also in effect from Saturday morning through Tuesday evening, and a Wind Advisory is in effect from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday for gusty Sundowner winds in southwestern Santa Barbara County.
South to southeast swells from Hurricane Marie are expected to bring larger surf and strong rip currents to the area, particularly for south-facing beaches, throughout the holiday weekend. Forecasters said guidance has increasingly aligned on Marie tracking northwest, well away from the Southern California coast, which has largely ruled out the potential for major impacts such as significant wind or widespread flooding. Still, a large southerly swell is expected to reach much of Southern California from Friday through Tuesday, with the peak timing still somewhat uncertain but Sunday through Monday appearing to be the window of highest swell. The Central Coast is expected to see some elevated surf and rip currents as well, though not to the degree forecast for areas farther south.
Evening high tides of about 7 feet are expected during portions of the event, raising the risk of moderate coastal flooding in low-lying areas and significant beach erosion, according to the weather service. Coastal flood advisories could be issued, with the highest probability in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Areas considered most susceptible to the combined effects of elevated surf and high tides include Avalon, the Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach, Malibu and Point Mugu.
The weather service is urging anyone visiting a beach this weekend to go where lifeguards are on duty, stay back from the water's edge, never turn their back to the ocean, stay off rocks and jetties, and always swim near a lifeguard.
Water quality is also a concern at some local beaches. Los Angeles County health officials are advising the public to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in the ocean within 100 yards of the Santa Monica Pier because of bacteria levels exceeding state health standards. Similar warnings are in effect at several other county beaches, including parts of Redondo Beach, Malibu's Paradise Cove and Dan Blocker County Beach, and Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. A warning previously in place at Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey has been lifted after recent samples showed the water meets state standards. Updated beach conditions are available around the clock on the county's beach hotline, 1-800-525-5662.
Ahead of the surf and rain, the region will see a quiet pattern through Friday, with below-normal temperatures, patchy marine layer clouds and breezy onshore winds continuing each afternoon and evening. Temperatures and humidity are expected to increase heading into the weekend, with a small chance of showers by Saturday night. There is a moderate to high chance of widespread rain, focused mainly south of Point Conception, beginning Sunday and continuing into Tuesday, along with a 5% to 10% chance of thunderstorms Sunday. Forecasters cautioned that periods of rain, combined with the surf and tides, could dampen outdoor holiday plans across the region.
The wet and stormy pattern arrives as Los Angeles County officials separately outlined preparations this week for the coming El Niño winter, which could bring heavier rain and a higher risk of flooding, landslides and debris flows countywide, including in burn-scar areas. County crews are inspecting and maintaining dams, debris basins, channels, storm drains and pump stations, and preparing evacuation and shelter resources, including for people experiencing homelessness and older adults. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts at alert.lacounty.gov, and county officials recommend residents learn their flood and mudflow risk, prepare an evacuation plan and keep at least 10 days of supplies on hand. Supervisor Horvath is scheduled to host a virtual town hall on El Niño preparations Sept. 28 at 6 p.m.
With crowds expected at the beach, Pier, Downtown, parks and neighborhoods throughout the holiday weekend, the Santa Monica Police Department is asking residents and visitors to make safety part of their plans. The department outlined several reminders:
- Plan for a safe ride. If celebrations include alcohol, designate a sober driver, use public transportation, or arrange a rideshare or taxi.
- Slow down, stay alert and share the road, given the expected increase in vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
- Secure vehicles by locking doors, closing windows and keeping valuables, bags and electronics out of sight.
- Keep personal belongings close and stay aware of surroundings in busy public areas.
- Follow beach and Pier safety rules, including posted signs, restricted areas and instructions from public safety personnel.
- Report suspicious or concerning activity.
SMPD said officers will be visible throughout Santa Monica over the holiday weekend to provide a public safety presence, assist with traffic control and help ensure residents and visitors can enjoy the holiday safely.
For emergencies or crimes in progress, call 911\. For non-emergency police assistance, call 310-458-8491.
### Ocean Way Festival coming to Santa Monica beach Sept. 26-27
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ocean-way-festival-coming-to-santa-monica-beach-sept-26-27/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T21:20:10.000Z
A two-day, all-ages music festival will take over the Santa Monica beach later this month, featuring live performances, local artists, food partners and community programming.
The ticketed Ocean Way Festival will run from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, in the beach area from the Santa Monica Pier to Bay Street. Children 5 and under enter free with an adult.
Setup crews will begin work Sept. 14, with minimal activity that should not affect beach access or parking. Work will occur from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and beginning at 6 a.m. on weekends. The main build-out begins Sept. 21 and includes temporary fencing to separate festival operations from beach activities.
Ocean Front Walk will remain open throughout setup, the festival and load-out. The beach bike path will have temporary detours from Sept. 21-30, with signage and staff to assist.
The Santa Monica Pier will stay open for dining, shopping and family activities, except for the Pier Event Deck, which will be closed for festival use. Visitors are encouraged to park in Lot 1 North, Lot 3 North or Downtown Santa Monica, or to arrive by transit.
All beach areas outside the event footprint will remain accessible. On Sept. 26 and 27, beach Lots 1-5 South will be closed to the public. Residents and employees with designated permit hangtags will keep access to authorized sections.
Lighting and audio testing will take place daily from Sept. 24-27, with adjustments made to minimize impacts on nearby homes and businesses. All festival sound checks and amplified audio will comply with the city's event-specific resolution, approved by the City Council on April 14, 2026.
For more information, visit: [www.santamonica.gov/programs/oceanwayfestival](http://www.santamonica.gov/programs/oceanwayfestival?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Labor Day: A day to honor workers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/labor-day-a-day-to-honor-workers/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T18:58:59.000Z
I'm hoping that this year we can make an extra effort to give thanks for those who work hard to help us with our needs!
Please give extra thanks (and generous tips) to the restaurant personnel, the coffee shop baristas, the Uber drivers, along with appreciation for the various store clerks, laundromat & dry cleaner employees, bus drivers, rescue & emergency workers, medical personnel and so many more!!
Don't you think it would be a good idea to appreciate them every day!
Bonnie Johnstone, Santa Monica
### Stop Case Delays: Your Complete Guide to the Publication of Family Court Notices in California
URL: https://www.smdp.com/publication-of-family-court-notices-guide/
Last updated: 2026-09-21T17:13:22.000Z
### **TL;DR**
When you cannot locate a spouse or co-parent, California law allows you to move your legal case forward through newspaper publication. This complete guide explains how to get court approval, run your notice in an adjudicated newspaper, and file proof with the clerk without costly mistakes.
Complete guide to publishing family court notices and meeting California legal requirements...
## **How Service by Publication Works**
When you file for divorce, child custody, or legal separation, California law requires you to notify the other party. But what happens when that person has disappeared, moved away, or cut off all communication? You cannot simply wait forever while your life stays on hold.
The legal solution is the **publication of family court notices**. This process, known as service by publication, allows a judge to declare that the other party has been legally notified after your notice runs in a local newspaper.
To use this method, you must prove to the court that you made every reasonable effort to find the missing person. Once approved, your court summons runs in an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation once a week for four straight weeks.
Working with experienced news outlets ensures your document meets every clerk requirement so your case keeps moving toward resolution.
## **Why Is the Publication of Family Court Notices Required?**
You might wonder why physical newspapers are still needed in today's digital world. The reason comes down to constitutional due process. Every person has a legal right to know when a court case is filed against them.
When personal service fails, courts require public notice to protect these rights. Print newspapers create permanent, verifiable public archives that judges trust.
When you need a **family law notice publication**, the court expects strict compliance. If a single word is misspelled or a run date is missed, the judge can reject your filing. That is why choosing the right paper matters.
You can explore our detailed guide on [Legal Ads Los Angeles County](https://www.smdp.com/legal-ads-los-angeles-county/) to learn more about how local adjudicated newspapers protect your legal rights.
## **Steps to Get Court Approval for Notice Publication**
You cannot simply call a newspaper and place an ad. You must follow a precise legal process before the paper can print your notice.
### **1\. Perform Due Diligence Search**
Before asking for publication, you must search diligently for the missing party. This involves checking last known addresses, contacting family members, searching phone registries, and checking voter records. Keep detailed records of every attempt, including dates and results.
### **2\. Complete Form FL-980**
Fill out the Application for Order for Publication or Posting (Form FL-980). On this form, you list every search step you completed. The judge will review these details to decide if you tried hard enough to locate the person. You can read official guidance on the [California Courts Self-Help Portal](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/service-publication-or-posting?ref=smdp.com).
### **3\. Submit Form FL-982**
Prepare the proposed Order for Publication or Posting (Form FL-982). On this form, you state the name of the approved newspaper where you plan to publish.
### **4\. Wait for the Judicial Order**
Submit your forms to the court clerk. Once the judge signs Form FL-982, you receive formal court authorization to move forward with newspaper placement.
For civil summons and dissolution cases, review our step-by-step breakdown on [Civil Summons Newspaper](https://www.smdp.com/civil-summons-newspaper/) rules.
## **The Publication Timeline and Court Requirements**
Understanding the timeline prevents unnecessary delays. **California family law publication** rules require four continuous weeks of publication.
Here is what the standard publication timeline looks like:
| Phase | Timeline | Action Required |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Search & Filing | Days 1 to 14 | Perform due diligence search and file Forms FL-980 and FL-982 with the clerk. |
| Newspaper Run | Days 15 to 43 (28 Days) | Publish notice once per week for four consecutive weeks in an approved paper. |
| Proof Filing | Day 44 | Newspaper sends signed Proof of Publication affidavit to submit to court. |
| Mandatory Waiting Period | Days 44 to 73 (30 Days) | Wait 30 calendar days after final publication for the missing party to respond. |
| Default Entry | Day 74 (59th Day Post-Start) | File for default judgment if no response is submitted by the other party. |
As shown in the table above, service is considered legally complete 28 days after the first print run. However, you must wait an additional 30 calendar days before requesting a default. That equals a total waiting period of 59 days from your first publication date. You can check the complete rules on the [California Courts Publication Guide](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/service-publication-or-posting/publication?ref=smdp.com).
If you want to avoid common pitfalls during court notice filings, read our complete guide on [California Legal Notice Publication](https://www.smdp.com/california-legal-notice-publication/) to keep all your court notices on schedule.
## **Handling Specific Family Law Cases**
Different family matters carry specific notice needs. Knowing these details keeps your case on track.
### **Divorce Actions**
In a **divorce notice publication**, the document published is the court Summons (Form FL-110). This document alerts your spouse that a dissolution petition has been filed and states their legal rights to respond within 30 days.
### **Custody and Parentage Actions**
In a **custody notice publication**, you must ensure that parental rights and child welfare announcements follow exact statutory language. Courts are protective of child custody actions, so accuracy in your **family court legal notices** is vital.
You can browse all our legal publishing options under our main [Legal Notices](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) section to find the exact service required for your filing. You can also learn about public bidding requirements in our article on [RFP Public Bid Legal Notice](https://www.smdp.com/rfp-public-bid-legal-notice/).
## **How SMDP Streamlines Your Notice Publication**
Placing court notices should not add stress to an already difficult time. The Santa Monica Daily Press provides a seamless, court-accepted service designed to prevent costly rejections.
Here is how we assist you:
- **Court Adjudication:** SMDP is an officially adjudicated newspaper of general circulation for Los Angeles County. Judges trust our publication records.
- **Accuracy Verification:** Our team checks every document line by line against your Form FL-982 order before printing.
- **Automated Schedule Tracking:** We run your notice for four full weeks without interruption or scheduling gaps.
- **Prompt Proof of Publication:** As soon as the four-week run ends, we issue a signed affidavit of Proof of Publication ready for court filing.
Whether you need to file a notice for family law, estate matters, or another court announcement, our publishing team guides you through every step.
## **Taking Control of Your Family Court Case**
Dealing with a missing spouse or co-parent can feel frustrating, but your legal rights remain protected. By following California due diligence requirements, obtaining a signed court order, and placing your announcement in a recognized newspaper, you can move your family law matter forward smoothly.
Working with a trusted newspaper partner ensures your notice meets all legal criteria on the first try. That means no wasted fees, no restarted timelines, and no unexpected court delays.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What is service by publication in California family court?**
Service by publication lets you notify a missing spouse through an approved newspaper announcement. You must prove to the judge that you searched everywhere before the court approves this legal notice step.
**How many weeks must a legal notice run in the paper?**
California law demands that your court notice run once every week for four consecutive weeks in an official newspaper. You cannot skip weeks or change papers midway through publication.
**What forms do I file to request publication?**
You must complete Application Form FL-980 to list your search efforts and Order Form FL-982 for the judge. The court reviews both documents before allowing public notice.
**How long does the entire publication process take?**
The process requires twenty-eight days of newspaper publication plus thirty additional calendar days for a response. The full legal timeline takes exactly fifty-nine days from the first print run.
**What happens if my missing ex responds to the notice?**
If the other party files a response during the timeline, your family case moves forward as a contested matter. The court schedules hearings so both parties present their arguments.
**What if my missing ex does not respond within fifty-nine days?**
You can file for a court default judgment on the fifty-ninth day. This step lets the judge rule on your family case without input from the missing party.
**What details must appear in the legal notice text?**
The notice lists court details, case numbers, involved parties, and legal actions requested. Mistakes in these key facts can cause court rejection and force complete re-publication.
**Why is newspaper publication required instead of online posting?**
California family law requires print newspaper publication because physical papers create permanent public records. Judges trust recognized local newspapers to provide verified public notice for legal cases.
**How do I get proof of publication for the judge?**
The newspaper issues a signed Proof of Publication affidavit after the four-week run completes. You file this official document with the court clerk to move forward.
## **Key Takeaways**
- **Court Approval First:** You must submit Form FL-980 and Form FL-982 to receive judicial authorization before printing any legal notice.
- **Four-Week Requirement:** Notices must run once a week for four consecutive weeks in an adjudicated newspaper.
- **59-Day Total Clock:** The entire waiting period takes 59 days before you can request a default judgment from the court.
- **Zero Error Tolerance:** Incorrect names, case numbers, or missing dates will cause the clerk to reject your filing.
- **Proof Affidavit:** The newspaper provides a signed affidavit after publication that you file with the court clerk.
## **Start Your Notice Publication with SMDP Today**
Do not let a missing party delay your court case any longer. SMDP simplifies the legal publishing process with fast, court-approved notice placements across Los Angeles County.
Submit your court order to our team today or visit our [Contact page](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) to speak with a legal advertising specialist who will guide you every step of the way.
### County outlines El Nino storm preparations as forecasters warn of historic season
URL: https://www.smdp.com/county-outlines-el-nino-storm-preparations-as-forecasters-warn-of-historic-season/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T15:59:59.000Z
Los Angeles County emergency officials on Tuesday detailed how the county is gearing up for the 2026-27 storm season and urged residents to prepare now, following an Aug. 11 motion by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath that called for a coordinated response to a forecast El Niño winter.
"After fires, floods, and landslides, we know exactly what is at stake when heavy rain hits Los Angeles," Horvath said. "LA County crews have been doing the work year-round; now we're making sure every part of County government is ready to move together when conditions change."
County crews are inspecting and maintaining dams, debris basins, channels, storm drains and pump stations, and monitoring burn areas and hillsides at risk of flooding and debris flows, officials said. The county is also preparing for evacuations and emergency shelter, and putting plans in place to assist people experiencing homelessness, older adults and others who may need extra help during severe weather.
Several county departments are involved. The Chief Executive Office's Office of Emergency Management is coordinating disaster planning and public communication with local, state and federal agencies. The Department of Public Works and the county's Flood Control District operate the dams, basins, storm drains and channels meant to protect communities from floodwater, and are also handling risk modeling, sandbag distribution and land-use reviews. The Department of Beaches and Harbors is working to protect coastal infrastructure through the county's Coastal Resilience Initiative. The Sheriff's Department is coordinating evacuations, while its Sheriff-HOST teams and the Department of Homeless Services and Housing are working with service providers to protect homeless residents during storms. The Fire Department will respond to life-safety operations, and the Internal Services Department is tasked with keeping county facilities running during disruptions.
Horvath's Aug. 11 motion also directed county agencies to conduct a tabletop emergency-coordination exercise with local, state and federal partners before the storm season begins, and to report back to the Board of Supervisors before Oct. 15 on the results. Departments must also report to the board in writing every 30 days through the end of the storm season on preparation efforts.
Officials outlined several steps residents can take now. They urged residents to sign up for emergency alerts at alert.lacounty.gov, learn their flood and mudflow risk if they live near a hillside, canyon or recent burn area, and make an evacuation plan. The county recommended keeping food, water, medication and other supplies on hand for up to 10 days, clearing gutters and storm drains, fixing roof leaks and obtaining sandbags before storms arrive. Officials also noted that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage and that flood insurance can take at least 30 days to take effect. Residents with concerns about mud or debris flow risk can call LA County Public Works at 1-800-933-0930, and people seeking help for someone experiencing homelessness can visit homeless.lacounty.gov/get-help/.
During storms, officials said residents should never drive or walk through flooded roads, stay away from downed power lines, watch for rising water, mud and debris, move to higher ground if they see signs of a debris flow, follow evacuation orders and check on neighbors, older adults and others who may need assistance.
Horvath will host a virtual town hall for county residents at 6 p.m. Sept. 28, where residents can ask county experts about El Niño risks and preparations. More information is available at lindseyhorvath.lacounty.gov, and general preparedness resources are posted at ready.lacounty.gov.
The preparations come as federal forecasters project one of the strongest El Niño events on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said in its Aug. 13 diagnostic discussion that there is a greater than 90% chance of a "very strong" El Niño this fall and winter, and a 69% chance the October-December season will exceed every El Niño on record dating to 1950\. The center's Aug. 20 winter outlook favors above-normal precipitation for coastal California from December through April, with the wettest conditions expected January through March.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and The Nature Conservancy, said at an Aug. 27 briefing that a wetter-than-average winter is the clearest signal, with peak impacts likely from December through March. He said coastal flooding tied to elevated sea levels coinciding with king tides and storm waves is "almost guaranteed," and noted that erosion has already forced closures along Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu and the Amtrak line between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Forecasters are especially concerned about burn scars left by the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires and the December 2024 Franklin fire, which left behind hydrophobic soils prone to shedding rainfall rather than absorbing it. U.S. Geological Survey modeling found a 60% to 80% chance of debris flows in Palisades-area canyons, including Temescal and Tuna canyons, under a design storm scenario. California State Geologist Jeremy Lancaster has said as little as a fifth of an inch of rain in 15 minutes could trigger a debris flow in the Eaton burn scar. The National Weather Service says burn areas remain at heightened risk of flash flooding and debris flows for at least two years after a fire, putting the 2025 burn scars squarely within their highest-risk window this winter.
The outlook follows a rapid swing in ocean conditions: a weak La Niña early this year gave way to a strengthening El Niño by summer, with July sea-surface temperatures well above average in the equatorial Pacific. NOAA's next ENSO update is scheduled for Sept. 10.
Separately, NOAA's final 2026 Atlantic hurricane outlook calls for a below-normal season, as El Niño increases disruptive wind shear, while its Eastern Pacific outlook calls for an above-average season that could raise storm and moisture risks for Mexico, Hawaii and far Southern California.
### LA County moves to shield fire survivors from contractor scams
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-moves-to-shield-fire-survivors-from-contractor-scams/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T15:59:59.000Z
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to crack down on contractor fraud and rebuilding scams targeting survivors of the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, ordering a coordinated county response and a new public awareness campaign as construction across the burn zones accelerates.
The motion, authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath, directs the county's Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to develop a plan within 30 days to curb fraud and to launch an expanded consumer education effort within 45 days. It comes 18 months after the fires destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades area, and as more residents begin the long process of rebuilding.
"As more Eaton Fire survivors move forward with rebuilding, my office is hearing increasing concerns about contractor fraud and bad actors targeting homeowners in Altadena," Barger said. "My constituents have already lost far too much — they shouldn't have to worry about being victimized again by an unscrupulous contractor or scammer."
Barger, whose 5th District includes Altadena, said the county needs "our consumer protection and enforcement partners working together, while making sure survivors have clear, trusted information before they sign a contract or spend their recovery dollars."
The Eaton Fire tore through Altadena in January 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures in what became the second-most destructive wildfire in California history. The Palisades Fire, burning at the same time, killed 12 people and destroyed nearly 6,900 structures across Pacific Palisades, Malibu and surrounding areas. Together the fires displaced tens of thousands of residents.
The concern driving Tuesday's action is not hypothetical. The California Contractors State License Board's investigative fraud team conducted 52 sweeps in the Palisades and Eaton fire areas in 2025 to deter unlicensed work, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has charged 11 unlicensed contractors — five in the Eaton zone in December and six in the Palisades zone this year, tied to bids totaling as much as $1.27 million. Some survivors have reported losing tens of thousands of dollars to builders who left work unfinished.
In their motion, the supervisors wrote that while survivors "have shown extraordinary resilience, the complexity of recovery has also created opportunities for bad actors to exploit vulnerable homeowners through contractor fraud, home repair scams, deceptive business practices, and other predatory conduct."
Officials also warned that not all harm comes from criminals. Some contractors, they said, take on more work than they can finish, leaving homeowners with stalled projects and additional financial and emotional strain.
Horvath, whose 3rd District includes Calabasas and the Palisades area, said the county's response must combine enforcement with support for those already harmed.
"Los Angeles County is standing with wildfire survivors and holding accountable those who seek to exploit them," Horvath said. "Survivors deserve our full support as they rebuild — not scams, fraud, or predatory contractors looking to take advantage of vulnerable residents who have already endured too much. If you believe you've been victimized, our Department of Consumer and Business Affairs is here to help."
The motion directs consumer affairs officials to work with the District Attorney's Office, County Counsel, the Department of Public Works and the state licensing board to align enforcement tools so emerging complaints can be identified and addressed more quickly.
A central goal is preventing fraud before it happens. The planned awareness campaign will teach survivors how to verify a contractor's license, understand the terms of a home improvement contract, recognize warning signs and report suspected scams. Information will be centralized on the county's Recovery LA website, recovery.lacounty.gov, and built into the Altadena and Calabasas One-Stop Permitting Centers, where homeowners obtain rebuilding permits.
The measure also calls for targeted outreach to residents considered especially vulnerable or hard to reach, including older adults, people with limited English proficiency and displaced households. Those efforts will rely on partnerships with community and legal service organizations.
The board granted the consumer affairs director authority to enter agreements with consultants, nonprofits and community groups to carry out the work. The motion does not attach a specific dollar figure, instead directing existing county resources toward the effort.
### Malibu loses bid to claim ownership of public trails; city weighs appeal
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-loses-bid-to-claim-ownership-of-public-trails-city-weighs-appeal/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T15:59:59.000Z
A judge has rejected the city of Malibu's attempt to take ownership of public trails within its borders, ruling this week that the state law the city relied on does not support its claim and that the claim was filed too late.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court decision is a setback for the city's effort to wrest control of trails and easements — including along Murphy Way and Winding Way — from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, the agencies that manage them.
In a statement Thursday, the city said it was "disappointed with the ruling" and was weighing its options, including an appeal, though no decision will come until the City Council has time to review the matter in the coming weeks.
"No decision will be made until the City Council has an opportunity to consider the question and provide direction to the City's counsel," the city said.
[Malibu](https://www.smdp.com/malibu-announces-2026-2027-general-fund-grant-recipients-for-local-nonprofits/) filed the lawsuit April 14, seeking quiet title and declaratory relief. Its case hinged on Section 989 of the California Streets and Highways Code, which the city argued had automatically transferred all county-held trail rights within Malibu's limits to the city when it incorporated in 1991\. Under that theory, a 1998 quitclaim deed transferring the same interests to the conservancy was legally without effect. The court disagreed, finding the statute did not support the city's claim and that the claim was untimely.
The 257-page complaint described what the city called a long-documented pattern of unsafe and inadequate trail management. Chief among its concerns was a chronic lack of parking that the city said forces hikers onto Pacific Coast Highway, which it described as one of the most dangerous roadways in California. The complaint also faulted the recreation authority for failing to consistently enforce required sunset trail closures, at times leaving visitors in the dark and prompting calls for emergency assistance.
The city said it had warned the authority in writing as early as July 2024 that directing visitors to park along the highway and cross on foot was extremely dangerous, citing heavy traffic and a documented pattern of illegal parking and U-turns. On Feb. 8, 2026, Joshua Farmer was struck and killed on Pacific Coast Highway near Winding Way, in the vicinity of the trails at the center of the lawsuit.
"The City can no longer accept the status quo," the city said when it filed the suit.
The suit also tied the trails' management to wildfire risk. It pointed to two fires in 2024 that residents blamed on overgrown vegetation on land managed by the authority. The Broad Fire began in November 2024 on the authority-managed Malibu Bluffs Open Space, burning about 50 acres and damaging homes and other structures during Santa Ana winds. Weeks later, the Franklin Fire erupted north of [Pepperdine University](https://www.pepperdine.edu/?ref=smdp.com) along Malibu Canyon Road, burning more than 4,000 acres, destroying 20 homes and forcing evacuations for tens of thousands of residents.
State records showed fewer than 200 acres of fuel reduction had been performed in the year before the fires across the authority's roughly 75,000 acres of holdings.
Mayor Bruce Silverstein said the city had not sued lightly. "For more than a year, we worked collaboratively with MRCA to try to resolve our concerns," he said when the suit was filed. "When those efforts proved unsuccessful, the City Council concluded that legal action was the only option to effect change."
In its statement this week, the city stressed that the ruling does not resolve the underlying problems. Trail users are still parking along the highway for lack of adequate parking, closures still go unenforced, trash still accumulates along environmentally sensitive coastal areas, and vegetation that residents believe has contributed to recent wildfires still goes unmanaged, the city said.
"Those are the conditions that led the City Council to act, and the Court's ruling does not change them," the statement said.
The city said it remained willing to work with the authority on trail safety, parking, closure enforcement and vegetation management, noting it had spent more than a year trying to resolve the issues collaboratively before turning to the courts.
The lawsuit was one of two Malibu has pressed against the conservancy agencies. In a separate February lawsuit seeking damages from the Palisades Fire, the city alleged the authority failed to perform adequate brush clearance on its parkland, including vacant lots along Pacific Coast Highway and Big Rock Drive. The city acknowledged the authority had begun new brush and vegetation management contracts for 2026 but called the steps "too little, too late."
"The City thanks the Malibu community for its continued engagement on these issues," the statement said, adding that it would provide updates as the matter develops.
### Separate and unequal
URL: https://www.smdp.com/separate-and-unequal/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T06:58:59.000Z
Distraught residents lined up to speak at City Hall last Tuesday about a threat to their homes, not from a natural disaster but from California Senate Bill 79 (SB 79). However, the Council meeting had been canceled. Instead, it was members of the city’s community development team listening to anguished pleas and offering the kind of thorough explanations and gracious empathy frequently missing from the Council chambers.
The city staff on the dais had distinct advantages over council members. If the Council let everyone speak without time limits and responded to each comment, it could double the 9-hour endurance tests that meetings already often become.
Yet it was still heartwarming to see the unflappable professionalism exhibited by Ross Fehrman, Jing Yeo, and Rachel Kwok. There was no speechifying or pandering, because they’re not elected leaders seeking votes or contributions. They just offered clarity, and the compassion was an extra bonus.
Clarity is in short supply when it comes to SB 79, which is intended to increase housing development by upzoning all properties within a half mile of major transit stops, but just what constitutes a “major” stop was still being deliberated practically until the law took effect on July 1.
The LA Metro stations were always included, and erecting eight-story buildings (the maximum height allowed) along Colorado Avenue could be an effective way to increase housing in Santa Monica without negatively impacting the community. But SB 79 casts a far wider net, encompassing most of the Mid-City, Pico and Downtown neighborhoods without providing any infrastructure to facilitate the transit use it purports to encourage, such as streetlights and level sidewalks.
Instead, it doles out density bonuses like bonbons, allowing as many as developers can gobble up, resulting already in a proposed tower on 15th Street that’s not eight stories but 12\. On a block of mostly one- and two-story buildings, is that densifying a neighborhood or destroying it?
This is where the politics of housing development get complicated, because affordable housing is a major concern for many residents, and an obvious way to increase it is by replacing smaller residences with larger ones containing more units. However, it’s also convenient for elected leaders to support such upzoning when it earns them abundant financial rewards from real estate developers.
The first Santa Monica project announced under SB 79 is coincidentally owned by a donor of one of the legislation’s most vocal supporters on the Council and at a location that the Council more or less chose, which brings us back to the meeting at City Hall. Pico residents wanted to know why the Council chose to target their single-family homes for upzoning, against the advice of city staff and the Planning Commission.
Of course, it’s not quite that simple. There’s a complex mathematical formula embedded in SB 79 that allows cities to suspend the law’s impact from eligible areas until 2030, but that math left part of Pico unprotected, with the Council having the undesirable task of choosing which part. Councilmember Ellis Raskin expressed apprehension about the potential for “unprecedented displacement and gentrification.”
The Planning Commission recommended upzoning an area with multi-family housing to minimize that displacement, since developers are less likely to risk the higher costs of evicting and relocating numerous tenants and the lower profit margins, compared to redeveloping a lot with a single home.
It’s unclear if the Council didn’t accept this or if they just have a kneejerk bias against neighborhoods of single family homes, which some of them have stated are a vestige of 20th century racism. There’s some historic basis for that progressive perspective. The conundrum is that the people expressing it are often white, and many of the people living in single-family homes in Pico are not.
One of them is Christine Parra, a former council member, who criticized the Council majority for not doing a racial equity analysis prior to their decision. “They’re going to allow the displacement of a neighborhood, when they had a better option,” she said, bemoaning their decision to override the Planning Commission’s advice and pointing out that roughly 20% of her neighbors are renters.
“It's a really, really hard policy choice,” said Yeo, the director of community development, at last Tuesday's meeting, defending the Council’s action despite the staff report’s contrary recommendation. “The city has been forced into this.”
But that’s not entirely accurate. While it’s true that in July the Council voiced unanimous opposition to the risks SB 79 posed to Santa Monica, that was a year after the Council voted (6-1) to endorse the bill and send the legislature a letter documenting their enthusiastic support.
SB 79 isn’t something that was forced on the city so much as something the city eagerly pursued. Now that we’re facing the unintended consequences, the Council is vowing to safeguard working class residents from displacement. But what about the rest of the residents? Why is it okay for their neighborhoods to be displaced?
The Council should be commended for protecting those with the least resources. But why should middle-class residents or any others feel like second-class citizens? We have a President who believes in rewarding people who voted for him and punishing those who didn’t. Fortunately, our council members don’t espouse that approach, but there seems to be an element of it present.
For all the lip service to diversity, equity and inclusion, some people in Santa Monica are treated as less equal than others. Too often, council members stratify citizens according to a progressive pecking order to determine who is worthy of empathy and who isn’t. To the credit of the development team last week, they offered it equally to all.
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### Nüart Gallery opens William T. Carson's 'Time Out of Time' on Sept. 12
URL: https://www.smdp.com/nuart-gallery-opens-william-t-carsons-time-out-of-time-on-sept-12/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:58:59.000Z
Nüart Gallery will present "Time Out of Time," a solo exhibition by artist William T. Carson, opening Saturday, Sept. 12, with an artist reception and talk from 3 to 5 p.m. The show runs through Oct. 3 at the gallery's Bergamot Station location.
The work grew out of Carson's fascination with time — the collision of human time and deep time, measured and immeasurable, abstract and felt. Coal has been his primary medium for more than a decade. He is drawn to the material for the way it sets a single life against geologic timescales. To hold a piece of coal, he says, is to hold ancient sunlight: plants that absorbed light in Montana 60 million years ago before being buried, compressed and transformed.
In the series "Second Nature" and "O'Clock," compositions inspired by clock faces emerge from fragments of mica catching light against deep shadows of coal. The pairing highlights a paradox: an hour set against 60 million years feels like a grain of sand, yet those millions of years accumulate only one moment at a time.
The exhibition's centerpiece is a clepsydra, an ancient water-clock form whose name comes from the Greek for "water thief." In Carson's installation, water drips onto boulders of coal, marking passing time while producing a faint crackling sound.
Carson traces his interest to his years as program manager at the Holt/Smithson Foundation from 2019 to 2025, where he worked with the legacies of Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson. He also credits growing up on a cattle ranch in rural Montana, surrounded by coal mines.
Carson studied architecture at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen and graduated with distinction in art studio from Colorado College in 2015\. He was an artist in residence at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in 2025 and is represented by Nüart Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The exhibition is on view Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Nüart Gallery, Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave., Suite B4.
For more info, visit: nuartgallery.com
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Malibu announces 2026/2027 General Fund grant recipients for local nonprofits
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-announces-2026-2027-general-fund-grant-recipients-for-local-nonprofits/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:58:59.000Z
The city of Malibu has released the list of recipients for its Fiscal Year 2026/2027 General Fund Grant Program, which awards grants each year to local nonprofits whose work benefits the community.
Mayor Bruce Silverstein said the program and its long list of worthy causes reflect the community's charitable, compassionate character — something all of Malibu can be proud of.
As part of the annual budget process, the City Council regularly sets aside funds for grants. The Administration & Finance Subcommittee, which includes Silverstein and Councilmember Doug Stewart, prioritized Malibu-based causes that directly benefit the local community. The subcommittee reviewed all applications and presented them to the council for approval during the annual budget in June. The city designated a total of $150,000 for the program.
The 2026/2027 recipients are AYSO Region 759 — Malibu, Big Heart Ranch, Boomer's Buddies Rescue, California Wildlife Center, Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance, Esperance Center, Hand in Hand, Malibu Adamson House Foundation, Malibu Coast Surf Lifesaving Association, Malibu Community Labor Exchange, Malibu Connective, Malibu Elementary School PTA, Malibu Friends of Music, Malibu Little League, Malibu Marlins Swim Club, Malibu Monarch Project, Malibu Search and Rescue, Not One More Time Inc., Point Dume Community Services District, Poison Free Malibu, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, Sea Save Foundation, Shalom Institute, The Aurelia Foundation dba Creative Steps, The Children's Lifesaving Foundation, The Emily Shane Foundation, Western Los Angeles County Council/Scouting America and Wishtoyo Foundation.
For more information, including last year's recipients, visit[ ](https://www.malibucity.org/Grant?ref=smdp.com)[www.MalibuCity.org/Grant](https://www.malibucity.org/Grant?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Former Santa Monica tech CEO added to FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list
URL: https://www.smdp.com/former-santa-monica-tech-ceo-added-to-fbis-most-wanted-fraudsters-list/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:31:17.000Z
A former Santa Monica tech executive convicted of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars has been added to the FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list after fleeing the country ahead of his sentencing, federal officials announced.
Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, 65, founder and CEO of Santa Monica-based StarClub Inc., is one of three fugitives added to the newly formed list, according to Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. The other two fugitives are wanted by FBI field offices in Seattle and Tampa.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Fritsch's arrest and conviction.
"Southern California is a target-rich environment for fraudsters — among them Bernhard Fritsch — who was convicted of ripping off investors of millions and fleeing the United States prior to his sentencing," Grandy said in a statement. "Regardless of how long it takes for Mr. Fritsch to serve his sentence, the FBI will unrelentingly seek his whereabouts and is offering a significant reward of up to $150,000 in exchange for information leading to his apprehension and conviction."
Fritsch was charged federally in Los Angeles in August 2017, accused of defrauding investors out of more than $20 million between 2014 and 2017 by lying about his company's financial performance. He pitched StarClub's app, StarSite, as technology that could help celebrities and social media influencers monetize their brand endorsements by delivering advertising content and sharing ad revenue with the celebrity who posted it.
Prosecutors said Fritsch made a series of false claims to investors, including that StarClub was close to striking commercial deals with, or landing investments and buyout offers from, major media companies such as Disney. He also falsely claimed the company earned $15 million in revenue in 2015 and that its investors included major media companies and a global investment banking firm.
Rather than developing StarClub's technology, Fritsch used much of the investment money to fund a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said, including the purchase of a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, upgrades to his yacht, and renovations to his Malibu mansion near Carbon Beach. The FBI has since seized the yacht and both vehicles.
One victim invested more than $20 million in StarClub over two years based on Fritsch's false statements and introduced him to other victims who invested millions more, according to the FBI. Prosecutors estimate Fritsch caused approximately $26.8 million in victim losses.
A federal jury in Los Angeles found Fritsch guilty in April 2025\. While awaiting sentencing, he fled to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, in June 2025, ahead of a bond revocation hearing, prompting a federal arrest warrant after he failed to appear in court.
In September 2025, Mexican law enforcement detained Fritsch after he was found with false identification, in violation of the country's immigration laws. He was released from immigration custody and ordered to check in with Mexican immigration court every two weeks but instead fled to Munich, Germany, on Oct. 6, 2025.
On Oct. 20, 2025, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison, fined $35,000 and later ordered to pay $26,806,901 in restitution.
"Placing Fritsch on the Most Wanted Fraudsters list reflects our commitment to pursue those who attempt to outrun the law. Fleeing the United States will not shield him from justice," said Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. "We will find him and he will answer for his conduct in a court of law."
The Most Wanted Fraudsters list was created in June 2026 to draw public attention to fraud fugitives. Fifteen fugitives have been added to the list since its creation, four of whom have since been captured, leaving 12 currently on the list. It is separate from the FBI's traditional Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and focuses exclusively on major fraud cases.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI's toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.
Fritsch's girlfriend, Lucinda Jane Weist Manera, 63, of Malibu, pleaded guilty in June 2026 to a felony count of being an accessory after the fact for helping Fritsch evade authorities.
According to her plea agreement, Manera was in the courtroom when the guilty verdict against Fritsch was read in April 2025\. Fritsch was free on bond at the time, with a hearing on his potential remand into federal custody scheduled for June 2, 2025, ahead of a later sentencing date.
On June 2, 2025, Fritsch fled the United States by car, crossing into Mexico to avoid being taken into custody at that hearing and to avoid serving a prison sentence.
From June to September 2025, prosecutors said Manera assisted Fritsch with the purpose of hindering his apprehension and punishment, including lying to FBI agents about having spoken to him within a day of his scheduled June 2 hearing. She also made at least 10 payments totaling roughly $7,475 to a third party while knowing Fritsch was hiding at that person's home, and she authorized a $534 charge to her bank account to cover a hotel stay for Fritsch in Mexico.
In September 2025, Manera searched the internet on Fritsch's behalf for information on how he could leave Mexico and travel to Germany, his native country, which generally does not extradite its citizens.
In April 2026, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Fritsch's appeal of his conviction because of his fugitive status; a fugitive defendant is generally not entitled to a ruling on the merits of his claims. If Fritsch surrenders to authorities by Aug. 21, 2026, he may seek to reinstate the appeal.
U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer has scheduled an Oct. 5 sentencing hearing for Manera, who faces a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison.
The case against Manera is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section.
### Around Town: Fall Arrives with Yacht Rock, Greek Tragedy & New Eats
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-fall-arrives-with-yacht-rock-greek-tragedy-new-eats/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T00:02:10.000Z
**SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes Palisades nightlife, free outdoor movies and music, a new nonprofit bakery, award-winning Indian cuisine, and much more!**
**Palisades Night at The Bungalow:** What started as a one-night gathering for the Palisades community is now a monthly event. The September edition features Palisades native DJ Graham Funke, drink specials inspired by local Palisades favorites and merchandise benefiting LA Strong Sports and the rebuilding of the Pacific Palisades Park and Recreation Center. The first event raised more than $20,000 for the cause. **Thursday, Sept. 3, Doors open at 5 p.m., The Bungalow Santa Monica, 101 Wilshire Blvd.** [thebungalow.com/santa-monica/palisades-night](http://thebungalow.com/santa-monica/palisades-night?ref=smdp.com)
**Pride Night at Circle Bar:** Kick off the weekend early as Circle Bar hosts its local Pride Night on Main Street. Head to Ocean Park's iconic watering hole for drinks, music, and community vibes. **Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 - 10 p.m., 2926 Main St.** [circlebar-sm.com](http://circlebar-sm.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**The Getty Villa and Latino Theater Company partner for Aztec-inspired ‘Antigone’ adaptation:** Sophocles' ancient Greek tragedy gets a radical makeover this fall as “Antigone: In the Language of Kings” moves the story to pre-conquest Tenochtitlan. The production incorporates pre-Hispanic music and poetry and is performed in English, Spanish and Nahuatl. The Getty Villa and Latino Theater Company are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Villa's Outdoor Classical Theater series with the production. **Previews Sept. 3–5; regular performances Thursdays–Saturdays, Sept. 10–Oct. 3, 8 p.m., Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy.** [getty.edu/calendar/oct-antigone](http://getty.edu/calendar/oct-antigone?ref=smdp.com)
**Marina Movie Nights:** Grab your family, a picnic dinner, and a blanket or low-profile beach chairs and make your way to Burton Chace Park for the free Summer Concerts on select Saturdays through Sept. 26\. Movies start at 8 p.m. but arrive by 7 to pick out your spot on the lawn. Free admission! [visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights](http://visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights?ref=smdp.com)
**Yacht Rock Takes Over Tongva Park:** Break out the boat shoes for a Concert AND Film: The Windbreakers Yacht Rock band will be performing smooth '70s sing-along classics and there will be a screening of the HBO Original Documentary Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary introduced by the film’s Director Garret Price. Pack a picnic and enjoy live music, movies and complimentary popcorn under the stars. **Saturdays, through Sept. 12, 7 - 10 p.m., 1615 Ocean Ave**. [santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series](http://santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series?ref=smdp.com)
**Wednesday Morning Bloom Bar on the Promenade:** Pair your Wednesday fresh produce runs with a creative workshop on the Promenade where you can learn the art of floral design using peak seasonal blooms. Tickets include all flowers, materials, and expert guidance to build a custom hand-tied arrangement for your home. **Wednesdays throughout September, 9:30 a.m., 1300 Block of 3rd St.** [violafloral.com/products/santa-monica-farmers-market-flower-arranging-workshop](http://violafloral.com/products/santa-monica-farmers-market-flower-arranging-workshop?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves](https://www.santamonicapier.org/wellness-and-waves?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17); [Locals' Night Third Thursdays](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com); [Perrys Beach House DJ Event](https://www.perrysbeach.com/events?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays and Sundays in Sept.)
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Tony Bennett of The Alchemists’ Garden in Paso Robles is coming to The Lobster for a special Nikka Whisky & Spirits bar takeover:** Bennett, a molecular mixologist and co-founder of The Alchemists’ Garden, will be serving a special menu of cocktails featuring Nikka Whisky, Gin and Vodka, while Chef Govind Armstrong prepares small bites to pair with the drinks. **Friday, September 4, 5–8 p.m., 1602 Ocean Ave.** [thelobster.com](https://thelobster.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Ina Bakes Labor Day Pop‑Up:** Celebrating the holiday weekend with fresh, seasonal pastries on Venice’s Rose Ave. Their last two pop-ups sold out early, so pre-orders and early arrival are recommended. **Saturday, Sept. 5, 9 a.m. – 1p.m., 535 Rose Ave, Venice** [Inabakes.com/popup](http://inabakes.com/popup?ref=smdp.com)
**Louma Bakery Soft-Open:** The non-profit bakery’s ethos is in European baking principles mixed with a “Levantine twist.” Expect classic Viennoiserie, fresh-baked sourdough, seasonal fruit tarts, and at least six varieties of croissants. The Louma Initiative is a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on providing career opportunities for individuals with developmental and intellectual differences. **3223 Wilshire Blvd.** [instagram.com/loumabakery](http://instagram.com/loumabakery?ref=smdp.com)
**Fitoor Named OpenTable 2026 Diners' Choice Winner:** The modern coastal Indian restaurant Fitoor has been named an OpenTable 2026 Diners' Choice restaurant. Based directly on verified diner reviews and reservations, the award spotlights the hotspot's bold regional Indian flavors, creative cocktail menu, and vibrant atmosphere. It is one of my favorite SaMo spots and I am excited for it to get the accolades it deserves. **1755 Ocean Ave**. [instagram.com/eatdrinkatfitoor](http://instagram.com/eatdrinkatfitoor?ref=smdp.com)
**Eater Gives West Side Oyster Club a Shucking Good Review:** Eater has named West Side Oyster Club one of the best places for oysters in Santa Monica right now, praising its high-quality shellfish, lobster rolls, clam chowder and fish and chips. The review calls it a more affordable alternative to some of Santa Monica's pricier seafood destinations. [la.eater.com/dining-report/306278/west-side-oyster-club-review](http://la.eater.com/dining-report/306278/west-side-oyster-club-review?ref=smdp.com)
**Zaca Mesa Winemaker Dinner at Chelsea:** Guests can enjoy a chef-curated five-course tasting dinner paired alongside vineyard selections, featuring guided commentary from the Zaca Mesa winemaker breaking down each vintage. **Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., 2460 Wilshire Blvd.** [resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/zaca-mesa-winemaker-dinner-2026-09-10](http://resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/zaca-mesa-winemaker-dinner-2026-09-10?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield:** **Del Mar Wine + Food Festival:** If you're looking for a quick culinary road trip down the coast later this month, San Diego’s premier food and wine gathering offers five days of chef collaborations, spirit tastings, and beachside events. Capped off by a massive two-day Grand Tasting at the Del Mar polo fields (Surf Sports Park), the festival gathers top regional talent, Michelin-starred guest chefs, and international wineries. **Sept. 30 – Oct. 4** [https://delmar.wine/](https://delmar.wine/?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [The Other Art Fair](https://www.theotherartfair.com/la/?ref=smdp.com) (9/24-27); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Montana Avenue Art Walk](https://www.montanaave.com/events/art-walk?ref=smdp.com) (10/3); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Fall Arrives with Yacht Rock, Greek Tragedy & New Eats**
### Wildfire liability bill dies without a vote on final day of session
URL: https://www.smdp.com/wildfire-liability-bill-dies-without-a-vote-on-final-day-of-session/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T15:59:59.000Z
After nearly a month of intense closed-door negotiations, California lawmakers on the last day of session killed a compromise bill that failed to insulate investor-owned utilities when they cause catastrophic wildfires.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and the utilities had fought to significantly reduce utility companies’ liability. Last week Newsom [struck a compromise](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/final-legislature-wildfire-deal-newsom/?ref=smdp.com) with Senate and Assembly leaders that would have imposed no limits on fire survivors’ compensation or lawyers’ contingency fees for individuals’ lawsuits. It also would have retained insurance companies’ ability to sue utilities to recoup their costs for claims, and would have barred private equity firms from investing in insurance claims. The utilities’ stocks plunged after the deal was reached. But the Assembly did not take up the bill on Tuesday, effectively killing it.
“The proposal before us does not yet deliver the relief, accountability or meaningful reform that Californians deserve,” Assembly Speaker [Robert Rivas](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041?ref=smdp.com) said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to “hundreds of hours” spent on the effort in the past few weeks.
Newsom had hoped the bill would address his concerns over rising electricity rates and the potential for another utility bankruptcy in California in the event of more catastrophic wildfires. He hinted to reporters Monday night at the Capitol that he’s “here until January” and wasn’t done with his effort.
“I know we all hate utilities, so no one wants to defend a utility, but you’ve got to deal with reality,” Newsom said. “This thing’s not going to get better on its own.”
In a statement Tuesday, the governor said: “The reforms in this bill, while important, did not address the underlying structural problems driving this crisis, as the initial market reaction this week demonstrates. The only solution is to return to fix the entire problem, not part of it.”
## **Utility stocks drubbed**
The high-profile campaigning in the past few weeks cost the state’s investor-owned utilities dearly. Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison stock plummeted and San Diego Gas & Electric shares fell as well in the past few days as Wall Street investors digested what some analysts called a “Sacramento strikeout” for utilities.
The chief executives of PG&E and Edison wrote to Senate President Pro Tem [Monique Limón](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069?ref=smdp.com) and Rivas on Monday, telling them that the utilities had collectively lost $20 billion in market value since Thursday. They warned of possible waning investments and financial risks that “will have cascading impacts” on the state’s economy and climate ambitions. They mentioned the possibility of higher electricity rates.
One senator, [Sasha Renée Pérez](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/sasha-renee-perez-187431?ref=smdp.com), the Democrat who represents Eaton Fire survivors, on Tuesday said she was concerned the deal fell apart because lawmakers were reacting to utilities’ concerns about their stock prices.
“We as a legislature do not write legislation in response to how the stock market is performing,” she said. “Our focus and our priority needs to be on the safety of Californians, on protecting fire survivors when they’re impacted by these devastating events.”
## **Hundreds of hours invested**
The compromise legislation, [Senate Bill 492](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb492?ref=smdp.com), was seen as a victory for some Los Angeles County fire survivors, consumer advocacy groups and insurance companies, all of whom urged the governor and lawmakers [not to “bail out” utilities and shift costs to them](https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/wildfire-liability-battle/?ref=smdp.com).
“It’s tragic the way this all played out,” said Jamie Court, president of advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. “They negotiated a deal, and renege when the utilities didn’t like it.”
“We have invested hundreds of hours to fight back the utility bailout and the attacks on victims’ rights,” said Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivors Network. “If the speaker says his focus is on survivors, then we would expect that those attacks don’t come back in any legislation that comes out of any special session.”
Other senators were caught off-guard by the bill’s abrupt death.
“I think for our house, the votes and the members were there,” said Limón, a Democrat representing Santa Barbara. “So there certainly is a sense of disappointment.”
Sen. [Ben Allen](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/benjamin-allen-70?ref=smdp.com), a Democrat who represents Palisades Fire survivors, said he was surprised that the Assembly failed to take up the deal.
“I think everyone agrees the package could have been more comprehensive,” Allen said, adding that there isn’t a “magic bullet” for balancing the concerns of special interests and survivors.
“This negotiation forced the Legislature to balance competing forces, like the long-term success of our electricity grid, how it impacts the insurance market, fire survivors (and) communities,” he said.
## **Hearings in the fall**
Assembly leaders pledged to hold hearings in the fall to continue developing the wildfire policies. Assemblymember [Cottie Petrie-Norris](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/cottie-petrie-norris-165040?ref=smdp.com), an Irvine Democrat, said while SB 492 included provisions to expedite victim compensation payout and mitigate wildfire risks, “we don’t want to get this rushed.”
“We don’t want to get it wrong and have unintended consequences that are going to hurt the people that we are here to represent,” she said. “I don’t know why (the governor’s office) came to us in August with the proposal. You’ll have to ask them.”
PG&E and SDG&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday after the bill died.
“Californians need a durable, comprehensive policy that puts wildfire survivors first, protects communities and strengthens the safety, resilience and reliability of the energy system,” said David Eisenhauer, a spokesperson for Edison.
## **‘A big disaster’**
There were hints Monday night that the deal was in trouble. Lobbyists and some lawmakers lamented that decreased investor confidence in the utilities could lead to higher borrowing costs, which could mean utility job cuts and less investment in critical energy infrastructure.
“Workers got screwed, ratepayers got screwed, lawyers and insurance companies win,” said Scott Wetch, a lobbyist for the California Coalition of Utility Employees and the State Association of Electrical Workers, at an Assembly Utilities and Energy committee hearing before the bill was killed.
“It is a big disaster that we were not able to come up with that structural reform,” said Assemblymember [Jacqui Irwin](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jacqui-irwin-16?ref=smdp.com), a Democrat representing Thousand Oaks.
Assemblymember [John Harabedian](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/john-harabedian-187422?ref=smdp.com), a Pasadena Democrat, on Monday called the Wall Street reaction “hysteria.”
“The market had false expectations,” he said at the hearing. “Folks miscalculated exactly what could get done” in the last few weeks of the legislative session, he added.
On Tuesday, Harabedian said he realized during the Monday hearing that “no one seemed to be happy” with the bill. “So why are we doing this?”
\_\_\_\_\_
By [Levi Sumagaysay](https://calmatters.org/author/levi-sumagaysay/?ref=smdp.com). Yue Stella Yu, Maya C. Miller, Nadia Lathan and Kate Wolffe contributed to this report.
### Santa Monica seeks cafe operator for Camera Obscura, Switzerland's 2028 Olympic house
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-seeks-cafe-operator-for-camera-obscura-switzerlands-2028-olympic-house/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:16:08.000Z
The city of Santa Monica is searching for a cafe operator to run the historic Camera Obscura Building on Ocean Avenue, opening a competition that will help shape the future of a coastal landmark set to double as Switzerland's official hospitality house during the 2028 Olympics.
The city released a request for proposals Aug. 20 seeking qualified cafe operators, hospitality professionals and food-and-beverage concessionaires to program and operate up to 2,000 square feet of cafe and warming-kitchen space inside the building at 1450 Ocean Ave. Proposals are due Oct. 1.
The cafe is one piece of a broader renovation that will add about 2,000 square feet of exhibition space, programmed by the city's Cultural Affairs Division, along with a new outdoor deck and wraparound patio overlooking Palisades Park and Santa Monica [Beach](https://www.smdp.com/zuma-beach-triathlon-returns-in-september-with-racing-and-charity-push/).
"This Request for Proposals (RFP) is intended to identify and select an experienced operator, obtain market feedback, and inform the City's final operating model and interior design," the document states.
City officials are keeping the terms flexible. The RFP says the lease term and financial structure are negotiable, inviting bids from short-term operators for a year or less, long-term operators for three to five years with possible extensions, or a hybrid arrangement that would run through the Olympics before transitioning into a longer partnership. Operators are asked to propose base rent, percentage rent tied to gross receipts, capital investments and equipment contributions.
The search is part of the Parks and Recreation Department's 2025 Vision Plan, which calls for activating parks and public spaces with high-quality concessions and programming. Once renovated, the facility is expected to include a cafe with indoor seating, the outdoor deck and patio, a warming kitchen, flexible event and gathering areas, and community meeting and cultural programming space.
Renovations are expected to be finished, with the building ready for operations, in summer 2027\. The city says it intends to run the site year-round after the Games as an active community destination with cultural programming, community events and private rentals.
For roughly three months, though, the building will belong to Switzerland. From about June through September 2028, the Camera Obscura will serve as the country's official hospitality, cultural, media and event venue during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which Los Angeles will host.
The arrangement stems from a license agreement the Santa Monica City Council approved in May with [Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs](https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa.html?ref=smdp.com). Under the deal, Switzerland is paying a base license fee of $300,000, with an option to pay an additional $200,000 to expand into adjacent areas of Palisades Park. The Swiss government, which decided in October 2025 to mount a presence at the Los Angeles Games, has budgeted roughly 5.5 million Swiss francs — about $6.9 million — for its overall Olympic showing.
Switzerland has staged a public "House of Switzerland" at every Olympics since the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, using the venues to showcase Swiss food, culture, business and innovation and to celebrate its medalists. Unlike many national hospitality houses, it is typically open to the general public.
City leaders have cast the Swiss partnership as a way to finally reopen a building that has largely sat idle. "We're using the partnership with the Swiss Federation to build out an actual park concession so that hopefully maybe even next year we could open it as a park concession so people can get a drink or a quick bite to eat," Assistant City Manager Susan Cline told the council, describing a goal of providing "moments of respite in our parks."
The Camera Obscura has been a Santa Monica curiosity for more than a century. The optical device — a darkened room that projects a live image of the surrounding park and shoreline through a lens — dates to the late 1890s, when it operated as a beachfront novelty. It has been housed since 1955 in the current mid-century modern building, which later served as a senior recreation center and, more recently, the Camera Obscura Art Lab. The device has been closed to the public since 2020.
The city held an optional open house at the site Tuesday. Questions about the RFP are due Thursday and must be emailed to econdev@santamonica.gov, with answers to be posted Monday. Proposals are due Oct. 1, and an initial review of applications is tentatively set for Oct. 5, after which the city may conduct interviews before selecting an operator and negotiating a final lease.
The RFP and application can be obtained online at: [www.santamonica.gov/leasing-opportunities](https://www.santamonica.gov/leasing-opportunities?ref=smdp.com)
### Things To Do This September in Santa Monica / The Westside
URL: https://www.smdp.com/things-to-do-this-september-in-santa-monica-the-westside/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T18:59:02.000Z
The Malibu Chili Cook-Off is back. The Palisades Village is open. And the highly anticipated “Ocean Way Festival”, a major music festival, arrives on Santa Monica beach.
**Here is what is happening, when, and how to get in.**
## FEATURED: **Farmers Market at Palisades Village**
Return to the newly opened Palisades Village for fresh produce and faire.
**When:** Every Wednesday, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., through Dec. 30
**Where:** Palisades Village, Pacific Palisades
**Cost:** Free
The Pacific Palisades Farmers Market comes home following the re-opening of the Palisades Village. Run by Raw Inspiration, it now operates Wednesday afternoons so vendors can keep the Sunday morning markets they moved to during the closure; a Sunday return is the long-term goal.
**More info:** [https://rawinspiration.org/locations/pacific-palisades-farmers-market/](https://rawinspiration.org/locations/pacific-palisades-farmers-market/?ref=smdp.com)
## **Malibu Chili Cook-Off**
**When:** Sept. 4 to 7\. Friday 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 1 to 10 p.m.; Monday 1 to 8 p.m.
**Where:** 23575 Civic Center Way, Malibu
**Cost:** $34.96 Single Day, $110.79 Four-Day Pass. Online tickets only, parking not included
The 43rd annual Cook-Off returns after a year off for fire recovery, with a judged chili competition, carnival rides, a skate contest, vendors and live music on a new stage curated by presenting sponsor Aviator Nation. Organizers expect 20,000-plus over four days, and 100% of net proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu. Kids 5 and under are free.
**More info:** [malibuchilicookoff.org](http://malibuchilicookoff.org/?ref=smdp.com)
## **Abbot Kinney First Fridays**
**When:** Friday, Sept. 4, 5 to 9:30 p.m.
**Where:** Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice
**Cost:** Free
The monthly street party lands on Labor Day weekend. Dozens of food trucks line the mile between Venice Boulevard and Main Street, boutiques stay open late and the boulevard takes on a block-party feel. The Abbot Kinney Boulevard Association posts the truck lineup ahead of time.
**More info:** [abbotkinneyblvd.com](http://abbotkinneyblvd.com/?ref=smdp.com)
## **"Antigone: In the Language of Kings" at the Getty Villa**
**When:** Sept. 10 to Oct. 3\. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; previews Sept. 3 to 5.
**Where:** Getty Villa Outdoor Theater
**Cost:** $45 Thursdays ($40 students and seniors), $50 Fridays, $60 Saturdays; previews $30
The Getty Villa marks 20 years of outdoor classical theater with Latino Theater Company's reimagining of Sophocles, set in pre-conquest Tenochtitlan and performed in English, Spanish and Nahuatl with supertitles. Evelina Fernández adapts, Jose Luis Valenzuela directs. About 90 minutes, no intermission. Not recommended for under 13.
**More info:** [getty.edu](http://getty.edu/?ref=smdp.com)
## **Locals' Night at the Santa Monica Pier**
**When:** Thursday, Sept. 17, afternoon into evening
**Where:** Santa Monica Pier
**Cost:** Free, all ages
The Pier's free community series opens its 2026-27 season on the third Thursday of September, as it does every year. Presented by Pacific Park, the night brings a classic car show, local DJs and bands, kids' activities and art to the Pier deck, and it is built for residents rather than tourists.
**More info:** [santamonicapier.org/localsnight](http://santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com)
## **Coastal Cleanup Day at Santa Monica Beach**
**When:** Saturday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m. to noon
**Where:** Santa Monica Beach and 60-plus sites countywide; site assigned at registration
**Cost:** Free
Heal the Bay runs L.A. County's share of the world's largest volunteer environmental event, now in its 37th year, with 60-plus sites across beaches, rivers, parks and dive spots. Last year more than 6,700 volunteers pulled roughly 19,000 pounds of trash in a single morning.
**More info:** [healthebay.org/coastalcleanupday](http://healthebay.org/coastalcleanupday?ref=smdp.com)
## **Mexican Ballet Folklórico at the Santa Monica Library**
**When:** Saturday, Sept. 19, noon to 2 p.m.
**Where:** Santa Monica Public Library, Main Branch
**Cost:** Free
The library kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with a live Mexican ballet folklórico performance, the traditional regional dances of Mexico in full color and full skirts. Last year's edition featured the Santa Monica Ballet Folklórico, the city's only folklórico dance company, founded by Gina de Baca more than 20 years ago in response to the loss of local cultural programs. All ages welcome.
**More info:** [https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4j6frm206rv37yq7fmeq2bcvmy/202609191200](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4j6frm206rv37yq7fmeq2bcvmy/202609191200?ref=smdp.com)
## **Thai Fest by the Beach at the Santa Monica Pier**
**When:** Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
**Where:** Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier
**Cost:** Free admission; food and goods for purchase
The Pier becomes a two-day Thai street market, produced by Buddy Production with the Royal Thai Consulate-General and supported by the City of Santa Monica. Expect a curated roster of Thai food vendors, Muay Thai demonstrations, traditional dance, live music and shopping from Thai makers, plus a performance troupe flying in from Bangkok.
**More info:** [thaifestbythebeach.com](http://thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com)
## **Ocean Way Festival at Santa Monica Beach**
**When:** Saturday, Sept. 26, noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 27, noon to 10 p.m.
**Where:** Santa Monica State Beach, on the sand between the Pier and Bay Street
**Cost:** $229 for single-day general admission and $399 for two-day passes.
Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, stages the first major ticketed music festival ever on Santa Monica's sand. The Killers headline Saturday and Olivia Dean Sunday, with Jack White, Khruangbin, Sublime, Alvvays and DJ Harvey among the acts on two stages. There is no on-site parking and beach lots south of the Pier will be closed.
**More info:** [oceanwayfestival.com](http://oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com); city logistics at [santamonica.gov/programs/oceanwayfestival](http://santamonica.gov/programs/oceanwayfestival?ref=smdp.com)
## **"Into the Woods" at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre**
**When:** Sept. 26 to Oct. 18\. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
**Where:** Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica
**Cost:** $29.00 - $39.00 including fees
The Morgan-Wixson closes its 80th anniversary season with Sondheim and Lapine's Tony-winning musical, which sends Cinderella, Little Red, Jack and a Baker and his Wife into the woods after their wishes and then makes them live with the results. Elijah Green directs in his full-length debut at the theater, with choreography by Danielle Jensen and music direction by Will Nazareno.
**More info:** [morgan-wixson.org](http://morgan-wixson.org/?ref=smdp.com)
## **Abbot Kinney Festival**
**When:** Sunday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
**Where:** Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice
**Cost:** Free
Venice's biggest Sunday returns after being canceled in 2024 and 2025\. The 40-plus-year tradition brings three stages of DJs and live music, more than 300 vendors, food trucks, beer gardens and a kids' area to the full length of the boulevard. It is run by the nonprofit Abbot Kinney Festival Association, with proceeds supporting Venice youth programs, arts and beautification.
**More info:** [abbotkinneyfest.com](http://abbotkinneyfest.com/?ref=smdp.com)
### MovieMaker magazine names Santa Monica College among 30 best film schools
URL: https://www.smdp.com/moviemaker-magazine-names-santa-monica-college-among-30-best-film-schools/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica College has again been named one of the best film schools in North America, appearing on MovieMaker magazine's list of the 30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. & Canada.
It is the college's fourth time on the list, which this year includes 32 institutions because of ties. SMC appears alongside AFI Conservatory, Columbia University, NYU and UCLA, among others.
MovieMaker's annual list recognizes schools that prepare students for every aspect of filmmaking. The magazine cited SMC for providing access to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, charging just $46 per unit for California residents, and for a campus located near the heart of the industry with a strong record of transfers to nearby UCLA.
The college offers two-year film studies and film production programs, allowing students to focus on scholarly theory or filmmaking. Instruction covers preproduction, production and postproduction, taught by faculty who work in the industry.
"This distinction validates the unique approach of our program: our faculty is composed of professional filmmakers who are actively teaching, challenging, and helping our students achieve what they set out to do with rigorous on-set guidance and mentorship," said Salvador Carrasco, SMC film production faculty lead. He said the approach gives graduates role models to emulate in working methods, safety procedures and high-standard results.
Since launching in fall 2010, the award-winning program has produced more than 30 short films tied to its capstone class, Film 33\. Eight SMC student films have been selected for or won accolades at the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the American Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival, including 2021 Best Student Film winner "Broken Layers."
The program's first short, "Solidarity," is now a feature film directed by SMC alum Dustin Brown and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky and Carrasco, among others. It premiered at Dances With Films: Los Angeles on June 19, 2026, at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood.
SMC student films have also won awards at the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum, the Panavision Limelight Award at the Ojai Film Festival, Best Short at the Vienna Independent Film Festival, the Palm Award at the Mexico International Film Festival, several Gold Remi Awards at WorldFest-Houston, Best Short Drama at the San Diego International Film Festival, Best Short at the Prague Independent Film Festival, the Prix Interculturel at the International Festival of Film Schools in Munich, and the Women's Independent Film Festival.
The program has received grants from The Golden Globe Foundation and co-production sponsorships from Keslow Camera, Roundabout Entertainment and the Next Generation Indie Film Awards Foundation.
SMC offers an Associate of Science degree and Certificate of Achievement in Film Production. To learn more, visit smc.edu/film or email Carrasco\_Salvador@smc.edu. The program is on YouTube as the "Santa Monica College Film Program" channel. The list appears in MovieMaker's latest issue and online at moviemaker.com.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica taps ChargePoint, Eaton to electrify Big Blue Bus fleet by 2032
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-taps-chargepoint-eaton-to-electrify-big-blue-bus-fleet-by-2032/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T18:58:59.000Z
ChargePoint and Eaton have partnered with the Santa Monica Department of Transportation to move the city's Big Blue Bus fleet to zero emissions by 2032, the companies announced Aug. 27.
The effort is part of Santa Monica's $56 million investment in electric transit infrastructure and ranks among the nation's most ambitious public transit electrification programs. It pairs ChargePoint's DC fast charging equipment and fleet software with Eaton's electrical infrastructure and energy management systems.
Big Blue Bus plans to install 130 DC fast charging ports using ChargePoint's Express Plus line, powered by Eaton. Eaton is supplying the electrical backbone for large-scale operations, including medium-voltage switchgear, switchboards, panelboards and engineering support. ChargePoint's fleet software will let the agency monitor buses on route and at the depot, adjust operations in real time and track sustainability results.
Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint, called it one of the company's largest transit deployments to date. He said its high-power charging can meet the needs of large bus fleets while lowering total cost of ownership.
Anuj Gupta, director of transportation for the city of Santa Monica, said electric transit will mean cleaner air, quieter rides and a safer workplace. He said the collaboration supports reliable, affordable service across more than 10 million Big Blue Bus rides each year.
Paul Ryan, vice president and general manager of energy transition at Eaton, said the project shows how the companies are turning electrification goals into reality by helping customers maximize infrastructure investments and draw more value from the grid.
The companies said their combined approach is designed to help agencies manage the technical, operational and energy challenges of transportation electrification.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California's $5.5 Million COMPASS Program Faces Elimination, Putting Student Research Access at Risk
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-5-5-million-compass-program-faces-elimination-putting-student-research-access-at-risk/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T18:58:59.000Z
California educators, public librarians and advocates are calling on state legislators to restore ongoing funding for the California Online Media Program for Access and Student Success, or COMPASS, a statewide program that provides K-12 students and teachers free access to vetted online research resources.
The recently enacted fiscal year 2026-27 state budget eliminates COMPASS funding after July 1, 2027, ending the state's $5.5 million investment. Through Proposition 98, COMPASS provides digital resources at no cost to schools and public libraries, including those in rural or small districts. At least 94% of California's K-12 students can access COMPASS through their schools, and 100% of public libraries provide access.
COMPASS databases include Encyclopedia Britannica, PebbleGo, Gale, National Geographic for Kids, ProQuest and TeachingBooks. Resources can be filtered by age, grade and Lexile level, helping teachers integrate them into lessons and support students with varying learning needs.
Since 2018, COMPASS has provided free research and curriculum resources to California's public schools, with materials vetted by teachers and credentialed school librarians. The program has received more than 700 million searches.
According to the California State Library, individual schools subscribing to comparable materials independently would spend more than $216 million annually — nearly 40 times the state's current $5.5 million investment. Without statewide funding, access could increasingly depend on a district's ability to pay.
Amy Linden, teacher-librarian at El Dorado High School, said that before COMPASS her school could afford only one database. "It was so hard for students to find recent, timely, reliable, credible, accurate information when doing research or completing class assignments," she said.
Through Assembly Bills 873 (2023) and 2876 (2024), California has emphasized media and artificial intelligence literacy and students' ability to identify misinformation. COMPASS provides a safe alternative to open web searching.
Nadine Loza, a Riverside County school district librarian and educator for 22 years, said students face a complicated information landscape. "Now more than ever, they need access to high-quality, vetted, academic sources," she said.
According to resource provider Nick Glass, if COMPASS resources are lost, California would be the only state without educational databases for school-aged children.
Advocates are asking the state Senate to restore COMPASS to ongoing funding.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### As Gavin Newsom’s reign nears end, his ability to sway legislators has also waned
URL: https://www.smdp.com/as-gavin-newsoms-reign-nears-end-his-ability-to-sway-legislators-has-also-waned/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T15:59:59.000Z
During his nearly eight years as California governor, Gavin Newsom has had a somewhat unusual approach to dealing with a Legislature dominated by his fellow Democrats.
Rather than coax them into enacting his agenda, he has often kept them in the dark about that agenda, sprung it on them as deadlines approached and then strong-armed them into acting with minimal input from the public.
The June 15 constitutional deadline for passing a budget has been one pivotal point for Newsom’s tactic. He would demand that the Legislature include his agenda measures in the budget package as “trailer bills,” even though they had little or nothing to do with the budget’s financial plans.
Misusing trailer bills has become one of the Capitol’s more unseemly practices. In 2010, voters passed [Proposition 25](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F25,%5FSimple%5FMajority%5FVote%5Fto%5FEnact%5FState%5FBudget%5FAmendment%5F%282010%29?ref=smdp.com), a measure sponsored by Democratic politicians and their labor union allies that reduced the legislative vote requirement for the state budget from two-thirds to a simple majority.
Voters were told that it would end lengthy stalemates on the budget, but its true purpose was to eliminate the ability of Republicans to demand changes in the budget or other legislation in return for their budget votes.
Prop. 25 also applied to budget trailer bills, which supposedly implement the budget’s provisions. They, like the budget, could be passed with simple majority votes, take effect immediately upon being signed and therefore were immune to being challenged via referendum.
That made trailer bills ripe for enacting sweeping changes in state policy with minimal public exposure simply by declaring them to be connected to the budget, often with token appropriations.
The practice became so onerous that a [subsequent ballot measure](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F54,%5FPublic%5FDisplay%5Fof%5FLegislative%5FBills%5FPrior%5Fto%5FVote%5F%282016%29?ref=smdp.com), passed over the objection of Democrats in 2016, requires bills to be in print for 72 hours before enactment.
Democratic legislators have occasionally complained, mostly in private but sometimes in public, about Newsom’s practice of dropping major policy changes on them and demanding immediate action. But they had to tolerate it because governors have many tools to get their way, such as signatures on their pet bills.
No more.
Newsom has just four months remaining in his governorship and has been slowly losing his ability to push legislators in directions they might not want to go. Two setbacks in the closing hours of the biennial session make the point.
The first and most important was the refusal of legislators to [reconfigure financial liability for wildfires](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/final-legislature-wildfire-deal-newsom?ref=smdp.com), making it more difficult to victims to get compensation from electric utilities when their power lines cause fires.
Newsom apparently was seeking to shore up the utilities’ financial health, but the proposal was never aired for the public to see. It existed behind closed doors, as a topic for negotiations, but drew heated opposition from wildfire victims, their attorneys and insurers, the latter because it would have limited their ability to offset payments to victims with reimbursement from utilities.
Legislators balked and Newsom had to back down, agreeing to a much milder measure, [Senate Bill 492](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb492?ref=smdp.com). It contains some sanctions on utilities and a “fast pay” program to speed up payments to wildfire victims while preserving their right to sue utilities.
Newsom was also attempting to help one of his major campaign contributors bypass California Coastal Commission review of a real estate project in Santa Monica. The behind-the-scenes effort was [revealed last week by CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/santa-monica-construction-legislative-carveout/?ref=smdp.com). It identified the developer as Jeff Worthe who, along with his wife, has donated more than $274,000 to Newsom’s campaigns and inaugural fund.
The CalMatters revelation generated a wave of opposition in the Legislature and Newsom backed off. As a semi-lameduck governor, he just doesn’t have the clout he once wielded so aggressively.
\_\_\_\_\_
**By** [**Dan Walters**](https://calmatters.org/author/dan-walters/?ref=smdp.com)
### SMMUSD board reviews sweeping update to district policies
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-board-reviews-sweeping-update-to-district-policies/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T15:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's Board of Education reviewed dozens of policy and regulation updates at its Aug. 27 meeting, revising local rules to match new state laws on school meals, construction bidding, nondiscrimination and charter schools.
The updates were presented across three areas: food and nutrition services, facilities and construction, and district vision, goals and charter schools. District staff said the revisions bring local policies into alignment with new state laws and model language from the [California School Boards Association](https://www.csba.org/?ref=smdp.com), and that many already reflect current district practice.
Richard Marchini, director of food and nutrition services, told board members that policy governing the district's meal program is being updated to reflect SB 348, a 2023 state law requiring districts to provide one "nutritionally adequate" breakfast and one such lunch, free of charge, to any student who requests it, and to give students adequate time to eat. Related updates encourage freshly prepared meals made with locally grown, minimally processed food.
Marchini said other changes to the cafeteria fund policy raise the limit on excess cash reserves the food service fund may hold, from three months to six months of operating costs. "It allows us to sustain ourselves during the summer without needing cash inclusion from the district," he said.
He also emphasized the district's approach to surplus food. "We want to take care of our kids first," Marchini said, explaining that leftover meals are typically routed to after-school programs before being donated to local shelters or soup kitchens.
Gerardo Cruz, assistant superintendent of business and fiscal services, noted the district already participates in some of the practices reflected in the new language, including transferring funds to food services in years when meal reimbursements fall short. He said the higher reserve cap should help, adding that because the previous threshold was so low, "lots of districts were put on ... spending plans."
Cruz also encouraged board members to see the operation firsthand. "We often go to the Samohi cafeteria for lunch, and if you haven't been ... please do visit," he said.
The nutrition updates also permit food services to share students' free and reduced-price meal eligibility data with other district departments to help target educational services under the Local Control and Accountability Plan.
On facilities, a staff member filling in for Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton presented updates consolidating the district's construction bidding rules. Two administrative regulations — governing lease-leaseback contracts and design-build contracts — would be deleted, with their requirements folded into the district's main bids policy. The revised policy clarifies that the definition of "maintenance" includes landscape maintenance and minor repainting, and specifies that projects using state general funds must be prequalified.
The board also reviewed a new Facilities Master Plan policy reflecting SB 848, a 2025 law requiring the board to adopt written standards for the design and construction of [school](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-pauses-search-for-next-superintendent-amid-ongoing-fiscal-crisis/) facilities that promote safe environments for learning. The policy excludes district residential housing from the definition of a "school building."
Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton reviewed updates to policies on vision, goals, comprehensive plans and charter schools. Among them, a nondiscrimination policy would be revised under AB 3074, a 2024 law prohibiting public schools from using "Redskins" or any derogatory Native American term as a school or athletic team name, mascot or nickname. The same policy expands protected characteristics to include combinations of two or more bases and requires district websites and mobile apps to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Other updates would add students experiencing homelessness to the district's list of numerically significant subgroups and adopt a new equity policy addressing barriers facing historically underserved students.
Shelton noted that although the district operates no charter schools, state law requires charter policies to remain current. The revisions tie charter accountability to the LCAP, prohibit charter schools from operating for profit, and replace a 29-item list of charter requirements with 114 items covering areas such as student health and safety, hiring practices and emergency protocols.
District staff said the board policies will return for action, and the administrative regulations as information items, at the board's next meeting on Sept. 3\. Once approved, the changes will be posted to the district's online policy manual, and the management team will be notified.
### California may restrict undercover police operations targeting youth
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-may-restrict-undercover-police-operations-targeting-youth/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T16:00:00.000Z
California may protect young people facing criminal allegations from deceptive law enforcement techniques by limiting how police use undercover agents in custody.
The Legislature last week passed a bill that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from targeting certain people under age 26 in so-called Perkins operations, which involve undercover agents posing as incarcerated people to elicit incriminating information from suspects.
District attorneys say the practice is a powerful investigative tool to solve crimes, but it has come under increasing scrutiny from judges, lawmakers, and criminal defense attorneys who say the operations are coercive, risk false confessions and disproportionately target Black and Latino people. Ten cases are lined up at the California Supreme Court in which people targeted in Perkins operations are challenging their convictions.
[Assembly Bill 1905](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1905?ref=smdp.com), authored by Democratic Assemblymember Nick Schultz of Burbank, would ban law enforcement from using Perkins operations on people under age 26 who allegedly committed a crime when they were 17 years or younger, except in certain circumstances when authorities believe someone’s life could be in danger.
[A CalMatters investigation](https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/07/perkins-investigation-california-jails/?ref=smdp.com) in July revealed Perkins operations are widespread in California. An analysis of cases in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Santa Clara counties showed that the operations include false evidence ploys, jail cells outfitted with recording devices, and cash payments of up to $3,000 per day to undercover operatives, also known as Perkins agents.
The agents, often described in court filings as older and physically larger than their targets, frequently presented themselves as experienced gang members with histories of violence. In some cases, as many as five were placed in a cell with one person.
“I believe that Perkins agents are proven to be problematic,” said Schultz, a former prosecutor, in an interview with CalMatters. “At the end of the day, we’re not trying to impede the ability of law enforcement to do their job. But nonetheless, we have to ensure that we are not having coerced statements admitted as evidence and securing convictions that may not be supported by the evidence.”
## **New protections for minors in custody**
Democratic lawmakers who voted for the bill stress that children in custody are particularly vulnerable to falsely confessing or making unreliable statements during a custodial interrogation. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown signed several laws that attempted to protect minors from law enforcement tactics involving trickery or deceit.
In 2017, California required kids under age 16 to consult with an attorney before waiving their Miranda rights while in custody. Three years later, lawmakers raised the age to 17 years or younger. Further protections were passed in 2022, when California banned law enforcement from employing deceptive tactics on kids under age 18 during a custodial interrogation.
But the state left the door open for Perkins operations because the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990 held they technically are not custodial interrogations. More recent cases allege law enforcement agencies are taking them too far.
“The Perkins agents are much more than passive listeners. In many cases, at least to me, they cross a constitutional line,” said public defender Jessica Melikian.
She said Perkins agents have encouraged her clients to waive their Miranda rights, told them it would be detrimental to ask for an attorney, and said they would be beaten or killed in prison if they did not confess to the alleged crime.
“These Perkins agents are doing things that law enforcement would never be allowed to do in a custodial interrogation,” she said.
According to Melikian, the bill on Newsom’s desk intends to close a loophole by clarifying that Perkins operations qualify as deception under the law.
Groups including the California State Sheriffs’ Association and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office formally opposed the legislation, arguing that it limits their investigative tools. The bill passed mostly on party lines with most Democrats voting yes; Republicans and two Democratic state senators opposed it.
“The first concern is the limitation,” said Cory Salzillo, legislative director for the California State Sheriffs’ Association. “The second concern is this notion that it’s for ‘young people’ as the bill’s materials address, when — in fact — it is not limited to minors or persons under the age of 18.”
Salzillo said it is “exceedingly rare” for law enforcement to target youth under age 18 in a Perkins operation and maintained that California law already protects minors from deception and psychological manipulation.
Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
## **Perkins cases at California Supreme Court**
The cases expected before the California Supreme Court this year include defendants who have explicitly maintained their innocence from the beginning.
Four defendants are Hispanic, four are Black and two are white. The youngest was 18 at the time of the Perkins operation. In some cases, defendants allege Perkins agents coaxed them to waive their Miranda rights to remain silent or consult an attorney before a formal police interrogation. In others, defendants argue agents coerced them into making incriminating statements after the suspects repeatedly invoked those rights.
“These cases are going to the Supreme Court because it’s an issue that is paramount to understanding how far law enforcement can go in these operations,” said Scott Sanders, a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles. “These are the lines that you would think are too far.”
A significant ruling in the 4th District Court of Appeal in February [reversed the conviction](https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/D084024.PDF?ref=smdp.com) of a Riverside County man who has maintained his innocence after finding that law enforcement violated his rights during a Perkins operation.
“If law enforcement does not put appropriate limits and guardrails on this type of a powerful tool, then the Legislature and the courts will do it for us,” said El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson, who views Perkins operations as valuable for his department. “And their restrictions will probably be far more than what we think is reasonable.”
This project was completed with the support of a grant from Columbia University’s Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights in conjunction with Arnold Ventures.
\_\_\_\_\_
**By** [**Cayla Mihalovich**](https://calmatters.org/author/cayla-mihalovich/?ref=smdp.com)
### Man accused of killing Jameson's manager is now suing Santa Monica and the police department
URL: https://www.smdp.com/man-accused-of-killing-jamesons-manager-is-now-suing-santa-monica-and-the-police-department/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T09:59:59.000Z
A Venice man who was once charged in the death of a Santa Monica bar manager has moved his fight from criminal to civil court, filing a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, the city of Santa Monica and the state of California that alleges malicious prosecution, civil rights violations and defamation.
Leonard Korpie filed the complaint in August, seeking economic and non-economic damages, along with punitive damages, according to court records. The case is separate from a wrongful death lawsuit still pending against Korpie in Santa Monica.
The dispute stems from a June 11, 2024, altercation outside Jameson's Irish Pub at 2702 Main St. Korpie claims he was a patron at the bar when he was asked to leave and complied with the request. After he exited the premises, he said he was physically assaulted on the sidewalk by Jaysent Clark, the pub's manager. In his complaint, Korpie has maintained he used only reasonable force to defend himself.
Santa Monica police have offered a different account. In the days after the assault, SMPD said a fight broke out when Clark asked Korpie and others to leave. Once on the street, SMPD’s report said Korpie punched Clark, knocking him unconscious. Clark later died at the hospital. All three patrons were initially arrested but only Korpie was charged with murder.
A judge later reduced the charge, ordering him to stand trial on voluntary manslaughter. Prosecutors, acting on behalf of the county, announced last year that they could not proceed with the case.
Court records show the case was formally dismissed Sept. 8, 2025, under California Penal Code Section 1385\. As of May 2026, the case had been sealed and Korpie's arrest expunged from his record, according to his complaint.
In his new complaint, Korpie alleges the county, city and state pursued the prosecution despite having no probable cause and continued the case even after they knew or should have known it would end in his favor. He claims the agencies failed to conduct an independent investigation and that evidence — including video footage and multiple witnesses — supported his claim of self-defense from the outset. Korpie is seeking damages for what he describes as lost wages, damage to his reputation, and emotional distress stemming from the yearlong prosecution.
The lawsuit also targets Santa Monica separately over public statements made after Korpie's arrest. It alleges that a police lieutenant defamed Korpie in comments to the media when describing the incident as a single punch that likely caused Clark to hit his head on the way down and that the incident showed how alcohol can turn a minor infraction into something life changing.
Korpie's complaint alleges those statements were false and that city representatives failed to use reasonable care to verify them before speaking publicly. Santa Monica has yet to file answers to the initial complaint.
Meanwhile, a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Korpie by Clark's siblings, Jesse Clark and Trina Clark, continues to move through Santa Monica Superior Court. That case, filed Jan. 16, 2026, also names RMG Sunset Inc. and Jamesons SM LLC, the companies the Clarks allege own and operate the pub, as defendants. The complaint accuses Korpie of battery and accuses the corporate defendants of negligent hiring and supervision, alleging they failed to protect patrons and staff and were negligent in staffing security personnel capable of de-escalating volatile situations.
Korpie has since filed his own cross-complaint against RMG Sunset and Jamesons SM, alleging the companies negligently hired and supervised Clark and other staff and seeking apportionment of any fault found against him. RMG Sunset has denied liability in both the original suit and Korpie's cross-complaint, raising dozens of affirmative defenses, including arguments that it exercised reasonable care and had no duty to provide heightened security absent evidence of prior similar incidents at the pub.
According to an Aug. 14 joint status report filed with the court, the parties have exchanged several rounds of written discovery, though no depositions have yet been taken. The Clarks have subpoenaed records from the Santa Monica Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, according to the filing.
Hearings in the wrongful death suit are currently set for November.
### McCourt Foundation's Santa Monica Classic sells out in record time
URL: https://www.smdp.com/mccourt-foundations-santa-monica-classic-sells-out-in-record-time/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T18:58:59.000Z
The[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/2/9d8fe91066e7f632faf766a8af9bb9d13afa380f71d95223d9171f80d4cdebd9?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[2026 Santa Monica Classic](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/2/9d8fe91066e7f632faf766a8af9bb9d13afa380f71d95223d9171f80d4cdebd9?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com), produced by[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/3/b80d0a9195276b54d1bf31fa92aba05c854e3b921f5e652144a5b3e5e2fb2f5f?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[The McCourt Foundation](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/3/b80d0a9195276b54d1bf31fa92aba05c854e3b921f5e652144a5b3e5e2fb2f5f?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com), has sold out all general and charity entries for its 10K and 5K races more than a month before the Sept. 13 event.
Demand for general entries rose 20% over the previous year, pushing traditional registration to capacity faster than ever. Entries through Team TMF, the foundation's official charity team, sold out shortly afterward for both distances.
"As running's popularity soars, we're proud to see our races reaching capacity sooner than ever," said Andy Reilly, director of marketing for the McCourt Foundation. "It's a signal to us that participants trust us to give them an incredible experience on race day and that they are eager to secure their spot."
Reilly said the record sell-outs have brought record fundraising numbers that support the foundation's mission to find cures for neurological diseases and build healthier communities.
The Santa Monica Classic is one of four annual running events produced by The McCourt Foundation, a nonprofit based in Los Angeles and Boston. The organization funds research and programs to advance neurological health and foster community wellness. Since its inception, the foundation has donated more than $7.2 million to neurology research and generated more than $81 million for other nonprofits through its charity partnership program.
The race is billed as an end-of-summer event and an entry point for new runners. About 33% of participants also run the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon, and many take part in the foundation's Rose Bowl Half Marathon.
The event also features a Kids Run for children ages 3 to 8 on a half-kilometer route. The run is part of the Kids Run LA Challenge, which also includes the Rose Bowl Kids Run and LA Kids Run. Children who complete all three receive a Kids Run LA Challenge medal.
For more information about the Santa Monica Classic and Team TMF, visit[ ](http://mccourtfoundation.org/?ref=smdp.com)[mccourtfoundation.org](http://mccourtfoundation.org/?ref=smdp.com), follow the Santa Monica Classic on[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/4/e679f62323bcfeefe3f45d898d602302b47ef1bc4ac850ba3829aee0649323a1?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[Facebook](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/4/e679f62323bcfeefe3f45d898d602302b47ef1bc4ac850ba3829aee0649323a1?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/5/55f6ca0f9ad4b38a2ab342ff9f0f7b97a483010bf72b0afcc20bb51a4dfc6745?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[Instagram](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/5/55f6ca0f9ad4b38a2ab342ff9f0f7b97a483010bf72b0afcc20bb51a4dfc6745?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com), and follow The McCourt Foundation on[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/6/dd92a742519eb4cfb98825fad17dd7de36c9d02fd58e50422e3ff61a1cf05ec9?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[Facebook](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/6/dd92a742519eb4cfb98825fad17dd7de36c9d02fd58e50422e3ff61a1cf05ec9?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/7/3db81b7cf89d39783d660658919b8be8c48238a05f83e973a8d6bf23153da9dc?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[Instagram](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/7/3db81b7cf89d39783d660658919b8be8c48238a05f83e973a8d6bf23153da9dc?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/8/315a78487ce7d73bc6d7acc06c632282237ad4a5019e117ea1d3315f97f778bb?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com)[LinkedIn](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/d0e291b8b24c4550b14d461d72ee9469/8/315a78487ce7d73bc6d7acc06c632282237ad4a5019e117ea1d3315f97f778bb?cache%5Fbuster=1787746135&ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Begins Outreach Mailings for 2026 General Election
URL: https://www.smdp.com/registrar-recorder-county-clerk-begins-outreach-mailings-for-2026-general-election/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T18:58:59.000Z
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan announced the mailing of voter outreach materials to millions of registered voters across the county as part of voter education efforts for the Nov. 3 General Election.
Approximately 4.8 million registered voters will receive a voter outreach postcard providing key information about voting options and important election dates. The postcard is translated into 18 languages and serves as an early reminder for voters to begin planning how they will participate.
The office is also sending a Language Access mailer to approximately 1 million voters who are newer registrants and currently receive election materials in English. The expanded mailer includes the same election information along with a Language Request Form that allows voters to request their ballot and election materials in their preferred language.
"Providing voters with clear and accessible information early is an important part of preparing for the General Election," Logan said. "Our outreach mailings help voters understand their options available to them early on and ensure they have the information and language resources they need to make a plan to vote."
The mailers highlight key information, including:
Vote by Mail ballots will begin mailing to all registered voters no later than Oct. 5.
Official Ballot Drop Boxes will open the same day Vote by Mail ballots begin mailing.
Vote Centers will open Oct. 24 through Election Day, Nov. 3.
Voters may return their ballot using an Official Ballot Drop Box, by mail or in person at any Vote Center in Los Angeles County.
Voters are encouraged to create a personalized voting plan and receive timely election updates by visiting PLAN.LAVOTE.GOV or texting PLAN to LAVOTE (528683).
For more information about the Nov. 3 General Election, visit LAVOTE.GOV.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California’s budget is so convoluted that even experts are perplexed at what it contains
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-budget-is-so-convoluted-that-even-experts-are-perplexed-at-what-it-contains/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T16:00:01.000Z
There was a time, not too many years ago, when drafting and enacting California’s budgets was a fairly transparent and straightforward process.
The governor and legislators would agree on what revenues the state’s tax systems were likely to produce in the coming year and then dicker over how the money would be spent. There were disagreements, of course, particularly when Republicans had enough legislative seats to have a say in the outcome. But in the main, the voting public would have an understanding, through news coverage, of how their tax dollars were being spent.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when the process became opaque and the budget became a hodgepodge of phantom revenues, accounting gimmicks and off-the-books loans. However, there has been a quantum leap in opacity and complexity during Gavin Newsom’s governorship, a consequence of having one political party so dominant that it’s completely insulated from accountability.
Newsom and legislators can – and do – spend billions of dollars more than revenues cover. They paper over the gaps with what they call “solutions,” then [brag that their budgets are balanced](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/06/newsom-legislators-budget-reality-deficit/?ref=smdp.com).
The [2026-27 budget](https://ebudget.ca.gov/budget/e/2026-27/BudgetSummary?ref=smdp.com) that was enacted in June, said to be $351.7 billion (plus $188 billion in federal funds), is the latest example. It’s so convoluted that the Legislature’s own budget adviser, Legislative Analyst Gabe Petek, and his staff of fiscal experts, are somewhat perplexed about what Newsom and legislators wrought.
Petek says as much in a [new breakdown of the budget](https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5197/2026-27%5FBudget%5FOverview%5Fof%5FSpending%5FPlan%5F082626.pdf?ref=smdp.com). “In most years, we would describe the size of the budget problem (or budget surplus) the Legislature addressed (or allocated) and the mix of choices that make up that total. This year, neither framing fits the budget package as neatly,” Petek says.
He goes on to describe elements of the budget that seem contradictory, such as increasing spending that overshoots historically high revenues and depending on reserves and loans to cover the outgo while also placing more money into a new “surplus holding account.”
Although the budget package includes some traditional budget solutions, “taken altogether, this makes the budget condition difficult to describe concisely,” Petek says. To rationalize the budget’s contents, Petek divides his analysis into “budget choices on both sides of the ledger,” one covering the spending side and the other on how the gap between income and outgo was closed.
Petek calculates that the budget “includes about $14 billion in budget solutions” to close the gap, primarily tapping reserves and borrowing. The loan is accomplished by withholding $3.9 billion in aid to local school systems mandated by the state constitution, money that must be eventually paid.
However, Petek points out that $14 billion in “solutions” is less than the $18.5 billion operating deficit Newsom’s administration estimates during the fiscal year, thus continuing the deficit spending that has marked all of Newsom’s second term budgets.
They stem from [Newsom’s 2022 declaration that the state had a $97.5 surplus,](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/02/newsom-spending-california-chronic-deficit/?ref=smdp.com) due to mushrooming income tax revenues. That led to a sharp increase in spending, but the surplus turned out to be a mirage and the administration eventually acknowledged it overestimated revenues over four years by $165 billion.
Petek’s analysis notes that the state has not maintained a cumulative account of how much money it owes from five years of covering operational deficits, but his staff has calculated the “wall of debt” at $29.2 billion, including the $3.9 billion in school aid being withheld this year.
A jaundiced view of the ongoing deficits and the debt that’s been amassed to cover them might be that they are Newsom’s training to become president, given the federal governments chronic deficits and its $40 trillion national debt.
\_\_\_\_\_\_
By Dan Walters
### California lawmakers strike wildfire deal that leaves out most of Newsom’s big demands
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-lawmakers-strike-wildfire-deal-that-leaves-out-most-of-newsoms-big-demands/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T16:00:00.000Z
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday backed off his proposal to reduce costs for electrical utilities after their equipment sparks wildfires, agreeing instead to a narrower deal after homeowners, insurers and fire survivors argued his original plan [would have shifted those costs](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-wildfire-package-newsom-lawmakers-balk/?ref=smdp.com) onto them.
Instead, Newsom and Senate and Assembly leaders agreed on a narrower package of wildfire policies, including prohibiting private equity groups from investing in wildfire claims and denying utility CEO bonuses in the years their companies cause fatal fires.
The deal is a victory for lawmakers who refused to reduce damages to victims and shift costs away from utilities. Opponents included insurance companies, consumer advocates and survivors of the January 2025 Eaton Fire caused by Southern California Edison equipment that killed 19 people in Altadena.
Under the agreement announced Saturday, the state would create a “fast-pay” program for survivors’ property loss, pain and suffering in the wake of a utility-caused fire. It would include deadlines for determining which claims are valid within 60 days of receipt, and settlement offers within 30 days after that, but survivors could still pursue the long process of suing utilities if they choose.
The state also commits to improving its local wildfire mitigation efforts and sharing more data on insurance coverage in areas with fire risk.
The final agreement, which lawmakers will vote on next week in [Senate Bill 492](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260SB492&ref=smdp.com), caps a contentious series of closed-door negotiations between Newsom’s office and legislative leaders on how much utility companies should pay after fires.
Newsom wanted [utilities to have to pay less](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/newsom-wildfire-utility-liability-package/?ref=smdp.com) to insurance companies, some wildfire survivors, local governments and corporations claiming damages after a fire. His administration is concerned the mounting costs threaten investor confidence in the state’s three major for-profit utilities: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. He said that could lead to higher borrowing costs for the companies and higher electricity bills for Californians.
Newsom also argued his plan would prioritize paying survivors who lose their homes. In past fires, investors have funded lawsuits or claims have been sold to hedge funds, increasing the number of third parties seeking to profit from wildfire payouts, Newsom’s office has said.
SB 492 does not include most of the proposals Newsom wanted and does not substantially change how much utilities must pay after fires they cause. California’s $18 billion wildfire fund that utilities draw from to pay fire damages — and which would fund claims in the fast-pay program — is funded 50-50 by utility customers and shareholders. Proponents of Newsom’s proposals remain concerned that another catastrophic fire could drain that money, leaving utilities facing a mountain of costs and another round of potential bankruptcies.
[Nine of the state’s](https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/images/top-20-destructive-ca-wildfires.pdf?rev=0ff09789d06b4693bab5531bac755f3b&hash=AFA3694ABAB92122C3A1F48F7A9C5299&ref=smdp.com) 20 most destructive wildfires were caused by electrical equipment or power lines.
“This system needs full structural reform — not a partial one,” Newsom said in a statement Saturday morning. “I urge the Legislature to build on this progress next year and finish the work we started to secure the Wildfire Fund’s long-term durability, stabilize electricity rates, and ensure fire victims are never again turned into unsecured creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding.”
## **Negotiations may resume next year**
[Sen. Josh Becker](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/josh-becker-165449?ref=smdp.com), a Menlo Park Democrat who was closely involved in the negotiations, acknowledged that lawmakers would likely have to return to the issue of utility liabilities under a future governor.
“What I heard very clearly, certainly from senators, from the Assembly and even from all the stakeholders was that they’re willing to do that,” he said. “They’re willing to start getting around the table and looking at some of those structural issues. But that takes time. We ran out of time in this session.”
“We certainly stood with fire survivors,” said Sen. [Ben Allen](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/benjamin-allen-70?ref=smdp.com), a Democrat who represents Palisades Fire survivors. “Challenges with affordability of electricity (remain). That’s not going away.” The utilities agreed and said there needs to be a long-term solution. “While we appreciate the efforts made, we are disappointed that the state couldn’t develop comprehensive wildfire reform,” said Southern California Edison spokesperson David Eisenhauer.
San Diego Gas & Electric would not comment and referred questions to Wildfire Victims First, the utility-backed campaign [whose priorities aligned with the governor’s wish list](https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/wildfire-liability-battle/?ref=smdp.com).
Campaign spokesperson Nathan Click said the state still needs to make urgent structural reforms “to ensure a fair recovery system.”
PG&E spokesperson Lynsey Paulo said the company is reviewing the bill and is “focused on helping wildfire survivors recover faster, making communities safer, and protecting customer utility bills.” Company stocks tumbled Friday [after reports of a potential agreement](https://www.kcra.com/article/newsom-wildfire-plan-blocked-pge-stock-falls/73556404?ref=smdp.com) that did not include any utility cost-shifts.
Senate President Pro Tem [Monique Limón](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069?ref=smdp.com), the Santa Barbara Democrat whose caucus opposed Newsom’s cost-shifting proposals, said in a statement the agreement “supports survivors in their recovery, curbs Wall Street practices that increase costs on consumers, and mitigates the destruction of these wildfires in the first place.”
Assemblymember [Cottie Petrie-Norris](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/cottie-petrie-norris-165040?ref=smdp.com), an Irvine Democrat who led negotiations for the Assembly, in a statement called the deal “an important step forward.”
“We held the line to protect the people who needed it most,” she said.
The biggest sticking point was the governor’s insistence on eliminating subrogation, which allows insurance companies to sue utilities to recoup their costs for wildfire claims. Lawmakers were staunchly opposed to eliminating that avenue out of concern that it would disrupt the state’s fragile insurance market, raise premiums and cause insurers to flee the state, and they rejected it.
“This outcome keeps costs with the parties responsible for wildfires and helps protect the progress California is making in stabilizing its insurance market,” said Denni Ritter, a vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
While the deal is a win for the insurance industry, a senator who represents Eaton Fire survivors said it’s important to also hold insurers accountable.
“We know that in many cases, insurance companies delayed and denied fire survivors’ claims and payments, delaying recovery,” said Democratic Sen. [Sasha Renée Pérez](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/sasha-renee-perez-187431?ref=smdp.com). “We need all industries to come to the table in a real way.”
State lawmakers also resisted the governor’s effort to limit survivors’ non-economic damages, an important victory for the Eaton Fire survivors who relentlessly campaigned against the proposal.
Fire survivors and consumer advocates credited the Senate, especially Limón, for pushing back on Newsom.
“In the face of extraordinary pressure from some of the most powerful interests in our state, they centered survivors and California families,” said Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network.
Advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, which worked in concert with fire survivors, called the negotiations “an exercise in the democratic process.”
“(The Legislature) told (Newsom) they wouldn’t bend in closed-door negotiations,” said Jamie Court, president of the group.
Pérez commended survivors for pressuring lawmakers over the past couple of weeks.
“The fire survivors have shaped this entire conversation,” Pérez said. “They made a tremendous impact.”
\_\_\_\_\_\_
By Jeanne Kuang and Levi Sumagaysay
### Student homelessness surges nearly 30% in LA County schools, UCLA study finds
URL: https://www.smdp.com/student-homelessness-surges-nearly-30-in-la-county-schools-ucla-study-finds/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T16:00:00.000Z
Student homelessness in Los Angeles County climbed nearly 30% in a single school year, far outpacing state and national trends, according to new UCLA research warning that the crisis is deepening just as the funding built to address it runs dry.
An estimated 61,249 K-12 students experienced homelessness across the county in the 2023-24 school year — the highest total in five years and up from 47,689 the year before — the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools reported. The 28.4% jump was nearly double California's 16% rise over the same period and outpaced a 25% national increase recorded over an earlier two-year span.
"Los Angeles County is facing a rapid escalation in youth homelessness," said Mayra Cazares-Minero, a research analyst at the center and a co-author of the report. "A shortage of housing, economic instability and other barriers is making access to housing more difficult, just as important temporary funding streams and policies supporting access to housing are expiring."
Researchers linked the surge partly to housing costs. Citing the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the report noted that every $100 increase in median rent is associated with a 9% rise in homelessness, a dynamic that pushes families with school-age children into unstable or inadequate living situations. Improved identification by school liaisons hired with pandemic-era funds also drove counts higher.
The burden falls unevenly. Three of every four students experiencing homelessness in the county in 2023-24 were Latino, though [Latino students](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-native-brings-homecoming-to-book-on-indigenous-mexican-students/) make up about 65% of overall county enrollment. Students classified as English learners accounted for 34% of homeless students countywide, and in some San Gabriel Valley districts up to about 55%. Almost 12% were Black, above the statewide share but below the national figure of 25%.
Homelessness also clustered geographically. The 10 districts with the highest rates reported homelessness two to six times the statewide average. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, in the county's East region, topped the list with nearly one in three students unhoused, followed by Wilsona Elementary in the Antelope Valley at 18.3%. Three of the five highest-rate districts — Rowland Unified, Mountain View Elementary and Bassett Unified — are in the San Gabriel Valley.
The academic toll is steep. Chronic absenteeism affected 37.2% of the county's homeless students, compared with 22% of students overall, and about one in three homeless students was in high school. Students in high-homelessness districts also changed schools more often than their county and state peers.
The report's central warning is financial. A one-time infusion of $98.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan money for homeless students in California — used to hire liaisons and provide services such as transportation, emergency motel stays and tutoring — had to be spent by September 2024 and reached a funding cliff in January 2025, earlier still for many local districts. The remaining dedicated federal source, the [McKinney-Vento Act's Education](https://nche.ed.gov/legislation/mckinney-vento/?ref=smdp.com) for Homeless Children and Youth grant, totals just $129 million nationwide, and only 16 of the county's 80 school districts receive it. Many districts now lean on community donations and expiring grants to cover basic needs.
A companion brief drawing on interviews with district and county liaisons found that many students are never identified. Fear of stigma, child welfare involvement or immigration enforcement keeps families from coming forward. One official described immigration agents targeting an unhoused family living in a multi-family home; others said unaccompanied youth often enroll through a caregiver and are recognized only after a crisis exposes that they are couch surfing or living in a car. Families doubled up in another household frequently do not consider themselves homeless at all.
The authors urge state, county and district leaders to sustain and expand McKinney-Vento and related funding, standardize how students are identified, integrate fragmented data systems and target resources to high-need areas including the San Gabriel Valley and Antelope Valley. They also call for bilingual staff and culturally responsive outreach to Latino and English-learner families.
"It is unclear how California — or the nation as a whole — will continue to support students experiencing homelessness, especially as numbers continue to rise while funding and focus is fading," said Joseph P. Bishop, the center's executive director and the report's co-author. "It is essential that California and Los Angeles County take urgent, coordinated action."
The report, "Rising Numbers, Fading Resources," is available on the Center for the Transformation of Schools website.
### Lawmakers kill coastal exemption effort tied to Gehry-designed Ocean Avenue project
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lawmakers-kill-coastal-exemption-effort-tied-to-gehry-designed-ocean-avenue-project/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T00:39:46.000Z
A last-minute effort to exempt a Frank Gehry-designed downtown development from California Coastal Commission review has died, ending a months-long fight that pitted a politically connected developer against environmental advocates, neighborhood groups and the city's state representatives.
Language that would have created a streamlined approval pathway for the Ocean Avenue Project did not survive as part of a state budget trailer bill this year, according to Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Santa Monica, who confirmed the proposal is "dead for this year."
"I'm both ecstatic and relieved," Zbur said in an interview. "I thought that would have been a horrible precedent, and I worked very hard to make sure that it did not come to fruition."
The proposal had a contentious history dating back to late June, when a proposed budget trailer bill sought to strip the Coastal Commission's review authority over multi-unit housing across Santa Monica's coastal zone for an indefinite period. Environmental advocates called that version of the exemption unprecedented at the time, warning it could set a template for similar carveouts in other coastal communities statewide.
The proposal later resurfaced with narrower language that appeared tailored to benefit a single project: the Frank Gehry-designed development at the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. That revised version would have created a streamlined approval pathway for qualifying coastal-zone housing projects, but it took effect only if Santa Monica had not secured a certified Local Coastal Program by Jan. 1, 2028, and it would have required any qualifying project to incorporate a museum honoring Gehry's career. Gehry died Dec. 5, 2025.
The Ocean Avenue Project was approved by the Santa Monica City Council in 2022 and by the Coastal Commission in 2023 but remained unbuilt despite developer Jeff Worthe's pledge of a 2025 groundbreaking.
Zbur said he first learned of the June proposal from environmental advocates, not from the developer pushing it. By the time it resurfaced, he said, his office was prepared.
"The first time this came up, I was blindsided by the developer that was advancing it," Zbur said. "Second time around, I had known that it potentially could come up because it had before, and we were hearing rumors that the developer was continuing to press it, so we were ready in case that happened."
Opposition to the renewed language culminated in an Aug. 26 letter to Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, signed by Zbur and roughly a dozen other Assembly members, including Damon Connolly, Dawn Addis, Greg Hart, Ash Kalra, Gail Pellerin and Chris Rogers. The letter said the trailer bill "undermines" a separate, monthslong agreement reached among Zbur, the city, the Coastal Commission and environmental, housing and mobility advocates, and it accused the measure of being "designed to benefit very specific projects within Santa Monica."
Zbur said the pressure campaign worked.
"I think that had a big impact in sort of expressing the views of members of the legislature who care about protecting the Coastal Act," he said.
Asked whether the episode had damaged his views of the governor or legislative leadership, Zbur declined to cast blame on them directly.
"The bottom line is that the governor has been someone who has been an exemplary leader in the environmental and climate movement, as have been both the speaker and the pro tem," he said. "Ultimately, none of them allowed this to move forward. ... At one point, these three leaders had to make a decision, and they decided not to advance it. So I'm grateful to all of them because I think they stood up for the coast."
The fight played out alongside Zbur's separate legislation, AB 1740, which passed the Legislature with unanimous concurrence and now awaits Newsom's signature. That bill sets a path for Santa Monica — one of the few coastal cities without a certified Local Coastal Program — to complete one by 2029, shifting most coastal development permit decisions to the city rather than requiring separate Commission approval, while adding a statewide expedited process for bike, pedestrian and transit projects in the coastal zone.
"I'm confident that it's going to result in Santa Monica having a local coastal plan in about a two-year period of time," Zbur said, adding that the plan would give the city "much more flexibility" on projects that "grow our economy and support our neighborhoods and support our families," while preserving the Commission's ability to protect the coast.
### Endorsements splinter across council field
URL: https://www.smdp.com/endorsements-splinter-across-council-field/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T23:04:57.000Z
Endorsements in the Santa Monica City Council race are scattered across a wide field of candidates, with labor unions, tenant advocates and community groups breaking in different directions rather than coalescing behind a single slate.
The Santa Monica Police Officers Association and the Santa Monica Firefighters, IAFF Local 1109, only endorsed Councilmember Lana Negrete this week but have said additional endorsements may be announced in the coming weeks.
UNITE HERE Local 11, the hotel workers union, endorsed Mayor Caroline Torosis.
Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights endorsed Torosis in the first round and then Danny Ivanov but members fell short of a third pick. However, SMRR's Steering Committee (Michael Soloff, Denny Zane, Tracy Condon, Maria Cortez, Patricia Hoffman, Jennifer Kennedy, Michael Kirshbaum, Cristina Navarro, Michael Tarbet and Craig Walter) added Brett Morrow to the group's final endorsement.
Torosis has also drawn support from Santa Monica Forward, which endorsed her alongside Eli Gill and Morrow, and from the Community for Excellent Public Schools, which split its endorsement between Torosis and Negrete without backing a candidate for the third, open seat.
The Santa Monica Democratic Club made no endorsement after two deadlocked rounds of voting and various municipal employee unions have yet to endorse.
### No suspect found after report of armed individual near Santa Monica College
URL: https://www.smdp.com/no-suspect-found-after-report-of-armed-individual-near-santa-monica-college/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica police and Santa Monica College police have found no suspect and no evidence of a firearm after responding to a report of a possibly armed individual near the college campus, authorities said.
Officers responded at about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 29 to a report of an individual possibly armed with a handgun near the 14th Street side of the campus. As a precaution, they established a perimeter and conducted a coordinated search of the campus and surrounding area.
Officers did not locate the reported individual or confirm the presence of a firearm, and the report remained unverified. Investigators reviewed available video footage and found no evidence corroborating the initial account that someone was armed.
Based on the investigation, police said no credible threat to the campus had been identified. A significant police presence would remain in the area out of an abundance of caution.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Stolen car, three loaded guns recovered in Santa Monica investigation
URL: https://www.smdp.com/stolen-car-three-loaded-guns-recovered-in-santa-monica-investigation/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T18:58:59.000Z
An investigation that began when Santa Monica police spotted suspicious activity during a catalytic converter operation ended days later with multiple arrests, the recovery of three loaded firearms and the discovery that a vehicle had been stolen in an armed carjacking.
On Aug. 25, officers spotted a previously observed black Audi near Ocean Avenue. A short time later, they found the car after it crashed near 2nd Street and Colorado Avenue. Several occupants ran from the vehicle, prompting a coordinated response that led officers to locate and detain those involved.
The investigation then took an unexpected turn. After the occupants fled, an individual not associated with them approached the abandoned Audi, took a black backpack from inside and ran.
Using SMART Center resources, officers tracked the individual as he discarded the backpack in a nearby alley. A second person, also unconnected to the vehicle's occupants, picked up the backpack and tried to conceal it at a nearby construction site.
Officers recovered the backpack and found three loaded handguns inside, including two unserialized "ghost guns." The person who tried to hide the backpack was taken into custody.
The Audi was later confirmed stolen in an armed carjacking being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division.
Four people associated with the Audi were taken into custody, including two juveniles.
Police credited alert officers, SMART Center technology and regional partnerships for the arrests.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Filmmaker Attila Korosi's "Live and Die in East L.A." Arrives on DVD Sept. 8
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-filmmaker-attila-korosis-live-and-die-in-east-l-a-arrives-on-dvd-sept-8/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T18:58:59.000Z
"Live and Die in East L.A.," written and directed by longtime Santa Monica resident Attila Korosi, will be released on DVD Sept. 8, becoming available through Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
The release marks a new chapter for the independent Los Angeles film, which has earned recognition for its unconventional storytelling and its impact within communities affected by gang violence.
Rather than simply depicting the consequences of gang life, the film uses a non-linear narrative structure to explore how individual choices can send a life in dramatically different directions. That approach has helped the film connect with at-risk youth and has contributed to its use as a tool for discouraging young people from becoming involved with gangs.
The film has been recognized by both the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles for its life-saving community impact. It has also received support from Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries and GRYD (Gang Reduction and Youth Development).
"We didn't want to make a film that simply tells young people that gangs are dangerous," Korosi said. "We wanted the story itself to show how one decision can change the direction of an entire life. The narrative gives audiences the opportunity to experience those different paths rather than just being told about them."
Since its original release, the film has reached audiences beyond Southern California, with screenings extending to Europe, Latin America and East Asia. Its non-linear structure allows the story to examine alternate outcomes and the ripple effects created by the characters' choices.
The combination of crime drama and socially conscious storytelling has allowed the film to function as both entertainment and a conversation starter about gang involvement, family, identity and second chances.
The physical release also creates opportunities for libraries, schools, community organizations and individual viewers to add the film to their collections and use it to continue conversations about choices, consequences and alternatives to gang involvement.
Beginning Sept. 8, "Live and Die in East L.A." will be available on DVD through Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Massage Revolution Expands to Santa Monica With New Wilshire Boulevard Location
URL: https://www.smdp.com/massage-revolution-expands-to-santa-monica-with-new-wilshire-boulevard-location/
Last updated: 2026-09-11T21:46:26.000Z
Massage Revolution, a therapeutic massage practice specializing in pain management, injury recovery and customized bodywork, will open its second Southern California location Sept. 1 at 2629 Wilshire Blvd.
The expansion marks a return to the city for founder Michael Greenspan, who began his neuromuscular practice in Santa Monica more than three decades ago. The practice currently operates in Manhattan Beach and has provided approximately 600,000 treatments since opening.
"Twenty years ago, we tried to open in Santa Monica, but the space fell through, and we built in Manhattan Beach instead," Greenspan said. "Santa Monica is where I started. My first neuromuscular practice is still here; it's where I met my wife, and I've spent 34 years practicing and teaching this work."
Greenspan said the location will continue the practice's focus on identifying and treating the underlying causes of chronic pain rather than the area where discomfort is felt.
"Most people living with chronic pain have already tried three or four things that didn't work because the place that hurts is rarely the place causing the problem," Greenspan said. "We're bringing it home after 600,000 treatments."
The office will offer customized therapeutic services, including neuromuscular therapy, deep-tissue massage, sports massage, Swedish massage, prenatal massage and trigger-point work. Treatments are designed around each client's needs, including chronic pain, muscle tension, athletic recovery and mobility.
Located along Wilshire Boulevard, the office will expand the practice's reach throughout Santa Monica and neighboring Westside communities, giving residents, athletes and others another option for therapeutic massage and bodywork.
Massage Revolution plans to celebrate the opening in September with community outreach and opportunities for residents, businesses and members of the local fitness, health and wellness community to learn about its approach. The company also plans to build relationships with local gyms, yoga and Pilates studios, running groups, fitness professionals and other wellness organizations.
Massage Revolution is a Southern California therapeutic massage practice specializing in customized bodywork for pain management, injury recovery, mobility, athletic performance and overall wellness. Its therapists use a variety of techniques tailored to each client's needs.
To learn more, view available treatments or book an appointment, visit [massagerevolution.com/massage-santa-monica/](https://massagerevolution.com/massage-santa-monica/?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Reducing drug penalties likely increased homelessness in California, new report says
URL: https://www.smdp.com/reducing-drug-penalties-likely-increased-homelessness-in-california-new-report-says/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T15:59:59.000Z
When Californians voted to reduce drug penalties in 2014, it likely had the unintended consequence of also increasing homelessness in the state, according to a new report.
The report, released Thursday by the Public Policy Institute of California, set out to measure the long-term effects of Proposition 47 – a 2014 ballot measure that lowered some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. It found that while the measure succeeded in reducing prison overcrowding as intended, it also appears to have contributed to an increase in people living on the street, a rise in overdoses and a drop in the number of people getting drug treatment.
The PPIC researchers [determined Prop. 47 caused](https://www.ppic.org/publication/homelessness-and-drug-use-in-california/?ref=smdp.com) an estimated increase in street homelessness of about 10% between 2015 and 2019\. The study suggests the measure increased drug use (as measured by overdose deaths and hospitalizations) by between 7% and 8%. The researchers also found evidence that Prop. 47 led to a 20% reduction in the number of Californians receiving drug treatment, because the courts referred fewer people into treatment programs.
The results come at a time when many Californians are disillusioned with the state’s past efforts to reduce incarceration. Voters [overwhelmingly passed](https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/prop-36-california-election-result/?ref=smdp.com) Proposition 36 in 2024, which partially undid the 2014 reform by increasing penalties for certain drug and theft crimes. Supporters argued the 2024 measure would reduce drug use and homelessness, though it came with no funding for treatment or housing.
“Ever since Prop. 47 was passed in 2014, there’s been a lot of critics of that particular reform,” said Magnus Lofstrom, the PPIC report’s lead author. “It’s important to have a sense of what are those potential impacts.”
This appears to be the first study to show a direct link between Prop. 47 and homelessness. The findings are sure to add fuel to an already raging debate over the causes and best ways to fight homelessness: with proponents of a tough-on-crime approach on one side arguing addiction is a primary driver of homelessness and police should crack down on drug use and encampments, and homeless advocates on the other arguing the state’s sky-high cost of living is to blame and building more housing is the answer.
California counties that reduced their homeless count this year [told CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/08/pit-counts-2026/?ref=smdp.com) that increased funding for temporary and permanent housing placements was the reason. That was echoed in the PPIC study: Places with larger increases in permanent housing beds also saw larger decreases in homelessness after the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that the money California poured into homeless housing after the pandemic is working.
Studies have shown the “housing first” model, which prioritizes placing people into housing as quickly as possible without requiring them to first become sober or get mental health treatment, to be an effective way to solve homelessness.
A [2023 report](https://homelessness.ucsf.edu/sites/default/files/2026-04/CASPEH%5FReport%5F62023%5Fv4.pdf?ref=smdp.com) by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative found that while more than a third of homeless respondents reported regularly using drugs, that was not the driving factor of most people’s homelessness. Instead, a loss of income was the most common reason people reported for losing their last housing.
That study, which was the largest survey of unhoused Californians since the 1990s, is widely cited by policy makers, activists and homeless service providers.
While the PPIC report found that counties with higher rents and lower vacancies had higher rates of homelessness, changes in an area’s rents or vacancy rates did not lead to changes in their homelessness rates.
The PPIC researchers stopped far short of blaming the state’s entire homelessness crisis on prison reform.
Prop. 47 resulted in an additional 7,000 Californians experiencing “unsheltered” homelessness (sleeping in parks, tent encampments, vehicles, abandoned buildings or other places not meant for habitation) between 2015 and 2019, the researchers estimated. That’s about 20% of the state’s overall increase in unsheltered homelessness during that time, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
It’s unclear how much of that increase in homelessness is tied to increased drug use, and how much instead is because unhoused people who would have been sleeping in jail before Prop. 47 now are sleeping on the street instead. But Lofstrom suspects it’s a bit of both.
“Jails and prisons, they do serve as a source of shelter for people who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing homelessness,” he said.
The researchers got their results by comparing California to other states that had very similar homelessness trends before Prop. 47 passed, and analyzing how California diverged from its peers after Prop. 47\. The researchers also examined whether California counties that had large decreases in drug arrests and big drops in their jail and prison populations after Prop. 47 were more likely to experience larger increases in homelessness and overdoses – and found that they were.
The researchers acknowledged several factors that could have thrown off their calculations. In 2015, California, as did the rest of the country, tried to improve the accuracy of its homeless point-in-time counts – which may have resulted in more people being counted and contributed to a perceived increase in homelessness. In addition, rent prices increased much more in California between 2014 and 2019 than in other states. The researchers attempted to account for that difference in their calculations, but acknowledged that the outsized increase could have had more of an effect than their models show.
Though the researchers focused on the effect of Prop. 47 on homelessness, they found several other factors that played major roles. For example, in the areas they studied, the researchers found declines in the number of people receiving Social Security benefits correlated to increases in local homelessness.
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**By** [**Marisa Kendall**](https://calmatters.org/author/marisa-kendall/?ref=smdp.com)
### Santa Monica after-action report finds 2025 Palisades Fire response effective but flags governance, staffing gaps
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-after-action-report-finds-2025-palisades-fire-response-effective-but-flags-governance-staffing-gaps/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T15:59:59.000Z
A independent review of Santa Monica's response to the January 2025 Palisades Fire found the city's emergency operations were "coordinated" and "highly collaborative," but identified 36 recommendations for improvement, including governance gaps at the top of city leadership during the fire's onset, according to a report presented to the City Council on May 5.
The After-Action Report, produced by consulting firm Jacob Green & Associates (JGA) at the direction of the Santa Monica City Council, evaluated the city's response to the wind-driven wildfire that burned within 0.4 miles of Santa Monica's northern boundary, destroyed 6,833 structures and killed 12 people, without ever crossing into city limits.
The report found Santa Monica's Office of Emergency Management activated the city's Emergency Operations Center on the morning of Jan. 7, 2025, ahead of the fire reaching the area — a decision the report credited with establishing "a centralized coordination structure before impacts reached the City." The EOC remained active until Jan. 18, when the last evacuation warnings in the city were lifted.
Among the report's notable findings was a "governance gap" created when both the city manager and assistant city manager were out of the country when the fire broke out, leaving the deputy city manager as acting city manager. The report said this "resulted in an increased demand for OEM leadership and department heads to manage both the emergency response and elected official expectations, potentially leading to delays and confusion."
The report also found that four of the seven Santa Monica City Council members had been in office less than a month when the fire hit and had received no exposure to the EOC during onboarding. Several council members, including longer-tenured ones, told JGA interviewers they did not know where the EOC was located. During the fire, the report said, one elected official released "unvetted information regarding a potential fire within Santa Monica City limits" that had to be corrected by the city's communications team.
The report's 36 recommendations were organized into nine categories, including public information and elected official coordination, EOC governance and staffing, and evacuation planning. Specific recommendations included developing a formal Red Flag weather staffing policy for the fire department, expanding EOC staffing depth, and creating mandatory crisis communications training for elected officials. The city's Office of Emergency Management, at the time of the fire a function of the City Manager's Office with a vacant emergency services administrator position, has since been renamed the Emergency Management Division and placed under the Santa Monica Police Department's Deputy Chief as of Dec. 28, 2025.
The report also detailed the scope of Santa Monica's response, including deployment of a Santa Monica Fire Department task force to patrol the city's northern boundary, National Guard troops augmenting Santa Monica police at traffic checkpoints, and removal of roughly 445 tons of wind-related debris. The city secured $1.48 million in FEMA reimbursement for disaster-related costs, according to the report.
The Santa Monica report arrives amid a broader, still-unfolding landscape of official reviews into the Palisades Fire response across multiple jurisdictions.
No standalone after-action report has been produced by CAL FIRE. Instead, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office commissioned UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute to conduct a state-level review. The institute released the first of two planned reports, a "Southern California Fires Timeline Report," on Nov. 20, 2025, establishing an evidence-based timeline beginning just before the fire's start on Jan. 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. A second report containing findings and recommendations has not been released, and no date for its publication has been announced.
The Los Angeles Fire Department released its own 70-page after-action review on Oct. 8, 2025 — the same day federal prosecutors announced the arrest of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, on allegations he started the fire. The LAFD report, covering the first 36 hours of the incident, described a "perfect storm" of leadership and communication problems, limited resources, water-supply failures and the loss of aerial firefighting support that hampered the initial response, even as firefighters were credited with saving "thousands of lives."
The LAFD report said a 2017 policy change made pre-deployment of firefighting resources ahead of storms discretionary rather than mandatory, with decisions driven "overwhelmingly by perceived financial constraints." It found that command staff allowed firefighters to return home before the fire broke out and that an error on a reimbursement worksheet meant only about a third of deployable resources were used. Hydrants and hilltop water tanks ran dry during the firefight, forcing crews to siphon water from swimming pools, and delayed evacuation orders led to abandoned vehicles causing gridlock. Interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva said the report was intended to "provide greater clarity and accountability." Mayor Karen Bass said the department had "already implemented many changes," including 19 leadership changes.
The LAFD report drew controversy over its drafting process. Current Fire Chief Jaime Moore told the city's Fire Commission that "multiple drafts were edited to soften language and reduce explicit criticism of the department leadership." Fire Commission President Genethia Hudley Hayes said a draft was sent to the mayor's office, which requested "refinements," though she said "material findings" were not altered.
Separately, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors commissioned the McChrystal Group, led by retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, to conduct an independent review focused on public alerts and evacuations during both the Eaton and Palisades fires. That report, released Sept. 25, 2025, found "no single point of failure" but identified "a series of weaknesses, including outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities." Only four county staff members were trained on the county's new Genasys alert system when the fires broke out. The report found the Palisades Fire response benefited from strong interagency coordination and pre-positioned resources, in contrast to west Altadena, where residents reported receiving little warning during the Eaton Fire. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the county would "take these findings and turn them into action."
The McChrystal review was explicitly "not intended to investigate or assess blame" and excluded city, state and federal agencies from its scope. A dispute over LAFD staffing levels on the morning the fire broke out remains unresolved: Bass has said 1,000 firefighters who could have been on duty were sent home "on Chief Crowley's watch," while former Chief Kristin Crowley told the City Council the department "did not have enough apparatus to put them on," citing more than 100 broken-down engines, trucks and ambulances. CAL FIRE was part of the unified command structure that took over the incident but has not issued its own separate response review.
### Santa Monica College pauses search for next Superintendent amid ongoing fiscal crisis
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-pauses-search-for-next-superintendent-amid-ongoing-fiscal-crisis/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T09:59:59.000Z
As Santa Monica College drowns in debt and students abandon ship, the ongoing crisis appears to have torpedoed the current search for new leadership at the school.
SMC has paused its search for a new superintendent/president, just weeks after the committee tasked with vetting candidates completed its work, according to a message sent to college employees.
SMC’s Vice President, Human Resources, Tre'Shawn Hall-Baker, Ph.D., wrote in the message that the search committee — made up of representatives from students, faculty, classified professionals, management and the broader community — worked "thoughtfully and diligently" over several months to advance the recruitment before wrapping up earlier this month.
"Since the committee completed its work, unforeseen circumstances have required us to temporarily pause the recruitment process," Hall-Baker wrote, adding that officials remain hopeful the process will resume soon and pledging to keep the campus informed of the timeline and other details as things move forward.
A follow-up statement said the SMC Board of Trustees and the college "remain fully committed to identifying an exceptional leader" and believe it is in the institution's best interest to take the time needed "to get this decision right." As part of the pause, the Board of Trustees will evaluate the search process and consider the best approach for moving forward, the statement said.
No official explanation of the “unforeseen circumstances” or additional details on why the search has been paused were provided but some college officials speculated the ongoing problems at the institution may have prompted some candidates to scuttle their own applications.
Officials emphasized that no current staff contracts are pending approval that are tied to or affected by the search timeline, and that the college's leadership team continues to actively manage enrollment and financial initiatives independent of the presidential search. The college said it appreciates the community's patience and will provide further updates as the process continues.
The pause comes as SMC works to fill the seat currently held by Superintendent/President Kathryn E. Jeffery, who will retire effective Dec. 31, 2026.
**A College Under Fiscal Strain**
The search pause arrives amid one of the most difficult stretches in SMC's recent history. In July, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges notified Jeffery that the college scored "at-risk" on the commission's Composite Financial Index, automatically triggering enhanced monitoring. Colleges that remain on enhanced monitoring for three consecutive years without resolving their fiscal issues could face adverse action.
The commission pointed to four factors: a structural deficit in which expenses exceeded revenue for three straight years, from 2022-23 through 2024-25; a significantly unfunded retiree benefits liability; a 34% decline in cash reserves over three years; and multiple expired labor contracts.
Jeffery said the data underlying the warning predated cost-cutting measures the college has since taken, including layoffs, furloughs and pay freezes, and noted that SMC has ratified contracts with two of its unions, though faculty negotiations continue. Still, Academic Senate President Vicenta Arrizon said the tentative 2026-27 budget shows a structural deficit of roughly $7.6 million with no clear plan yet to close it, and that the college meets five of seven state indicators of fiscal distress.
Enrollment troubles are compounding the budget strain. Non-resident enrollment has dropped sharply, driven in part by a federal rule change restricting international student visas. Trustees have also criticized the state's Student-Centered Funding Formula, which cut the college's cost-of-living adjustment and capped enrollment-growth funding among the lowest in the state.
The warnings follow a difficult spring in which trustees voted 6-2 to finalize the termination of 45 classified employees — including custodians, administrative assistants, parking enforcement officers and tutors — amid a $14.7 million deficit. College reserves have fallen 61% since peaking at $43.9 million in 2021-22, driven largely by rising salary and benefit costs and a wave of retirements. SMC's final adopted budget is expected in September, following a state budget revision.
**Jeffery's Tenure and Mounting Criticism**
Jeffery became SMC's superintendent/president in 2016, succeeding Dr. Chui L. Tsang with her recent compensation of about $498,000.
Her tenure has drawn increasing scrutiny as the fiscal crisis has deepened. Last year, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved an amendment to her employment agreement establishing a $250,000 post-retirement supplemental income plan, to be distributed over five years following her retirement, along with retiree medical benefits and two paid 30-day sabbaticals. The plan, described as recognition of her "below-market salary," passed on the board's consent agenda during the same period the college was cutting classes and laying off classified staff — a move unions and faculty condemned as a betrayal of frontline workers.
The Faculty Association has been among the most persistent critics, arguing the crisis stemmed largely from local decisions rather than unavoidable external forces.
Trustees themselves have recognized broad leadership failures but have not singled out Jeffery while defending their past approval of raises for administrators.
Jeffery has defended her record and the college's transparency, pushing back on criticism and casting the layoffs as decisions that weigh heavily on her. She has said the accreditation data was "backward-looking" and did not reflect steps already taken to address the deficit.
### Roadwork to snarl 3 major LA routes in days before Labor Day
URL: https://www.smdp.com/roadwork-to-snarl-3-major-la-routes-in-days-before-labor-day/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T15:59:59.000Z
Drivers across the Los Angeles area should brace for a week of overnight lane reductions, ramp closures and parking restrictions on three major routes as Caltrans presses ahead with roadwork in the days leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The agency announced construction beginning the week of Aug. 31 on Interstate 405 through the Sepulveda Pass, on State Route 2 in West Los Angeles, Hollywood and Echo Park, and along Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard in areas recovering from the Palisades Fire. Most of the work is scheduled for overnight hours, though the timing and scope could shift because of weather or operational needs.
On I-405, crews will install K-rail barriers and perform paving work nightly from Monday, Aug. 31, through Friday, Sept. 4\. Work will begin after 9 p.m. and wrap up by 6 a.m. During those hours, up to three lanes of northbound I-405 will be closed between Sepulveda Boulevard and Victory Boulevard, and up to four lanes of southbound I-405 will be closed between U.S. 101 and Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Drive.
Several ramps and connectors will also shut down overnight, including the northbound off-ramp to Getty Center Drive, the Sepulveda Boulevard on-ramp to southbound I-405, and the northbound I-405 connector to northbound and southbound U.S. 101\. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph in certain sections of both directions because of the paving work.
The closures are part of the I-405 Pavement Rehabilitation Project, a $143.7 million effort to improve safety and mobility and extend the pavement's life along the Sepulveda Pass between the communities of Van Nuys and Westwood.
Farther south and east, Caltrans is carrying out a separate $70.2 million multimodal pavement project on State Route 2, which involves curb, gutter and sidewalk work. Construction will run overnight from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Friday, unless otherwise noted, from Sunday, Aug. 30, through Friday, Sept. 4\. Parking restrictions along the affected stretches will be in place around the clock.
The SR-2 work is divided into three segments. In West Los Angeles, up to two lanes in each direction of Santa Monica Boulevard will close between Federal and Cotner avenues, with parking prohibited on both sides. In Hollywood, up to one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes of Santa Monica Boulevard will close between Wilcox and North El Centro avenues. In Echo Park, up to one northbound lane and two southbound lanes of Glendale Boulevard will close between Branden and Allesandro streets.
A bus pad replacement in Echo Park originally set for Aug. 29 has been rescheduled. That work will now take place from 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, to 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, reducing northbound Glendale Boulevard near Berkeley Avenue to one lane, with no parking nearby in either direction. Caltrans said business driveways will remain accessible during lane closures, and signs will be posted in advance of parking restrictions.
The third set of closures involves recovery work in the Palisades Fire burn area. From Aug. 31 through Sept. 6, crews on Pacific Coast Highway may set up single-lane closures anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays as they clean up Las Flores Creek and repair roadways, drainage and slopes between just north of Las Flores Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard. Between Pena Road and Tuna Canyon Road, southbound PCH may be reduced to one lane as needed while a retaining wall is rebuilt.
On Topanga Canyon Boulevard, or State Route 27, a Caltrans work zone between postmiles 2.5 and 2.8 carries a 15 mph speed limit. Additional overnight lane control is planned from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights between Entrado and PCH for guardrail and shoulder work. Officials urged motorists to stay alert on the winding route, particularly around blind curves.
Because of the Labor Day holiday, Caltrans said there will be no lane closures on Pacific Coast Highway or Topanga Canyon Boulevard from 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7.
Caltrans cautioned that residents and businesses near the construction may experience noise, vibrations and dust, and that fines can be doubled in work zones. The agency reminded drivers to "Be Work Zone Alert" and to "Slow for the Cone Zone."
Motorists can check current road conditions on the Caltrans QuickMap website before traveling.
### Consignors say owner of resale store ducked them with abrupt closure
URL: https://www.smdp.com/consignors-say-owner-of-resale-store-ducked-them-with-abrupt-closure/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T09:59:59.000Z
Consignors of The Posh Duck, a luxury resale boutique on Main Street, say they were left confused and angry this month after the shop closed abruptly, sent contradictory emails about a possible bankruptcy, and left customers scrambling to reclaim designer handbags, clothing and jewelry before an August deadline.
The Posh Duck, at 2711 Main St. sold authenticated pre-owned luxury items from brands including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada, operating both in-store and online through a consignor portal. The store had operated at the address since 2011, previously as a location of The Closet Trading Company, before rebranding as The Posh Duck in 2025.
In an Aug. 13 email to consignors, Lawrie announced the store was closing "after twelve years on Main Street," saying he had owned the business for five of those years. He asked customers to retrieve their items in person between Thursday, Aug. 13, and Sunday, Aug. 16, warning that the store would not have time to pull individual orders and that customers would need to search the racks themselves using their account item lists. Lawrie wrote that any items not picked up by 6 p.m. that Sunday would be donated to Love the City Thrift, a Los Angeles nonprofit that he also manages, under a section of the consignor agreement governing unclaimed goods. He said further information about outstanding account balances would follow.
The announcement set off a wave of complaints on Yelp and Nextdoor. Several consignors said they never received the pickup notice at all. A reviewer said she found the store already empty when she stopped by after her online account stopped working, and that Lawrie was on-site clearing out racks but declined to speak with her. Another said the store's Instagram account, phone number and consignor portal had all been deactivated, leaving her unable to verify roughly $200 she said she was owed. On Nextdoor, a poster said a friend was able to retrieve items on her behalf but that Lawrie "refused to speak with me and only shouted that he was tired of being screamed at" when she asked to be paid for sold items.
Confusion deepened Aug. 24, when multiple consignors said they received an email stating The Posh Duck had filed for bankruptcy and directing them to contact an attorney. However, hours later, a follow-up email arrived retracting the claim and instructing recipients not to contact the attorney in question. It said consignors would be contacted within 90 to 120 days with information about outstanding balances and any remaining items, and that no action was required of them in the meantime.
Several reviewers raised concerns about the plan to donate unclaimed merchandise to Love the City Thrift, noting that Lawrie manages that organization as well.
Other reviews described longer-running disputes predating the closure including problems verifying sales and receiving payment for sold items.
Multiple reviewers said they had filed complaints with the Santa Monica Office of the City Attorney's Consumer Protection Unit and encouraged other consignors to do the same, circulating a link to the unit's online complaint form.
### Zuma Beach Triathlon returns in September with racing and charity push
URL: https://www.smdp.com/zuma-beach-triathlon-returns-in-september-with-racing-and-charity-push/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T18:58:59.000Z
The Zuma Beach Triathlon will return to Malibu on Sept. 19 and 20, sending participants into the water at Zuma Beach, along the coastline by bike and past the cliffs of Point Dume on foot, while raising money for athletes with physical disabilities.
Registration is open for the 2026 event, which offers three courses. The Zuma Distance and Olympic Distance will be held Sept. 20, and the Kids Triathlon will take place Sept. 19.
The Zuma Distance features a half-mile swim, a 16-mile bike ride and a 4-mile run. The Olympic Distance is more advanced, with a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. The Kids Triathlon, for ages 9 to 14, includes a 100-yard swim, 3-mile bike ride and half-mile run for ages 9 to 11, and a 200-yard swim, 6-mile bike ride and 1-mile run for ages 12 to 14.
The event's CAF Corporate Challenge, presented by Pepperdine University, follows the Zuma Distance course and raises money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which funds adaptive sports equipment, training and community support. The fundraising minimum is $250 per person, with added perks at $350 and $500\. Participating companies include Bank of America, J.P.Morgan, Lido Advisors, Lionsgate, United Talent Agency, Compass Real Estate, Minimed and Amgen.
"With our Malibu location, we offer an experience that other sports destinations can't," said Michael Epstein, executive director and founder of the triathlon. He said his Malibu events have raised more than $20 million for great causes. Epstein launched the first Corporate Challenge at Zuma Beach in 1997.
Challenged Athletes Foundation competitors will race throughout the weekend, and Paralympic athletes preparing for LA28 are also expected to take part.
"Triathlon is about discovering what's possible," said Bob Babbitt, co-founder of the foundation, adding that the event brings athletes of all abilities together on the same course.
The triathlon offers open water swim clinics, bike training and transition training before race weekend, along with a podcast and eight- and 16-week training plans for non-locals.
Produced by the Malibu-based Zuma Foundation, the event supports local youth nonprofits. It will donate $55,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu this year, up from $50,000 in 2025.
Information and registration are available at[ ](http://www.zumabeachtriathlon.org/?ref=smdp.com)[www.zumabeachtriathlon.org](http://www.zumabeachtriathlon.org/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Why Skipping Proper Court Procedures Costs You More Than Just Time
URL: https://www.smdp.com/legal-publication-service-guide/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T16:15:55.000Z
Legal hurdles often feel like a maze built to frustrate you. When a judge requires you to notify someone who has vanished or cannot be found, the frustration peaks. You know you must fulfill this duty to move forward with your case, but doing it wrong leads to rejected filings, delayed court dates, and wasted money. Securing a reliable **legal publication service** changes the game by transforming a complex procedural burden into a smooth, compliant experience that keeps your case on track.
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For more information on how public notices function within the broader framework of civil procedure and transparency, see the [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure?ref=smdp.com)guidelines on service of process.
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By relying on a trusted **legal publication service**, you bypass these common traps. Experienced providers understand the nuanced differences between different jurisdictions. They know that a notice valid in one county might be insufficient in the next. This regional expertise is what prevents expensive mistakes and keeps your case moving through the system. Do not leave your legal standing to guesswork when proven, compliant methods exist to secure your filings.
- Identification of court-approved journals and newspapers.
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## **Why Professional Filing Matters for Your Case Strategy**
Legal strategy is about removing obstacles. When a judge requires you to publish a notice, they are creating a procedural hurdle designed to ensure fairness to the other party. If you view this solely as a box-checking exercise, you invite error. If you view it as a professional milestone, you prioritize the quality of the filing. A high-quality **legal publication service** ensures that your filings reflect the professionalism of your entire case.
Working with specialists allows you to maintain momentum. When your **court ordered publication service** is handled correctly the first time, you avoid the administrative backlog that often accompanies rejected filings. This level of service is designed for those who recognize that the foundation of a winning strategy is a clean, compliant record. Every notice you publish is a permanent reflection of your attention to detail and adherence to the law.
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Visit the [Santa Monica Daily Press](https://smdp.com/?ref=smdp.com) to see how we assist with [filing legal notices](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) with precision and reliability.
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- Comprehensive understanding of evolving local court requirements.
- Reliable service that prioritizes your project timelines.
For more insights into managing legal filings and public notices effectively, see our recent articles on [local news](https://www.smdp.com/tag/news/) and [business](https://www.smdp.com/tag/business/) updates to stay informed on local regulatory changes.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What is the primary benefit of using a professional legal publication service?**
A professional service ensures total compliance with court mandates, preventing rejected filings, saving significant time, and providing accurate, court-ready proof of publication that keeps your case moving forward without any unnecessary delays.
**How does court-ordered publication service differ from regular advertising?**
Unlike standard advertising, this is a strict legal requirement. It must adhere to specific formatting, placement, and duration statutes dictated by the court to be considered valid and legally binding for your case.
**Why is it important to use specific court publication services for notices?**
Using specialized services is critical because courts require notice in approved, recognized publications. Using the wrong venue can lead to immediate rejection, forcing you to restart the process and delaying your legal proceedings.
**Can I manage my own summons by publication service filing?**
While theoretically possible, it is highly discouraged. The risk of procedural errors, incorrect formatting, or choosing an unapproved publication venue is high, which often leads to the court rejecting your entire legal filing.
**What documentation do I receive from a legal notice publication provider?**
You receive a notarized affidavit of publication. This document serves as formal proof that the notice ran for the required duration and in the correct venue, which is essential for your court case.
**How long does a court notice publication typically take to complete?**
The timeline depends on specific court statutes and the required duration for the notice to appear. A professional service works to expedite the process while ensuring all statutory time requirements are met.
**Are there specific requirements for the language used in legal publication?**
Yes, courts have very specific language requirements for these notices. Any deviation can result in the court finding the notice insufficient. Professional services ensure the copy meets all required legal standards perfectly.
**What happens if my legal notice publication contains errors?**
Errors in notice content or publication duration usually result in the court rejecting the filing. This forces you to repeat the publication process, causing significant delays and incurring additional, avoidable costs for you.
**Why should I choose a service that understands the local court system?**
Local courts have unique procedural preferences. A service that knows these specific nuances can navigate potential hurdles efficiently, ensuring your filing is accepted the first time and your legal process remains seamless.
## **Key Takeaways**
- Professional handling of legal publication service ensures your filings meet all court mandates without costly delays.
- Using specialized court publication services prevents the common error of choosing unapproved venues for your notices.
- Proper court-ordered publication service creates a clear, ironclad audit trail necessary for your ongoing litigation.
- Partnering with experts allows you to focus on your core legal strategy instead of manual paperwork.
- Consistent use of a legal notice publication provider builds a reliable workflow for your current and future cases.
### Indoor golf club to open on L.A.'s Westside, first new private club there in 50 years
URL: https://www.smdp.com/indoor-golf-club-to-open-on-l-a-s-westside-first-new-private-club-there-in-50-years/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T15:59:59.000Z
Stableford, a private golf and wellness club built around indoor simulators rather than fairways, will open its 13,000-square-foot flagship clubhouse in West Los Angeles in late 2026, marking the first new private golf club on the city's [Westside](https://www.smdp.com/waitlist-for-home-delivered-meals-nears-100-as-senior-hunger-deepens-on-westside/) in more than 50 years.
Located at 2055 S. Barrington Ave. along the Brentwood-Santa Monica corridor, the club is designed to fold golf into the rhythm of a workweek — early mornings, weekday evenings and social nights — rather than the four hours a traditional round demands. Construction is underway.
The club takes its name from golf's Stableford scoring system and was developed by co-founders Sanjay Mattela and Drake Walker in response to what they describe as a supply gap in one of the country's most undersupplied golf markets.
"It's really a combination of land cost, availability and regulation," Mattela, the club's chief executive, said of the decades-long drought in new Westside clubs. "Building a traditional private golf club on the Westside today would be incredibly difficult."
What has changed, he said, is demand. "Golf has boomed since Covid, bringing a wave of new players into the game and bringing many former golfers back," Mattela said. "That has put even more pressure on an already limited supply of public and private golf."
Rather than build another course, the founders designed the club around what happens between rounds — practice, recovery, meals, drinks and events. Los Angeles has one of the highest concentrations of golfers in California and ranks among the most undersupplied markets in the country, according to the company.
Mattela is quick to distinguish Stableford from the wave of simulator bars and entertainment venues that have expanded in recent years.
"Stableford is fundamentally a private club, not a simulator business," he said. "We care just as much about creating a great place to spend time as we do about the activities themselves."
Membership will be capped in the low hundreds and offered by invitation, following an application reviewed by a membership committee. Referrals from existing members will be prioritized, and founding memberships are limited.
"Other concepts sell an activity by the hour," Mattela said. "We're building a club around belonging, community and a place you genuinely want to spend time."
The clubhouse will feature eight TrackMan simulator lounges designed to feel more like private dining rooms than performance bays, along with one of the largest indoor putting greens in the state, powered by PuttView technology. Interiors were created by the hospitality studio Mazzarini & Co.
Beyond golf, private wellness suites will offer cold plunges, Finnish saunas and large-format red light therapy panels, along with recovery equipment such as massage tools, stretching bands and yoga gear.
The food and beverage program will run from a morning espresso and smoothie bar, with pastries from local bakeries, to an all-day counter serving poke bowls, sushi, grain bowls, wraps and sandwiches. In the evening, the space will turn toward a cocktail menu developed by a principal bartender from Employees Only, the New York bar.
On-site instruction will be led by director of golf Lucas Wald, a swing coach whose clients span entertainment, sports and business. Day-to-day operations will be overseen by General Manager Corey Bross, formerly of Bel Air Country Club.
The founders frame the concept as a lifestyle built around the game rather than a facility for playing it.
"Golf is the foundation, but the golf experience at Stableford is really a lifestyle experience built around the game," said Walker, the club's chief product officer. "It is about creating a place where members want to spend time before, during, and after their round."
Programming will extend beyond the clubhouse to include member events, golf leagues, game nights, culinary experiences and destination golf trips to private clubs and resorts around the country.
"Golf is the anchor, but the goal is to create a home away from home that fits naturally into our members' lives," Mattela said.
Prospective members can submit interest through the club's website at[ ](http://www.stableford.com/?ref=smdp.com)[stableford.com](http://www.stableford.com/?ref=smdp.com). The clubhouse is expected to open in late 2026.
### California’s political battle over key environmental law brews on two fronts
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-political-battle-over-key-environmental-law-brews-on-two-fronts/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T15:59:59.000Z
Business as usual in California politics always includes at least one squabble over the [California Environmental Quality Act](https://davidchapmanlaw.com/practice-areas/real-estate/environmental-compliance-in-real-estate/california-environmental-quality-act-ceqa?ref=smdp.com), a law signed 56 years ago by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan.
As the Legislature grinds toward the end of its biennial session next week and a Nov. 3 election approaches, we have two such political duels over CEQA, one in legislation and the other in a ballot measure.
The underlying issue in both, as always, is how a law, whose original aim was minimizing adverse environmental impacts by public and private projects, will be applied. And, as usual, they pit environmental protection advocates against business interests.
In recent years, the perpetual CEQA debate has centered on its use — or misuse — as local governments were pressed by the state to increase housing development, particularly apartments for low- and medium-income families.
Project opponents, arguing that multi-family projects would change the character of their neighborhoods, often invoked CEQA. Construction unions also did as they pressured developers to use union labor.
Last year, the issue reached a climactic point when Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature [enacted two bills to exempt some forms of housing from CEQA](https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/06/ceqa-urban-development-infill-budget/?ref=smdp.com) by including them in the state budget package,
“This isn’t just a budget, Newsom said. “This is a budget that builds. It proves what’s possible when we govern with urgency, with clarity, and with a belief in abundance over scarcity.”
Although the bills, [Assembly Bill 130](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab130?ref=smdp.com) and [Senate Bill 131](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb131?ref=smdp.com), were largely seen as housing policy, the latter also altered how CEQA would be applied to some non-housing projects, most notably “advanced manufacturing facilities,” with potentially broad effects.
Too broad, environmentalists complained.
Almost immediately they listed the kinds of projects that could escape CEQA oversight, such as strip mining, and began [pressuring Newsom and the Legislature to narrow the legislation’s application.](https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/03/advanced-manufacturing-ceqa-reform-blakespear/?ref=smdp.com)
A year later, that narrowing is contained in [Senate Bill 954](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb954?ref=smdp.com). Environmental groups like it but business groups contend it will make California uncompetitive in seeking industrial investment, citing not only its CEQA provisions but language that would compel the use of union labor by any approved project.
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association argues that the bill would affect “supply chain operations and modernization of existing facilities, including upgrades that support the state’s own environmental and energy goals, at a moment when California is competing globally for manufacturing investment.”
While environmental groups say SB 131 goes too far, the California Chamber of Commerce says it didn’t go far enough in streamlining CEQA’s application. It and other business groups are taking that argument to the ballot.
If passed by voters, [Proposition 45](https://ballotpedia.org/California%5FProposition%5F45,%5FChanges%5Fto%5FEnvironmental%5FReview%5FProcess%5Ffor%5FCertain%5FProjects%5FInitiative%5F%282026%29/?ref=smdp.com) would speed up the CEQA vetting process for projects and limit the ability of project opponents to seek judicial intervention.
“Californians have too long paid the price for bureaucratic red tape and delays, and they’re ready for solutions,” says Chamber of Commerce president Jennifer Barrera.
The chamber and other business groups have created the Committee to Build an Affordable California to campaign for the measure, while environmental and union advocates have a coalition named People Over Polluters.
“We strongly oppose it,” says Miguel Miguel, director of Sierra Club California. “We know that what they are really trying to do is eliminate a lot of the environmental safeguards that have existed for a long time.”
There are 14 measures on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot, and those affecting taxation, particularly Proposition 40, a tax on billionaires, are garnering the most media attention.
But Prop. 45 is also a biggie that could draw many millions in campaign money. Its outcome will be a major milestone in the decades-long political skirmishes over CEQA.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
By [Dan Walters](https://calmatters.org/author/dan-walters/?ref=smdp.com)
### L.A. County recruiting bilingual election workers for November election
URL: https://www.smdp.com/l-a-county-recruiting-bilingual-election-workers-for-november-election/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T15:59:59.000Z
Los Angeles County elections officials are recruiting bilingual residents to staff vote centers for the Nov. 3 general election, part of an effort to help people cast ballots in their preferred language.
The county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk said it is seeking community members who speak English and one of 15 high-need languages: Japanese, Korean, Khmer, Chinese, Tagalog, Thai, Armenian, Farsi, Vietnamese, Russian, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi, Lao and Mongolian.
Election workers help open and operate vote centers, welcome and check in voters, provide information and assistance, and support people throughout the voting process. As frontline representatives of the registrar's office, they also help ensure the centers run smoothly and efficiently, officials said.
The office said bilingual workers are especially valuable in a county as large and varied as [Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/supervisor-horvath-moves-to-explore-new-la-county-office-of-gender-equity/), where a voter's first question about how to cast a ballot may come more easily in a language other than English. Those workers help voters navigate in-person voting, answer questions about the process and ensure language assistance is available throughout the experience.
"Election workers are essential to delivering an accessible voting experience across L.A. County," Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan said. "We encourage bilingual community members to join our team to serve their community in a meaningful way, assist voters in their preferred language, and help every voter participate in the democratic process with confidence."
Workers can earn up to $1,080 during the election period. Those who speak, read and write in one of the county's supported languages can receive an additional stipend.
To serve, applicants must be at least 18 years old, unless they are taking part in the county's Student Election Worker Program. They also must be U.S. citizens registered to vote in California, or legal permanent residents.
All election workers receive training before serving at a vote center. The training prepares them to use voting equipment and systems, follow election procedures, assist voters and respond to common situations that arise at the centers, the office said. Officials said the goal is to ensure workers provide consistent, accurate and professional service throughout the voting period.
Vote centers will operate at hundreds of locations across the county beginning Oct. 24 and continuing through Election Day. Voters can visit any participating center to vote in person or return a completed mail ballot. The centers include features intended to make voting safe, easy and convenient, the office said.
The registrar's office also identified communities where recruiting multilingual workers is especially important, including Brentwood, Culver City, Hollywood, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Panorama City, Pasadena, San Pedro, Santa Monica, Torrance and Woodland Hills.
Beyond the 15 highest-need languages, the office said it is accepting applications from speakers of additional languages, including Spanish, Nepali, Burmese, Punjabi, Bengali, Hmong, Indonesian and Telugu.
Staffing vote centers with trained workers, including those who can assist voters in languages other than English, is an important part of providing accessible and responsive service to the county's voters, officials said.
Residents interested in serving can apply and learn more at [lavote.gov](https://www.lavote.gov/?ref=smdp.com).
### Bombas Sees Venice Store as a Platform for Growth and Community Impact
URL: https://www.smdp.com/bombas-sees-venice-store-as-a-platform-for-growth-and-community-impact/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T09:59:59.000Z
For Bombas, the opening of its first Los Angeles store represents more than an expansion of its physical retail footprint. The company sees its new Abbot Kinney location as an opportunity to introduce new customers to the brand, deepen its connection with existing shoppers and become an active participant in the Venice and greater Westside community. “Our first stores have shown us that physical retail is about much more than sales,” said Dennis Pettis, general manager of wholesale and retail at Bombas. While stores allow longtime customers to experience the full Bombas brand in person, more than half of the company’s in-store shoppers are new to Bombas—underscoring the important role brick-and-mortar retail plays in customer discovery and growth.
Pettis said the company’s early stores have also exceeded expectations and industry benchmarks across key measures, including traffic, conversion and return rates. But success is not being measured solely through transactions. Physical stores allow customers to connect more directly with Bombas’ mission and story while giving the company an opportunity to establish meaningful relationships within the neighborhoods it serves.
To celebrate the Venice opening, Bombas created an exclusive Los Angeles-themed sock as a gift for its first 150 customers. Beyond opening day, the company plans to collaborate with local businesses and organizations on community events and neighborhood activations that reflect the Bombas brand while helping reinforce Venice’s identity as a thriving retail destination.
That local commitment is closely tied to Bombas’ signature One Purchased = One Donated model. The company currently works with 434 Giving Partners across California, including 67 located within 15 miles of the Venice store. Through those partnerships, Bombas provides new, highly requested clothing essentials to organizations serving people experiencing homelessness and other forms of hardship throughout Los Angeles.
Bombas has already begun building relationships with nearby organizations, including Safe Place for Youth and The Midnight Mission, where its team has volunteered and learned more about local needs. “We’re looking forward to continuing to build relationships with our local Giving Partners and creating opportunities for our store employees and customers to get involved in the community,” Pettis said.
As the Venice store enters its first year, Bombas hopes it will become not only a place to discover its products, but also a platform for volunteerism, local partnerships and community-centered programming—embedding the brand’s social-impact mission within the neighborhood it now calls home.
### Providence Saint John's Health Center Hosts Men's Health Festival Saturday
URL: https://www.smdp.com/providence-saint-johns-health-center-hosts-mens-health-festival-saturday/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T18:59:00.000Z
Providence Saint John's Health Center will host "Game Plan for Health: A Men's Wellness Fair," a free community event focused on men's cancer awareness, prevention and wellness for the whole family, on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 2 to 6 p.m.
The event will take place in Parking Lot A at Providence Saint John's Health Center, 2121 Santa Monica Blvd.
Attendees will be able to explore local resources and educational booths and enjoy fair-inspired attractions, including a Ferris wheel, dunk tank, kid-friendly games, opportunity drawings and more.
Area families are encouraged to attend and build a personal game plan for better health through prevention, screenings, nutrition and healthy habits. They will have a chance to connect with experts and discover resources that support lifelong wellness.
The free event is open to the public. It is hosted by Cancer Support Services in collaboration with Providence Saint John's Cancer Clinics, with sponsorship from the Ruth and Milton Berman Family Mentorship Fund.
Pre-registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to register in advance at[ ](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hpAxLiaao0aGX2Fb7VdnhpwQCa0yV3NOtRkQJT%5FM2-5UNVpXMldLOVg4M1I5MzAxMlRJVklJWTZQMi4u&origin=QRCode&ref=smdp.com)[https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hpAxLiaao0aGX2Fb7VdnhpwQCa0yV3NOtRkQJT\_M2-5UNVpXMldLOVg4M1I5MzAxMlRJVklJWTZQMi4u&origin=QRCode](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hpAxLiaao0aGX2Fb7VdnhpwQCa0yV3NOtRkQJT%5FM2-5UNVpXMldLOVg4M1I5MzAxMlRJVklJWTZQMi4u&origin=QRCode&ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Local author Gary Fields debuts contemporary thriller 'The Book of Judges'
URL: https://www.smdp.com/local-author-gary-fields-debuts-contemporary-thriller-the-book-of-judges/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T18:58:59.000Z
Los Angeles-area author Gary Fields has published his first novel, "The Book of Judges," a contemporary thriller that weaves a modern murder mystery together with eight stories of historical fiction.
Released by SparkPress, the book follows young lawyer Joshua Sutton, doctoral candidate Samantha Bollinger and tech expert Mark Roth after a beloved judge is murdered and his virus-infected laptop is found to hold an ancient secret. The trio is thrust into a three-day quest for answers that spans millennia.
As Roth pulls clues from the computer, Sutton and Bollinger are chased around Florida by the killer and others who want the laptop. The two realize they have both been haunted by dreams of historical judges seeking justice in life-and-death cases — in Mongol-ruled China, Imperial Rome, Byzantium, post-Renaissance Venice, Henry VIII's England and Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom — that come to define human rights. The story builds to a race to New York City to stop the murder of another judge who could save humanity.
The novel has drawn comparisons to the work of Dan Brown. Library Journal said the debut will satisfy fans of Brown-style historical conspiracy thrillers, while Kirkus Reviews called it a twisty thriller with an unusual plot. Sheldon Siegel, the New York Times bestselling author of "Special Circumstances," described it as a masterful blend of modern-day thriller and historical fiction.
Fields earned a law degree from the University of Miami and a degree in mathematics and computer science from SUNY Albany. He has designed computer systems for Fortune 500 companies and built a law practice specializing in community associations. He has also written hundreds of songs, performed as a solo acoustic artist, led civic activism in his community and coached youth sports for 18 years. He and his wife, Debbie, live in the Los Angeles area.
"The Book of Judges" is available in paperback for $17.99 (ISBN-13: 978-1684633487). Fields is currently working on a sequel.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### The park accross the street
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-park-accross-the-street/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T18:59:00.000Z
Guess I will begin with a question. Is it possible to be head over heels in love, and still be heartbroken? Though Ohio born and raised,I have been a resident of Santa Monica for decades, and full confession, I am still madly in love with this place… warts and all. If you are reading this, you have your own reasons for loving her, and for what you don't love. The noise level, traffic, overbuilding, etc...none of us is blind to those pesky warts. Still, like faithful, patient parents, we find ourselves forgiving and continuing to love her, no matter what. Could there be any place more special than our city?
What I love are quirky, treasured memories of the old post office on Fifth Street, where at Christmas the portly Salvation Army captain would stand at the entrance, ring his bell, and shout out in his own special cadence.. "Salvation Army". I loved the restaurant at the old Broadway department store where I had my last enjoyable meal before early pregnancy morning sickness hit.
That is just going down memory lane with a few personal examples. Through the changing years, there has always been something to love and appreciate.
However, if you pinned me down and insisted I had to choose one thing and one thing only that I most love about Santa Monica, it would be Palisades Park, the park across the street from my apartment building on Ocean Avenue. You see, I was there yesterday, August 22, when everything changed for me. Oh, the memories that park holds. In my single days, I would jog in the park, with two brief stops. First, a quick prayer at the feet of Saint Monica, who watches over us at the corner of Wilshire and Ocean Avenue. Next, for good luck, I would touch the cold nose of the bust of Arcadia Bandini de Baker, who helped develop Santa Monica. She sits proudly in the middle of the park's rose garden.
Sometime later, while sunbathing in the park, I would meet the love of my life, who later became my husband and father to our son. Many years later, I would curl up on a bench at the Rose Garden, trying to write his eulogy... The historic old totem pole at the end of the park, the glorious plants and flowers. Well, you can see why my love has never waned. And then there was yesterday.
By now you have watched the news and you know about the domestic incident and then the terrible event that followed. I was standing in front of my apartment building and watched a police officer take his gun out of his holster and shoot a knife-wielding man. I have never witnessed anyone killed. It is not like the movies or TV. It's real, and it's horrible. I watched for a long time while they tried CPR, unsuccessfully.
I have been absolutely swallowed up with shock and grief, and held both the man and the police officer in my fervent prayers. He was doing his duty, which means to protect others; he may have to end someone's life. I am writing this not to condemn either man. Honestly, I don't know why I am writing this. I don't know what to do with all these feelings and grief.
I am not a politician nor anyone with all the answers. I am just an average, everyday citizen who loves her city. I don't write bills or pass laws. Here is what I do, though. I remember that all lives are precious. Underneath the wild-eyed, smelly, sometimes violent person we often see on our streets...there is a real person that was not that way once upon a time. Maybe you grew up with him or her...worked with him... maybe you had Christmas dinner with him. Maybe he's your ex, your child, even....
Maybe it just starts with that...there has to be a compassionate, effective way to battle the Godzilla that is mental illness. Everyone should have access to the medical assistance that would uncover a healthy and productive, and loved human being. We have to let go of fear and judgement and stigma that remains in our society. I went to church today seeking some answers, solace... something to help me understand. It wasn't until nearly the end of the service, when we sang that old Burt Bacharach tune.." What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love" that I realized the truth in the following lyrics..."It's the only thing there is just too little of...no, not for some, but for everyone." Maybe we can just start there.
As for the park, I love her just as much, though now it's a bittersweet love that will do its best to heal my wounded heart.
Tamara Tarsitano
Santa Monica
### Lion's Roar
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lions-roar-35/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T18:59:00.000Z
It is a time for new beginnings. Schools will be starting soon, promising a fresh start and a year of growth, and the Santa Monica Pacific Palisades Lions Club is also beginning a new year under the leadership of our newly installed President, Carol Ann Emmitt. As one of the first two female members of the Santa Monica club, Carol Ann has served as president multiple times and is a Past District Governor of Lions District 4-L3, which serves the Los Angeles area.
Our SMPP Lions Installation was held this month at the Del Rey Yacht Club, where District Governor Frances Lee installed our new slate of officers. President Carol Ann then had the pleasure of installing our first new member of the year, Capt. Ken Cleveland of the Santa Monica Salvation Army.
The evening also gave us an opportunity to recognize our two longest-serving Lions, Arne Levee and Kingsley Fife. Both physicians, they joined the club within a couple of months of each other and quickly became good friends. Sadly, Arne passed away earlier this year, so his wife, Linda, stood in for him during the recognition. Kingsley, meanwhile, has never slowed down. He continues to serve as our membership chair and keeps club members informed about meetings, service activities and member milestones.
With school starting again, our first service project of the new Lions year will be August 11 at Santa Monica Memorial Park, where we will participate in the annual PAL Back-to-School event. Led by our service chair, Brian Ransom, Lions will once again be handing out keychains, stickers and other fun items, along with Target gift cards, to help local students get their school year off to a good start.
Increasing our service in the community is a big part of President Carol Ann’s plan for the coming year. At our first meeting in our new location, the Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica, on September 2, Brian will be collecting shopping bags that members have filled with food for the Westside Food Bank. We originally began this project during the holiday season, but we have come to recognize that the need for food assistance continues throughout the year, especially as families face higher costs and continued economic uncertainty.
If you would like to contribute food for the Westside Food Bank, learn more about our plans for the year ahead, or simply find out what being a Lion is all about, please consider joining us as our guest on September 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica, 530 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica. Valet parking is available. To RSVP, please contact Kingsley at 310-454-2960 or [smpplionsclub@gmail.com](mailto:smpplionsclub@gmail.com).
### Around Town: Salsa at Tongva, Early Pumpkin Drops & Top Westside Burgers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-salsa-at-tongva-early-pumpkin-drops-top-westside-burgers/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T16:00:09.000Z
**SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes outdoor films, local singles mixers, new Palisades dining, and much more!**
**Singles Night at Circle Bar:** Ditch the apps and meet local Westside singles in person at Circle Bar’s dedicated evening mixer on Main Street. **Thursday, Aug. 27, 7 - 10 p.m., 2926 Main St.** [circlebar-sm.com](http://circlebar-sm.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Virginia Avenue Park Open House & Resource Fair:** Bring the family for an interactive community open house featuring local organization resource booths, family activities, music, and food trucks showcasing neighborhood programs for the fall season. **Friday, Aug. 28, 5 – 7 p.m. 2200 Virginia Ave.** [santamonica.gov/events/4az8aq31k5r48zdcqsrbb6gyww/202608281700](http://santamonica.gov/events/4az8aq31k5r48zdcqsrbb6gyww/202608281700?ref=smdp.com)
**Summer Friday Movie Night: Matilda at Cayton Children’s Museum:** Wrap up the Cayton’s summer screening series with a family-friendly movie night featuring Matilda. Tickets include full access to the museum’s interactive exhibit spaces prior to showtime, plus complimentary movie snacks and drinks inside the kid-tailored theater space. **Friday, Aug. 28, 5:30 p.m., 395 Santa Monica Place** [caytonmuseum.org](http://caytonmuseum.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Ballet of Lights Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show:** The Broad Stage hosts an illuminated ballet performance bringing the classic fairy tale to life through glowing costumes and choreography. **Saturday, Aug. 29, 4 p.m., Broad Stage, 1310 11th St.** [balletoflights.com/sleeping-beauty](http://balletoflights.com/sleeping-beauty?ref=smdp.com)
**New Outdoor Music & Movie Series Saturdays at Tongva Park:** Spend your Saturday nights under the stars at TONGVA TWILIGHT: Sounds & Cinema, a free outdoor series blending live music, iconic films, and summer vibes in Tongva Park. Grab your friends, pack a picnic and enjoy complimentary popcorn on movie nights while supplies last. **This week, Son Mayor will bring its high-energy salsa orchestra to Tongva Park, complete with a complimentary salsa lesson before the performance. Saturdays, through Sept. 12, 7 - 10 p.m., 1615 Ocean Ave**. [santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series](http://santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series?ref=smdp.com)
**Marina Movie Nights:** Grab your family, a picnic dinner, and a blanket or low-profile beach chairs and make your way to Burton Chace Park for the free summer events on select **Saturdays from August 22 to September 26.** Movies start at 8 p.m. but arrive by 7 to pick out your spot on the lawn. Free admission! [visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights](http://visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights?ref=smdp.com)
**Salvation Army 2nd Chance Benefit Concert:** Tickets include a buffet dinner, drinks, and silent auction access, with 100% of proceeds supporting local, free adult rehabilitation programs. **Sunday, Aug. 30, 6 p.m., 1533 4th St.** [smdp.com/salvation-army-rehab-center-to-host-benefit-concert-aug-30/](http://smdp.com/salvation-army-rehab-center-to-host-benefit-concert-aug-30/?ref=smdp.com)
**Palisades Night at The Bungalow:** Community meets nightlife at The Bungalow Santa Monica’s monthly neighborhood party. Featuring beats from Palisades native DJ Graham Funke, themed cocktails, and exclusive merch, the evening brings together beachy vibes for a good cause—with proceeds benefiting LA Strong Sports and rebuilding the Pacific Palisades Park and Recreation Center. **Thursday, Sept. 3, Starting at 7 p.m., The Bungalow Santa Monica, 101 Wilshire Blvd.** [thebungalow.com/santa-monica/palisades-night](http://thebungalow.com/santa-monica/palisades-night?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Pier Locals Night](https://www.santamonicapier.org/localsnight?ref=smdp.com) (every 3rd Thursday)
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Abbot Kinney Supper Club:** Expect a golden hour dinner party with long tables, good people, and a Japanese-inspired six-course menu with a little California flair. **Friday, Aug. 28, 6:30 p.m.** [https://www.instagram.com/p/DcJ1kKoJes7/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DcJ1kKoJes7/?ref=smdp.com)
**Fall Arrives Early at Randy’s Donuts:** Because waiting until September is overrated, Randy’s Donuts is kicking off pumpkin season early with offerings like Pumpkin Cake donuts with cream cheese icing, Pistachio Crumb raised donuts, and Cinnamon Coffee Cake donuts, paired with iced or hot Pumpkin Pie and Pistachio Lattes. **Available starting Monday, Aug. 31, 829 Wilshire Blvd.** [randysdonuts.com](http://randysdonuts.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Multiple Santa Monica Ice Cream Shops Listed in LA’s Top 10:** A viral top 10 countdown spotlighting the city's top scoop destinations gave big shoutouts to local staples like Sweet Rose Creamery (225 26th St.) and Rori's Artisanal Creamery (910 Montana Ave.), celebrating their organic ingredients, inventive flavor rotations, and neighborhood charm. [instagram.com/reel/Dbd9xskD5wA](http://instagram.com/reel/Dbd9xskD5wA?ref=smdp.com)
**Pasjoli & The Office on "The Best Burgers In LA" List:** The Infatuation heaps praise on the Pasjoli (2732 Main St) burger: "The thick, dry-aged patty is pan-seared and basted in herb butter, then blanketed with cheddar and bone marrow aioli. A handful of crisp shallots and a thick ring of sautéed red onion are the only vegetables in sight." Father's Office (1018 Montana Ave) gets serious love too: "Topped with caramelized onions, gruyere and Maytag blue cheese, bacon compote, and arugula, this is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and tangy." [theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-burger-la](http://theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-burger-la?ref=smdp.com)
**Palisades Village reopens with new restaurants from Nancy Silverton and Timothy Hollingsworth:** The Caruso-owned Palisades Village reopened on Saturday after more than $100 million in repairs. Celebrity chef Timothy Hollingsworth opened Alphabet Bar & Grill in the former Hank’s space. Designed as the Village’s neighborhood restaurant, it serves American classics, such as rotisserie chickens with a range of sauces and just-charred burgers under cheddar and buttery onions. Caruso had hoped to work with Nancy Silverton for years. But it was the mission of aiding the Palisades that finally spurred the Mozza, Chi Spacca and La Brea Bakery founder to conceptualize Spacca Tutto, an Italian-leaning steakhouse set to debut in Palisades Village next month. [https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-08-20/palisades-village-reopen-nancy-silverton-timothy-hollingsworth-new-restaurants](https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-08-20/palisades-village-reopen-nancy-silverton-timothy-hollingsworth-new-restaurants?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield: Fiesta La Ballona:** Culver City’s marquee summer festival celebrates its 75th anniversary at Veterans Memorial Park with live music across two stages, carnival rides, games, beer gardens, and over 40 local food vendors. Free admission. **Friday, Aug. 28 – Sunday, Aug. 30, Veterans Memorial Park, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City** [fiestaballona.org](http://fiestaballona.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Salsa at Tongva, Early Pumpkin Drops & Top Westside Burgers**
### Malibu council sends parking ordinance back for a broader rewrite
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-council-sends-parking-ordinance-back-for-a-broader-rewrite/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T15:59:59.000Z
The Malibu City Council voted Monday unanimously to hold off on adopting a new parking-enforcement ordinance, instead sending it back to city staff with instructions to expand the measure to cover every public and private parking lot within the city.
The vote came on Ordinance No. 538, which staff had recommended the council introduce on first reading. As drafted, the ordinance would have authorized the city's Parking Enforcement Team and Volunteers on Patrol to issue citations at a handful of publicly owned off-street lots, including the Los Angeles County-owned Malibu Library parking lot, [Malibu](https://www.smdp.com/malibu-nears-completion-of-pch-speed-safety-cameras-launches-public-outreach/) Bluffs Park and Las Flores Park.
Rather than advance that narrower version, council members said they wanted the ordinance to reach as many lots as possible. "Why don't we just make this apply to every single public parking lot, private or public, within the city limits," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said, adding that the city could then work out whether individual lot owners would post the signs required for enforcement.
The measure relies on California Vehicle Code Section 21107.8, which allows local governments to extend traffic and parking enforcement to off-street lots that are open to the public, provided signs are posted at the entrances. Luis Flores, the city's public safety manager, told the council the change would let parking officers work alongside the Sheriff's Department to address problems in lots where the city currently has no authority to write tickets.
Flores said the Malibu Library lot has drawn RVs, abandoned vehicles and people cooking inside their vehicles late at night, raising fire risks. The ordinance was tied to the city's strategic goal of reducing homeless encampments. Under the measure, the city's oversized-vehicle rules — with escalating fines of $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second and $500 for a third — could be enforced in the covered lots.
Much of the discussion focused on repeat offenders. Councilmember Steve Uhring pointed to one RV whose owner, he said, has spent much of his time parked on Civic Center Way and the rest in the library lot. Flores said the man had been towed on numerous occasions, incarcerated and released, and had paid off his citations while continuing to return. Councilmember Haylynn Conrad said the city had ordinances on the books yet could not stop the RV from shuttling between locations. "This is extremely frustrating for all of us," she said.
A representative of the [Sheriff's Department](https://lasd.org/malibu-lost-hills/?ref=smdp.com) told the council the ordinance would strengthen an enforcement tool tied to vehicle registration. Drivers must clear outstanding parking citations to renew their registration each year, the representative said, and vehicles whose registration has been expired for six months can be towed. Asked whether deputies would patrol the lots if private owners posted signs, the representative said they would.
Councilmember Steve Uhring urged staff to write the strongest version possible. "Let's make it as strong as we can," he said, adding that the problem had persisted for years and that more force behind the measure would leave the city better off. He said he did not object to a delay of a week or two.
Councilmember Marianne Riggins pressed staff on cost, seeking assurance the program would not become a drain on the city. "As long as we break even, that's all," she said. Flores said the added enforcement would be handled under the city's existing parking-enforcement contract, which was recently extended for three years and expanded to include another patrol vehicle and officer, so no new appropriation would be required.
The push to broaden the ordinance created a procedural hurdle. Under the vehicle code, the city must give affected lot owners 10 days' written notice before the rules can take effect on their property. Staff had published a hearing notice in the Malibu Times on Aug. 6 but had not notified individual owners. A staff member cautioned that notifying every parking lot owner in the city would take time and could push adoption past the Sept. 14 meeting originally targeted for a second reading.
Silverstein moved to continue the item to the soonest meeting at which staff could provide the required notices. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition.
Council members also asked that the revised ordinance direct the city manager to reach out to private lot owners and other public agencies, encouraging them to post enforcement signs and grant the city authority to issue citations on their property.
Interim City Attorney Trevor Rusin said the ordinance would not disturb existing requirements that some shopping centers provide public beach parking under their coastal development permits, which the city can enforce separately.
### Why Is the Judge Ordering a Citation Publication California Style and How Do You Fix It Without Going Crazy?
URL: https://www.smdp.com/citation-publication-california-guide-smdp/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T19:10:54.000Z
Getting a notice from a judge to publish a legal document in a paper can feel confusing and stressful. This guide explains how to handle a court order quickly, pick an approved newspaper, and meet every rule on time. You will learn how to protect your case, avoid costly redo orders, and get your proof of publication submitted without tears.
California court publication notice process explained step by step
## **What Is a Citation Publication in California and Why Did a Judge Hand You One?**
Nobody wakes up in the morning hoping to handle court paperwork. Yet, here you are holding a legal notice. A **citation publication California** order happens when a court needs to tell someone about a legal case, but normal mail or personal hand delivery didn’t work.
Instead of letting your case sit stuck forever, the law allows you to post the notice in an official print newspaper. The court assumes that putting the text in print gives the missing person, relative, or creditor a fair chance to read it.
Here is the sequence that is being followed:
1. Court Issues Order
2. Pick Approved Newspaper
3. Run Notice for Required Weeks
4. Get Affidavit of Publication
5. File Proof with Court
### **The Three Reasons Judges Order Publication**
1. **You Cannot Find the Person:** The individual moved away without a forwarding address, or they are actively dodging process servers.
2. **Unknown Heirs or Creditors:** In probate cases, you must inform people who might have a claim on an estate.
3. **Official Legal Mandates:** California state codes state that specific rights cannot be altered until the public receives proper legal warning.
To make sure your paperwork meets all legal rules, you should read our comprehensive guide on [California legal notice publication mistakes](https://www.smdp.com/california-legal-notice-publication/) to avoid starting over from scratch.
## **How to Meet Court Citation Requirements Without Losing Your Sanity**
Trying to read state law can feel like reading a foreign language. However, the rules for meeting **court citation requirements** are actually straightforward once you break them down into steps.
### **Understanding California Government Code 6064**
Under [California Government Code 6064](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=6064&ref=smdp.com), when a judge orders publication once a week for four weeks, specific time rules apply:
- The notice must print once every seven days for four full weeks.
- Exactly 28 days must pass between the first print day and the end of the fourth week.
- The order becomes complete on the 28th day after the first print run.
### **Key Elements That Must Be 100% Accurate**
A single typo can cause a judge to reject your submission. Check these items carefully before printing:
- **Full Legal Names:** Do not use short nicknames or unapproved initials.
- **Case Number:** Verify every single digit against your official court papers.
- **Hearing Details:** Check the date, time, court address, and room number twice.
- **Filing Deadlines:** Confirm when your final proof document must land on the clerk's desk.
## **Comparing California Citation Publication Options and Newspaper Types**
Not every printed paper can run legal ads. If you print your notice in a free neighborhood newsletter, the judge will throw it out. You must select a recognized **legal citation newspaper** that has official adjudication from the court.
| Newspaper Feature | Adjudicated Legal Newspaper | Standard Local Gazette | Unapproved Free Circular |
| -------------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Court Approval Status | Fully Recognized by Law | Limited Recognition | Never Accepted |
| Issues Official Affidavits | Yes, Automatically | Sometimes | No |
| Monitors Court Rules | Yes, Expert Teams | No | No |
| Risk of Case Rejection | Zero Risk | High Risk | 100% Rejection Rate |
### **Why Adjudication Is Mandatory**
To earn official status, a publication must meet strict rules under the law:
- It must print paid content regularly for at least one full year.
- It must maintain an established list of local subscribers.
- It must hold an official court decree declaring it a newspaper of general circulation.
Using our specialized [Santa Monica Daily Press legal notice publishing portal](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) ensures your submission gets printed in a fully approved outlet that judges accept without hesitation.
## **Step-by-Step Guide to Managing a Probate Citation Publication**
Handling the estate of a loved one brings plenty of emotional stress. Dealing with a **probate citation publication** should not add to that weight.
1\. File Petition ──► 2\. Pick Paper ──► 3\. Run Notice ──► 4\. File Proof
### **The Four Steps of Estate Publication**
1. **File Your Court Petition:** Submit your initial paperwork with the county probate clerk.
2. **Select an Approved Outlet:** Choose a paper located in the city or county where the deceased person lived or owned property.
3. **Run the Notice:** Follow statutory rules for printing frequency.
4. **Submit Proof to Court:** File your signed affidavit before your scheduled hearing date.
### **Rules Under California Probate Code 8121**
State law protects heirs and creditors through specific rules outlined in [California Probate Code Division 7.](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplayText.xhtml?lawCode=PROB&division=7.&title=&part=4.&chapter=3.&article=&ref=smdp.com) In addition, local court lists like the [San Mateo County Court Newspaper Listings](https://sanmateo.courts.ca.gov/system/files/local-forms/l-pr-13newspaper-listings.pdf?ref=smdp.com) show exactly which papers satisfy local requirements.
- **Minimum Print Counts:** The notice must appear at least three times.
- **First Print Window:** The first publication must happen at least 15 days before the court hearing.
- **Spacing Rules:** At least five days must separate the first and last publication dates.
For a closer look at estate notices, review our detailed guide on how an [executor publishes notice of probate](https://www.smdp.com/executor-publishes-notice-probate/) to keep your case moving smoothly.
## **Why You Should Pick a Dedicated California Citation Publication Service**
Handling court steps alone often leads to missed deadlines and extra fees. Partnering with an expert **California citation publication service** takes the guesswork out of the entire legal process.
### **The Hidden Hazards of Going It Alone**
- **Wrong Newspaper Selection:** Posting in an unapproved paper voids your filing completely.
- **Mismatched Text:** Leaving out a single word can force you to start the four-week clock over again.
- **Late Proof Filings:** Forgetting to file your affidavit on time can cause a judge to postpone your hearing.
## **How Professional Services Save You Money**
\[ Error-Free Formatting \] ──► \[ Scheduled Runs \] ──► \[ Fast Proof Filing \]
When you hire professionals, they handle formatting, schedule precise print dates, and mail your official proof straight to the court clerk.
If you are dealing with lawsuit paperwork, check our resource on [civil summons newspaper ad requirements](https://www.smdp.com/civil-summons-newspaper/) to see how proper publication satisfies formal service rules. You can also explore our article on [estate legal notice newspaper options in Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/estate-legal-notice-newspaper-in-santa-monica/) for local probate cases.
To discover why courts mandate public notices, read our post explaining [why you must publish a court-ordered legal notice](https://www.smdp.com/why-court-ordered-publication-santa-monica/). For public agency bidding needs, review our guide on [RFP public bid legal notices](https://www.smdp.com/rfp-public-bid-legal-notice/).
## **Conclusion**
Facing a **citation notice publication** order does not have to ruin your week. While court rules look rigid, following the correct sequence protects your case from unexpected delays.
Start by reviewing your court order carefully. Pick a trusted, court-approved newspaper, verify every line of text, and ensure your affidavit gets filed well before your hearing. Taking these steps early keeps your legal matter moving forward without unnecessary stress.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What does a citation notice publication mean?**
A **citation notice publication** is a legal announcement printed in an approved newspaper. Courts require it to notify missing parties, unknown heirs, or creditors when direct personal service is impossible.
**How long must a citation publication California run in print?**
A **citation publication California** order usually runs once a week for four consecutive weeks under state law. The full legal notice period finishes 28 days after the first printing date.
**What is an affidavit of publication?**
An affidavit of publication is a sworn, notarized document produced by the newspaper. It proves to the court clerk and judge that your notice was printed correctly on the required dates.
**What happens if I miss a publication deadline?**
If you miss a publication deadline, the court will likely reject your proof. You may have to restart the entire publication schedule from week one, costing extra time and money.
**Can I publish my notice in any local newspaper?**
No, you cannot use just any newspaper. You must select an officially adjudicated **legal citation newspaper** recognized by the local court system, or your notice will be declared invalid.
**How much does a California citation publication service cost?**
Costs depend on notice length, printing frequency, and county rules. Hiring an expert **California citation publication service** helps avoid expensive re-publication errors caused by simple formatting mistakes.
**Why is probate citation publication necessary for estates?**
A **probate citation publication** gives public notice to unknown creditors, distant relatives, and beneficiaries. It ensures everyone gets a fair chance to state their legal claims before estate assets are distributed.
**How do I prove to the judge that my notice was published?**
You prove publication by submitting the official proof document given by the newspaper. This document gets filed directly with the court clerk before your assigned hearing date.
**What details must match court citation requirements?**
Your notice text must match **court citation requirements** exactly. That includes full legal names, correct case numbers, court addresses, hearing dates, and clear instructions for responding to the case.
## **Key Takeaways**
- **Follow Court Orders Directly:** Always publish your notice in an officially adjudicated newspaper to prevent case rejection.
- **Double Check Every Line:** Verify names, case numbers, and court dates carefully before submitting your text for print.
- **Respect Statutory Timelines:** Allow the full required print duration to complete so your notice holds up in court.
- **File Proof Promptly:** Submit your official affidavit of publication to the court clerk well before your hearing date.
### Westside artists bring three years of critique to Santa Monica gallery
URL: https://www.smdp.com/westside-artists-bring-three-years-of-critique-to-santa-monica-gallery/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T16:46:44.000Z
Ten Los Angeles-area artists who have spent the past three years critiquing one another's work will share the results with the public this month in "Between Darkness and Dawn," a contemporary art exhibition running Sept. 11-27 at Propeller Gallery in the Santa Monica Airport Arts Center.
The show at Studios 3026, 3026 Airport Ave., is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. An opening reception is set for Sunday, Sept. 13, from 2 to 5 p.m., and a closing reception for Saturday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The exhibition juxtaposes narrative works confronting the challenges of modern life with vibrant quilts and abstract paintings that celebrate the promise of a new day. The exhibiting artists are Manuela Ammendola, Barbara Danzi, Helen Desmond, Christine Forest, Kevin Higa, Lydia Kann, Deborah Pitt, Anna Sapenuk, Aaron Schechter and Melissa Thrasher.
The artists belong to the Westside Artists Critique Group, which began in May 2023 as part of a yearlong program run by the Los Angeles Art Association. It has continued through several iterations since, weathering the loss of its founding leader, Wendy Widell Wolff, who was diagnosed with cancer in late 2024 and died in March 2025\. Kann, the group's leader and a Santa Monica resident, kept it going, with Schechter stepping in as co-leader when she traveled. The group opened to new members in July and now counts 14 artists.
"In some ways, we've become a little like a family," Kann said. "We take the work seriously, but we also show up for one another's exhibitions, share opportunities and resources, and genuinely enjoy being together."
Members meet monthly, taking turns presenting work for questions and suggestions. The approach, adapted from Los Angeles Art Association guidelines, has the group respond to what it sees before the artist explains his or her intentions.
"We're honest, but we're not critical in the sense of finding fault," Kann said. "We focus on the artist's intentions and on what we see as the work's strengths and possibilities, recognizing that art is subjective and that we each bring different experiences and perspectives."
Those conversations can steer an artist in unexpected directions, she said. One member recently presented deeply poignant narrative work about his family history, a sharp departure from the abstract imagery he had shown before. He traced the shift to an earlier group critique of Kann's own art book project.
"Perhaps the greatest gift of the group is that, over three years, we've learned how to be useful to one another across a remarkably wide range of artistic goals and practices," Kann said.
The exhibition includes two free public workshops. "What Is This Artwork Asking of You?" on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., invites participants to respond to the art through drawing, writing and movement. "Tango in Art!" on Sunday, Sept. 20, from 10 to 11 a.m., pairs a tango demonstration with a lesson open to all, no experience required.
Kann said the first workshop is meant to unsettle a common assumption.
"Many people come to a gallery assuming they don't know enough about art to respond to it 'correctly,'" she said. "We want to turn that idea on its head."
"There is no single correct way to see or experience art; even professionals can have very different responses to the same work," she added. "Art is a relationship, and like any relationship, each of us brings our own perspective and experience to it."
The show arrives as the Airport Arts complex faces an uncertain future, with the city planning the site's eventual transition. Kann said that awareness lends the moment urgency.
"For artists on the Westside, spaces like this are precious and increasingly rare," she said. Losing the studios and gallery, she added, would mean losing "an environment where artists can connect, collaborate, share ideas, and be part of something larger than their individual practices."
She said she hoped the community that has grown at the site would survive whatever comes next.
"The buildings may change, but our hope is that the spirit of this remarkable artist environment — and the role it plays in the broader community — will have a place in whatever comes next," Kann said.
### Rapiscan Named Official Security Screening Provider for LA28 Games
URL: https://www.smdp.com/rapiscan-named-official-security-screening-provider-for-la28-games/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T18:58:59.000Z
Rapiscan, a Los Angeles-based security inspection company and a division of OSI Systems Inc., has been named the Official Provider of Physical Screening and Security Technology Hardware/Software Solutions of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as an Official Supporter of Team USA.
The partnership positions the company to support one of the world's largest and most complex sporting events through screening technologies, integrated security hardware and software, and physical security expertise.
The 2028 Games will bring together the world's top athletes with millions of spectators, volunteers and stakeholders. Rapiscan says it will help LA28 plan, deploy and operate coordinated safety and security capabilities at scale.
The company combines AI-enabled screening hardware, access control technologies, security software, and physical security training and operational support into integrated solutions for complex, high-consequence environments. Rapiscan has helped secure major sporting events and critical infrastructure worldwide, including in Australia, Qatar, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the United States.
"We are honored to be selected as an Official Supporter of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and proud that an LA-based company will help support an event that will showcase Los Angeles to the world," said Ajay Mehra, president and CEO of OSI Systems. He said the Games are an opportunity to show how innovation and operational excellence can create a safe, seamless experience for athletes, spectators, volunteers and communities.
"We are pleased to welcome Rapiscan as an Official Supporter of the LA28 Games," said Reynold Hoover, CEO of LA28\. He said the company's decades of experience securing major sporting events make it uniquely qualified to help meet the security requirements of the Games.
OSI Systems trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker OSIS.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA County Superior Court Seeks Applicants for Civil Grand Jury
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-superior-court-seeks-applicants-for-civil-grand-jury/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T18:58:59.000Z
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is inviting residents to apply for the 2027-2028 Civil Grand Jury, which examines county, city and joint-powers agencies. Applications are due Nov. 1, 2026.
The panel reviews the work of government agencies within Los Angeles County to promote transparency and accountability. Jurors receive in-depth training and briefings before conducting reviews that may last weeks or months. No prior jury service or investigative background is required — just a commitment to public service.
Qualified applicants must be U.S. citizens 18 or older, able to read and speak English, and Los Angeles County residents for at least one year.
To apply, complete the court's Grand Jury Application and email it to grandjury@lacourt.ca.gov or mail it to: Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Grand Jury Administration, 222 S. Hill St., Suite 670, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
The court's Juror Services Division coordinates the process. Applicants who complete interviews and are found qualified become finalists. In spring 2027, 23 people will be randomly selected from that group to serve.
Those chosen will be trained to investigate county, city and joint-powers agencies. The one-year term runs July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028, and concludes with a final report of findings and recommendations.
Past jurors have said their primary motivation was public service and civic duty, and many described the experience as engaging and meaningful.
Civil grand jurors typically devote 30 to 40 hours per week, meeting most days at 222 S. Hill St. in downtown Los Angeles. They receive $80 per day plus mileage reimbursement.
For more information, visit[ ](http://www.grandjury.co.la.ca.us/?ref=smdp.com)[www.grandjury.co.la.ca.us](http://www.grandjury.co.la.ca.us/?ref=smdp.com), email grandjury@lacourt.ca.gov or call 213-893-0411.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California’s local governments rush to ask for tax increases before voters get the chance to curb them
URL: https://www.smdp.com/californias-local-governments-rush-to-ask-for-tax-increases-before-voters-get-the-chance-to-curb-them/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T16:00:00.000Z
November’s ballot is dominated by [measures that would alter how California levies taxes](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/08/california-ballot-measures-taxes-billions/?ref=smdp.com), including one that would make it more difficult for local governments to gain voter approval of tax hikes.
[Proposition 43](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-43-tax-threshold/?ref=smdp.com) would overturn a state Supreme Court ruling and require that single-purpose taxes placed on local ballots via initiative petitions get two-thirds voter approval, just as they do when proposed by the governments themselves.
The court declared that initiative-based tax measures need only simple majority approval by voters. Its ruling, finalized in 2020, touched off a flurry of local tax measures, often sponsored by local government employee unions.
With Prop. 43 — sponsored by tax limit organizations — on the ballot, backers of local taxes across the state are trying to beat the Nov. 3 electoral deadline by getting their tax increases approved in the same election.
There is, however, another legal hurdle that local sales tax increases must clear: a long-standing state law limiting them to 2 percentage points over the statewide rate of 7.25% on taxable retail sales, or 9.25% in total.
The Legislature routinely approves waivers of the 9.25% cap. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed [Senate Bill 762](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb762?ref=smdp.com), which grants 10 cities, two counties and one town permission to exceed the limit, not only for this year’s election but through 2031, including those that placed measures on the ballot via initiative.
They will join a [long list of local governments whose sales taxes already exceed the 9.25% cap](https://cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/cdtfa95.pdf?ref=smdp.com). Two Southern California cities — Lancaster and Palmdale in Los Angeles County — top out at 11.25%. A staff analysis of SB 762 says “this bill could result in rates nearly as high in other jurisdictions.”
The analysis also notes, “Tax experts generally agree that sales and use taxes are regressive, meaning the tax incidence falls more heavily on low-income individuals than on high-income individuals, because those of lesser means generally spend a greater percentage of their income on taxable sales.”
Opponents of SB 762, such as the California Taxpayers Association, made the same point, arguing that imposing more taxes on low-income families undermines politicians’ pledge to reduce California’s notoriously high living costs.
With so many local tax increases on the ballot, another aspect of their approval chances comes into play — the extent to which local governments can use taxpayer money to campaign for passage.
It’s no secret that local governments often hire campaign consultants to positively frame how measures are presented to voters, even though state law prohibits the use of public funds for campaigns. The line distinguishing mere public information from advocacy is fuzzy, and the Fair Political Practices Commission only occasionally cracks down on those who cross it.
Last week the commission declared that [Nevada County improperly spent $34,614](https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/enforcement%5Fdiv/stipulations/2026/august/Nevada-County-fppc-no.-2023-00162---stipulation.pdf?ref=smdp.com) on two mailers urging voters to approve a sales tax increase on the November 2022 ballot. The county was fined $31,500, but that can be paid with more taxpayers’ money. The tax measure lost, garnering just 48.4% of the vote but, had it passed, the fair practices commission action would not have invalidated it.
As this year’s election looms, advocates of a massive sales tax increase in Bay Area counties, to provide about $1 billion a year for transit services, face similar accusations of trying to tilt the outcome.
Some voters critical of how BART and other transit services are managed have filed suit, contending the wording of the regional tax measure extols its virtues rather than just telling voters how much taxes would increase. They are [asking the Santa Clara County Superior Court to intervene](https://www.kqed.org/news/12095616/bay-area-group-files-lawsuit-against-transit-funding-measure-says-its-deceptive?ref=smdp.com) and order changes to the ballot language, so it does not stress how transit services would be reduced if the measure is rejected.
It’s the newest wrinkle in an old game.
\_\_\_\_\_\_
**By** [**Dan Walters**](https://calmatters.org/author/dan-walters/?ref=smdp.com)
### Counting votes quickly and accurately are not mutually exclusive. Here’s how California can do it
URL: https://www.smdp.com/counting-votes-quickly-and-accurately-are-not-mutually-exclusive-heres-how-california-can-do-it/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T16:00:00.000Z
California is the home of the artificial intelligence boom, smartphones and some of the most valuable technology companies on earth. We have built systems that process billions of transactions in a second, sequence a human genome overnight and operate self-driving cars.
Yet it wasn’t until July 10 that the state finally certified the results of its June 2 primary election.
It took 38 days.
This is not a technology problem or fraud. It is a policy problem.
California’s [ballot-counting delays are not a bug in the process](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/opinion/california-slow-vote-primary.html?ref=smdp.com). The state allows county officials up to 30 days after Election Day to complete counting, auditing and certification. Mail-in ballots postmarked on Election Day can arrive at county offices up to seven days later. Counties must verify signatures on every single envelope before opening ballots.
Officials are, in the [words of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation](https://calvoter.org/content/why-california-taking-so-long-count-votes-key-primary-races?ref=smdp.com), essentially running two election systems simultaneously.
The result is a state of 23 million registered voters that takes weeks to tell citizens who won an election.
When the incumbent secretary of state — initially [appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/06/newsom-generation-california-political-appointments/?ref=smdp.com) — resisted timeliness and even claimed she would not sacrifice accuracy, Newsom himself [sent a letter](https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/5.4.2026-GGN-Letter-to-ROVs-SIGNED.pdf?ref=smdp.com) to all 58 county elections officials [urging them to count ballots](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/primary-election-california-counting/?ref=smdp.com) “as quickly as possible,” to prevent “election lies from taking hold.”
To be clear, I am not saying California’s elections are rigged. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled votes can be counted five days after Election Day if postmarked. The court’s decision means that elections will continue to be administered under rules that were not designed for speed.
Other states like Florida show that counting fast and accurately are not mutually exclusive. They’re a function of when the law allows the work to start. Whereas California takes over a month, Florida can finish counting votes in four days.
Three changes would make a concrete difference.
California should first allow counties to begin processing and verifying mail-in ballots before Election Day, as 28 other states already do. Florida is the clearest example: State law lets officials begin processing and counting mail ballots roughly three weeks before Election Day, which is why Florida often reports results within hours of polls closing while California is still counting weeks later.
Giving California counties a head start would compress the post-election counting window.
Second, the state should fund the staffing and equipment counties need to count faster. The California Voter Foundation has called for $55 million in state funding for elections staff and technology upgrades. The state allocated $29 million in the latest budget.
It’s a good start, but throwing money at a slow counting process without meaningful changes will do little to speed up our elections.
Last, California should set a mandatory interim results deadline, requiring counties to publish results covering most ballots within 72 hours of Election Day.
None of these proposals restrict a single vote. Every ballot postmarked by Election Day — even if received five days after — would still count. Every voter would retain every protection they have. The only thing that changes is the wait to know the outcome of our elections.
After serving Californians for 30 years in nonpartisan public office at every level of California government, from school board, State Assembly, city hall, and county, I have learned that process failures do not fix themselves. Someone must decide these failures matter enough to fix, forge a coalition of support, and get it through the process.
We need California to be the first, not the worst, in handling the most important job in a democracy. We have the tools. We have the talent. What we lack is an experienced, nonpartisan, solution-oriented, reformist Chief Elections Officer to get it done. That starts with new leadership in the Secretary of State’s office.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s campaign did not respond by deadline to offers from CalMatters to author a guest commentary offering her views.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
By Don Wagner. Don Wagner is a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
### Police increase patrols after weekend shootings
URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-increase-patrols-after-weekend-shootings/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T18:28:22.000Z
The city of Santa Monica began deploying enhanced police patrols this week at the Santa Monica Pier, Palisades Park, the beach and downtown, following two separate shootings over the weekend that left one man dead and another injured.
The increased presence, which started this week, is intended to give residents, businesses and visitors a visible and consistent public safety presence at some of the city's most heavily trafficked locations, according to the city.
The stepped-up deployment follows a shooting Sunday that injured a robbery victim in downtown Santa Monica and an officer-involved shooting Saturday in Palisades Park. Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officers rendered aid to the Sunday shooting victim and arrested a suspect within hours of the incident, according to the city. Detectives are continuing to pursue additional suspects, and further arrests are anticipated.
The Saturday officer-involved shooting is being investigated in accordance with established department protocol, and the city said it will release body-worn camera footage of the incident within the next few weeks.
"Our responsibility is to protect everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Santa Monica," Police Chief Darrick Jacob said. "That means being present, visible, and accessible. Our officers are on the Pier, in our parks, along the beach, throughout downtown, and in our residential neighborhoods, day and night. That presence builds trust, supports safety, and allows us to respond when our community needs us."
In addition to the added patrols, the city said it will conduct direct outreach to downtown and Pier-area businesses in the coming days to hear concerns and share safety resources. The department is also hosting two "Coffee with a Cop" events for residents and business owners to meet with officers and ask questions. The first is scheduled for Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m. at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. A second will be held Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. at the SMPD Downtown Substation, 395 Santa Monica Place.
"The events of this past weekend were unacceptable, and our community deserves to see how seriously we take our public safety responsibilities," City Manager Oliver Chi said. "That means swift accountability for anyone who commits violence here, more officers in the places where people gather, and meeting in person with our residents and businesses to hear their concerns. Public safety is the foundation that everything else in our community rests on, and keeping Santa Monica safe is work we pursue together, every single day."
The announcement comes after a violent weekend that began Saturday afternoon, when a Santa Monica police officer shot and killed a man who charged at officers with a knife in Palisades Park. Officers were in the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue at approximately 12:49 p.m. investigating a reported domestic violence incident when a man not connected to that case ran toward them while holding a knife, according to police. The man ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon and continued advancing on officers, Jacob said. One officer opened fire, striking him.
"What happened this weekend was not acceptable, and I understand why residents are concerned," said Mayor Caroline Torosis."An arrest was made within hours, more officers are on the Pier and in our parks starting today, and our officers will be out this week to hear from the community in person. Serious crime is down 12.5% and our police department is fully staffed for the first time in over 20 years. That progress is real, but we must keep going. We will keep working until every resident feels safe on our streets."
Officers immediately began lifesaving measures, and Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics continued providing emergency care, police said. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:49 p.m. The officer was not injured, and no members of the public were hurt, according to police.
The man is described as being in his mid-40s and was homeless. Police said he was not previously known to the department and may have been new to the area. His identity will be released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office once identification is complete and his next of kin has been notified. A knife was recovered at the scene, and police said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
"Any incident resulting in the loss of life is significant," Jacob said. "We recognize the impact this has on the deceased's family and those who knew him, our community and the personnel who responded."
The following night, officers responded to a report of a shooting near the Pier ramp at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday. A preliminary investigation found that a group of individuals approached the victim and an altercation ensued during an attempted robbery, police said. One of the individuals fired a weapon during the altercation, striking the victim in the leg. Officers provided emergency aid at the scene before the victim was taken to a local hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.
The suspects fled before officers arrived, but a juvenile suspect was taken into custody later that evening in connection with the incident. Investigators are working to determine the juvenile's role in the attempted robbery and shooting, and detectives continue working to identify and locate the remaining individuals involved.
The incidents come as Santa Monica has reported a sharp rise in arrests this year under the city's Realignment Plan, a public safety framework the City Council adopted unanimously on Oct. 28, 2025\. The plan committed $60 million in one-time reserves over 24 months toward bolstering policing, including doubling the department's downtown unit, adding non-sworn public safety officers, opening a downtown substation and launching the $6.125 million SMART Center real-time crime hub.
City data show arrests climbed 68.5% year-over-year as of the week ending Aug. 1, with 3,113 recorded so far this year compared with 1,847 during the same period in 2025\. The department reached full sworn staffing of roughly 232 officers earlier this year for the first time in more than two decades. City officials have pointed to a 12.5% drop in Part I crime in 2025 as evidence that the strategy is working.
### Will Gov. Newsom reward a longtime donor with new law streamlining his coastal development?
URL: https://www.smdp.com/will-newsom-reward-longtime-donor-with-new-law-streamlining-coastal-development/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T23:04:57.000Z
A proposal to exempt certain multifamily housing developments in Santa Monica's coastal zone from California Coastal Act review has resurfaced in a state budget trailer bill with new language that seems to benefit a very specific development by a Santa Monica businessman and longtime Gov. Gavin Newsom donor.
Assemblymember Rick Zbur, D-Santa Monica, confirmed exemption language was again proposed as an addition to a budget trailer bill after first surfacing in late June. He said he has already relayed his opposition to Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislative leadership and the chairs of both the Assembly and Senate budget committees.
Trailer bills are specific pieces of legislation that follow the regular budget process. They are largely written behind closed doors by the Governor and high level lawmakers in Sacramento. They do not undergo the same debate as regular bills and are only made public a mere 72 hours before being voted on.
The proposed bill would add a new section to the state Public Resources Code establishing a streamlined, presumptive approval pathway for certain housing projects in Santa Monica's coastal zone, bypassing the standard California Coastal Act review process the California Coastal Commission currently uses because the city lacks a certified Local Coastal Program, or LCP.
Under the proposal, the exemption would not take effect immediately. It is written as a "secondary streamlining measure" that would only kick in if the city has not adopted, and the Coastal Commission has not fully certified, Santa Monica's LCP by Jan. 1, 2028\. The provision would sunset on Jan. 1, 2032.
To qualify, a housing project would need to meet several conditions: it must sit on an urbanized infill site surrounded by existing development and identified for residential or mixed-use development in city planning documents; meet state affordable housing law criteria; satisfy labor standards; achieve LEED gold certification or an equivalent green building standard; and stay clear of sensitive coastal areas, including land within 300 feet of a beach or the mean high tide line, or within 100 feet of a wetland or mapped environmentally sensitive habitat area.
The draft also contains a provision requiring any qualifying project to include a museum dedicated to the career of architect Frank Gehry, complete with his archives and models of his buildings, and to obtain written authorization from the Gehry Living Trust or his estate to include it.
The only project in Santa Monica meeting those rules would be the Ocean Avenue Project, a Frank Gehry-designed mixed-use development approved for the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, that remains unbuilt despite developer Jeff Worthe's pledge of a 2025 groundbreaking.
Gehry, who died Dec. 5, 2025, according to Gehry Partners, designed the project for Worthe Real Estate Group and M. David Paul Associates on 11 lots totaling about 1.9 acres that the Worthe family has owned for more than 40 years. As approved, the development calls for a 120-room hotel, 100 apartments — including 25 affordable units and 11 to 19 subject to rent control — roughly 35,500 square feet of museum and cultural space incorporating the landmarked buildings at 1333 and 1337 Ocean Ave., about 36,100 square feet of retail, a rooftop deck and a maximum height of 130 feet. The museum component is designed to showcase Gehry's archives for at least 15 years. Construction costs are estimated at about $243 million, with total project costs near $350 million and roughly $53.3 million in community benefits, and the project is designed to LEED Platinum standards.
The project was first filed in 2013 as a 22-story, 244-foot tower before being scaled back to 12 stories and 130 feet in 2018, a reduction driven largely by objections over building height. The Santa Monica City Council approved the project in 2022 and the California Coastal Commission signed in 2023.
Worthe is a prominent local developer who has consistently donated to Newsom’s political campaigns over the years.
The new bill sets strict timelines for the Coastal Commission to process applications under the new pathway, including a 30-day window to specify what materials it needs, a 10-day period to determine whether an application is complete, and a requirement to hold a public hearing within 90 days of a completed submission. If the commission misses those deadlines, an application would be deemed complete, and ultimately deemed approved, by operation of law.
The presumption that a project complies with the Coastal Act could only be rebutted with evidence of a specific, unavoidable adverse impact to public access, wetlands, environmentally sensitive habitat, coastal hazards or water quality. The bill specifies that a project's inconsistency with the city's partially certified 1992 coastal land use plan could not be used to deny or condition a permit, nor could a developer's request for a state density bonus.
The bill states that a special statute is necessary, citing the potential for delayed LCP certification, the need to accelerate housing production, and "the desire to promote a museum in the city honoring the works and life of Mr. Frank O. Gehry."
Zbur, who authored a separate coastal accountability bill, AB 1740, that is advancing through the Legislature this year, issued a full statement Tuesday on the renewed effort:
"I am disappointed to share that an exemption to the Coastal Act, applying to certain multifamily development in Santa Monica, has again been proposed as an addition to a budget trailer bill. This was first proposed in late June, and I was strongly opposed to it then. I remain strongly opposed to it today. I worked hard to achieve an agreement with the Coastal Commission to move Santa Monica's LCP forward. This trailer bill undermines that work and our collaboration with the Commission. I am frustrated that, once again, I must devote time and energy to working to defeat this terrible proposal. I have already communicated my strongest opposition to the Governor and the leadership in the Legislature and both the Assembly and Senate Budget Committee chairs. This is not the right path forward and I am working strenuously to stop it."
The renewed proposal echoes a controversy that erupted in late June, when Susan Jordan, executive director of the California Coastal Protection Network, warned colleagues that Newsom's office had transmitted trailer bill language stripping the Coastal Commission's review authority over multi-unit housing across Santa Monica's coastal zone for an indefinite period. Jordan called the move "unprecedented" and said it could "create a hole in the Coastal Act" and set a template for exemptions in other coastal communities statewide. She identified three projects she said stood to benefit: the Worthe Real Estate Group's Ocean Avenue project, the Seritage "Sears" project and the Athens Group's Miramar project.
The June episode unfolded against the backdrop of negotiations over Zbur's AB 1740, which has been narrowed since its February introduction from broad coastal permitting exemptions across multiple cities to a Santa Monica-specific accountability framework requiring the city to submit a complete LCP to the Coastal Commission by Jan. 1, 2029.
Santa Monica has pursued a certified Local Coastal Program for decades. The city received Coastal Commission approval for part of the program in 1992 but did not complete the process. A complete LCP would bring permitting authority for coastal development under the City’s control rather than the statewide Coastal Commission.
Santa Monica formally resumed the update process in 2023, with a target of completing both plan components by June 2027 but the process stalled until Zbur’s bill prompted a new wave of negotiations.
Coastal advocate and city council candidate Ashley Oelsen said residents can call Sacramento to oppose the language.
"Governor Newsom has spent his career talking about climate leadership and protecting California's coast. He has the power to stop this trailer bill language before it goes further, and we're asking him to use it," she said. "The California Coastal Act has protected public access to our beaches and sensitive coastal habitat for fifty years. What's being proposed is a permitting carveout slipped into a budget bill for a single Santa Monica project, exactly the kind of change that should never move without public hearings and real legislative scrutiny. We stopped a similar proposal this summer when Californians spoke up, and we're asking them to do it again."
Residents can call Senator Monique Limón at (916) 651-4021 and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas at (916) 319-2029 and tell them to oppose this bill. Oelsen said residents can also thank Assemblymember Rick Zbur (916-319-2051) and Senator Ben Allen (916-651-4024) for already opposing it, and ask them to hold firm.
### Top 10 PDF Editors for SMBs: Streamline Workflows and Boost Productivity
URL: https://www.smdp.com/top-10-pdf-editors-for-smbs-streamline-workflows-and-boost-productivity/
Last updated: 2026-09-18T18:33:25.000Z
Managing PDF documents is a routine task for many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Whether it’s editing contracts, signing forms, or collaborating on reports, having the right [PDF editor](https://www.luminpdf.com/pdf-editor/?ref=smdp.com) can significantly improve workflow efficiency. In this article, we compare the top 10 PDF editors for SMBs, focusing on key features, pros and cons, and pricing.
## **1\. Lumin**
For SMBs that deal with frequent PDF edits, Lumin offers editing, cloud access, and teamwork features in one tool. Known for its simple interface and powerful collaboration tools, Lumin integrates well with cloud storage platforms, making document management and editing seamless.
### Key Features
- Real-time collaboration: Multiple team members can edit the same document simultaneously.
- Cloud storage integration: Syncs with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
- Advanced editing tools: Includes text editing, annotation, and e-signature features.
- Security: Encryption to keep your documents safe and secure.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface suitable for all skill levels.
- Seamless integration with cloud storage for easy access.
- Secure e-signature functionality for contracts and agreements.
Cons:
- Some advanced features are locked behind a paid plan.
### Pricing
- Free version: Limited editing and collaboration tools.
- Paid plans: Starting at $19/month, offering full access to editing, collaboration, and cloud features.
## **2\. Nitro Pro**
Nitro Pro is a feature-rich PDF editor that offers powerful tools for SMBs looking for powerful document management capabilities. It supports batch processing and advanced editing features, making it ideal for businesses handling large volumes of documents.
### Key Features
- Batch processing: Allows editing of multiple documents at once.
- Advanced text editing: Modify text, images, and tables within PDFs.
- E-signature support: Collect and manage signatures digitally.
- Cloud integration: Integrates with popular cloud platforms for easy document access.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- High-level editing capabilities for complex documents.
- Strong security and compliance features.
- User-friendly interface for easy navigation.
Cons:
- Higher price point compared to some other tools.
### Pricing
- Paid plan: Starts at $159/year for the full suite of features, including batch processing and cloud storage integration.
## **3\. Foxit PhantomPDF**
Foxit PhantomPDF is known for its powerful editing capabilities and affordable pricing, making it a great choice for SMBs. It offers both desktop and cloud versions, allowing for flexible document management.
### Key Features
- Text and image editing: Modify PDFs, add annotations, and manage form data.
- Collaboration tools: Share and collaborate on documents in real-time.
- Cloud storage: Integrates with popular services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
- E-signature support: Send, receive, and manage e-signatures securely.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive editing features for various document needs.
- Affordable pricing for SMBs.
- Excellent support for OCR and scanned PDFs.
Cons:
- The interface may feel overwhelming for new users.
### Pricing
- Paid plans: Starting at $14.99/month, with a free trial available.
## **4\. PDFelement**
PDFelement offers a powerful suite of PDF editing tools, including text editing, form creation, and annotation features. It’s ideal for SMBs looking for a versatile and affordable PDF editor.
### Key Features
- Text editing and formatting: Modify text, fonts, and images within PDFs.
- Form creation: Create interactive forms and collect data.
- OCR technology: Convert scanned documents into editable text.
- Collaboration: Annotate, highlight, and comment on shared documents.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable pricing for the features offered.
- User-friendly interface with advanced tools.
- Great for both individual and team use.
Cons:
- The free version offers limited functionality.
### Pricing
- Free version: Basic editing and annotation tools.
- Paid plans: Starting at $79.99/year for full access to all features, including OCR.
## **5\. Smallpdf**
Smallpdf is a widely used online PDF editor that’s known for its simplicity and ease of use. While it’s primarily aimed at individuals, it’s also great for SMBs that need a straightforward tool for basic PDF tasks.
### Key Features
- PDF conversion: Easily convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.
- Merge and split PDFs: Combine multiple files or split large PDFs into smaller sections.
- Compression: Reduce PDF file size for easy sharing.
- E-signature: Collect signatures on documents securely.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Quick and easy to use for basic PDF editing.
- Works well for both personal and business use.
- No software installation required; it works directly in your browser.
Cons:
- Limited editing options in the free version.
- Can’t handle very large files efficiently in the free version.
### Pricing
- Free version: Limited tools and features.
- Paid plans: Starting at $12/month for unlimited access to all tools, including conversion and editing.
## **6\. PDF-XChange Editor**
PDF-XChange Editor is a feature-packed tool that provides a wide range of PDF editing options, including annotation, OCR, and form creation. It’s perfect for SMBs that need a reliable and affordable editor for their document management
### Key Features
- OCR: Convert scanned PDFs into editable text.
- Document annotation: Add comments, highlights, and stamps to PDFs.
- Form creation: Create interactive fillable forms.
- Security features: Protect documents with passwords and encryption.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Great for OCR and converting scanned documents.
- Affordable pricing for small businesses.
- Rich feature set for advanced PDF management.
Cons:
- The interface is less intuitive compared to other editors.
### Pricing
- Free version: Basic editing and annotation tools.
- Paid plans: Starting at $46.50 for the Pro version, which includes OCR and additional features.
## **7\. Sejda PDF Editor**
Sejda PDF Editor is an online tool that’s ideal for SMBs looking for a simple, no-frills solution for PDF editing. It offers essential features for document management, including text editing, form filling, and PDF conversion.
### Key Features
- Text editing: Modify text, fonts, and images in PDFs.
- Form filling: Easily fill out and submit PDF forms.
- PDF merging and splitting: Combine multiple PDFs or split large files.
- Cloud integration: Store and access documents in the cloud.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Simple and intuitive interface.
- Good for quick PDF edits and form filling.
- Offers free tools for light use.
Cons:
- Limited features in the free version.
- File size limits for free users.
### Pricing
- Free version: Limited to three tasks per hour.
- Paid plans: Starting at $5.75/month for unlimited features.
## **8\. PDFescape**
PDFescape offers both an online and desktop PDF editor, providing basic editing tools, form-filling, and annotation features. It’s ideal for SMBs that need a simple solution for minor PDF tasks.
### Key Features
- Text editing: Add, modify, and delete text in PDF documents.
- Form filling: Create and complete interactive PDF forms.
- Annotations: Highlight, underline, and add comments to PDFs.
- Security: Password-protect PDF files.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Simple and free for basic tasks.
- Works directly in your browser (no software download required).
Cons:
- Lacks advanced features for more complex document management.
### Pricing
- Free version: Basic PDF editing, form filling, and annotation.
- Paid plans: Starting at $3.99/month for more advanced features.
## **9\. Soda PDF**
Soda PDF is a powerful PDF editor that offers both desktop and online solutions. It’s great for SMBs that need a versatile editor with features for editing, annotating, and converting PDFs.
Key Features
- Comprehensive editing tools: Text, image, and page editing.
- PDF conversion: Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Collaboration: Share, review, and comment on documents.
- E-signatures: Collect legally binding signatures.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Wide range of editing and conversion tools.
- Integrates with cloud storage services.
- Simple interface.
Cons:
- Some features are only available in the paid version.
### Pricing
- Free version: Limited editing and conversion features.
- Paid plans: Starting at $48/year for full features.
## **10\. PDF Expert**
PDF Expert is a powerful PDF editor for macOS and iOS devices. It’s perfect for SMBs that work within the Apple ecosystem and need a comprehensive solution for document editing, signing, and organizing.
### Key Features
- Text and image editing: Modify text, images, and links in PDFs.
- Form filling: Complete and create fillable forms.
- Annotations: Highlight, underline, and add comments.
- Cloud integration: Access documents from anywhere with cloud support.
### Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Fast and clean interface.
- Excellent for document signing and annotation.
Cons:
- Only available on macOS and iOS.
### Pricing
- Paid plans: Starting at $79.99 for a one-time purchase.
## **Final Thoughts**
Choosing the right PDF editor for your SMB depends on your needs—whether it's editing, collaboration, document signing, or PDF conversion. Lumin stands out as a top choice due to its user-friendly interface, strong collaboration tools, and cloud storage integration. However, each tool offers distinct advantages, so selecting the best one for your business will depend on your specific document management requirements.
### Malibu Nears Completion of PCH Speed Safety Cameras, Launches Public Outreach
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-nears-completion-of-pch-speed-safety-cameras-launches-public-outreach/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T18:58:59.000Z
The City of Malibu is nearing completion of construction on its Pacific Coast Highway Speed Safety System and has begun the program's public education and outreach phase.
Over the coming weeks, the city will inform residents and motorists about how the system works, where cameras will be located, when enforcement begins and how the program aims to reduce speeding along Malibu's 21-mile stretch of PCH.
"Our goal is to improve safety for everyone who uses Pacific Coast Highway, whether they are driving, biking, walking, visiting, or commuting through Malibu," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said, adding that excessive speeding has caused "unimaginable tragedy" on the roadway.
Since 2010, more than 60 people have died in traffic collisions along Malibu's section of PCH. In 2023, there were 220 reported crashes resulting in 93 injuries and seven deaths. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says speed is a primary factor in most injury or fatal collisions.
The push for action intensified in October 2023, when four Pepperdine University students were killed by a speeding driver while standing along PCH. The city then declared a PCH safety emergency and formed a coalition with state and county officials, the Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and community partners.
The program was made possible through legislation authored by state Sen. Ben Allen and signed into law in September 2024.
The system uses lidar and camera technology to detect vehicles traveling at least 11 mph above the posted limit, then captures the rear license plate and generates a citation. Under state law, the city may operate up to five camera systems with 10 cameras.
Revenue will first recover program costs, with any remaining funds going toward additional traffic-calming measures alongside Caltrans.
The initial education phase runs from Aug. 18 through late September. A 60-day warning period begins when the system activates in late September, with drivers receiving warnings only. Enforcement with civil penalties begins in late November. Violations do not result in license points or insurance penalties.
Non-violation data will be deleted immediately, and violation records destroyed within 60 days after a case is resolved. The city says the system records only when a violation is detected and will not share data with other agencies. The program includes a diversion option for eligible low-income residents, an appeals process and public oversight.
Learn more at[ ](http://www.malibucity.org/PCHsafetycameras?ref=smdp.com)[www.malibucity.org/PCHsafetycameras](http://www.malibucity.org/PCHsafetycameras?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California recovers 8,500 stolen items in nationwide retail crime blitz
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-recovers-8-500-stolen-items-in-nationwide-retail-crime-blitz/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T18:59:00.000Z
California law enforcement recovered more than 8,500 stolen items valued at over $1 million and arrested 97 suspects during a nine-day national crackdown on organized retail crime, state officials said.
The California Highway Patrol joined more than 100 law enforcement agencies nationwide for the National Organized Retail Crime Blitz from Aug. 1 through Aug. 9\. Officers conducted coordinated operations at businesses, shopping centers and retail stores, working with local and regional partners to identify and arrest suspects.
State officials framed the effort as a demonstration of a model California has built since 2019, when it established the CHP Organized Retail Crime Task Force to bring together law enforcement, retailers and prosecutors targeting theft networks that cross city, county and state lines.
"We've been doing the work for seven years — we didn't wait for a national headline to start taking organized retail crime seriously," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. "We've built the partnerships, invested in the personnel and gave law enforcement the tools to go after the networks behind these crimes."
Since 2019, the task force has been involved in more than 4,700 investigations, resulting in more than 5,300 arrests and the recovery of more than 1.6 million stolen items valued at more than $76.6 million as of July 30.
In the first seven months of 2026, CHP made nearly 350 retail theft arrests, investigated more than 360 incidents and recovered more than 72,500 stolen goods worth an estimated $6.7 million.
During the blitz, San Diego-area operations produced 34 arrests and 174 recovered items. Operations in the Bakersfield and Turlock area resulted in 23 arrests and 3,887 recovered items worth an estimated $723,175\. Bay Area operations yielded 11 arrests, while operations in Pasadena, North Hills and the City of Commerce produced 17 arrests and 4,270 recovered items.
"The proactive operations conducted during the blitz are a snapshot of the work the Organized Retail Crime Task Force is committed to doing every day," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said.
State officials said the crackdown is part of a broader public-safety strategy. According to California Department of Justice data, between 2024 and 2025 homicide fell 18.6%, robbery dropped 19.9% and property crime declined 14.3%. California recorded its lowest homicide rate since statewide data collection began in 1966.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Metro ridership surge continues in July, fueled by leisure and event travel
URL: https://www.smdp.com/metro-ridership-surge-continues-in-july-fueled-by-leisure-and-event-travel/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T18:59:00.000Z
Los Angeles Metro recorded 25,847,617 boardings in July, about 2 million more than in July 2025 and an increase of 8.79%, the transit agency reported.
Weekend travel drove much of the growth. Saturday ridership rose 10.63% to average 694,263 boardings, while Sunday ridership grew 8.77% to 597,114\. Average weekday ridership climbed 7.41% to 903,446.
Metro attributed the gains to a busy month of events across Los Angeles County, including World Cup matches, fan zones and viewing parties, along with Fourth of July celebrations. Home games for the Dodgers, LAFC, Sparks and Galaxy, events at LACMA, CicLAvia in Hollywood, Monster Jam at Crypto.com Arena, a Hilary Duff concert at the Kia Forum and the Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach also contributed.
Rail ridership grew 16.84% to 6,592,276, its eighth consecutive monthly increase. Metro credited recent expansions, including the LAX/Metro Transit Center, the A Line extension to Pomona and the first section of the D Line extension. Saturday rail ridership stood out with 19.3% growth to average 191,365.
By line, A Line ridership rose nearly 20% to 2,176,946, with Sundays up more than 25%. The B and D lines grew 18% to 2,034,822, with Saturday ridership up 33.9%. The D Line, which was closed in July 2025 for construction, saw a 52% Saturday increase and a 46% weekday increase over July 2024\. C Line ridership rose 6.7% to 549,846 despite construction affecting nearby tracks. E Line ridership climbed 16% to 1,577,868, and K Line ridership was up nearly 11% to 252,794.
Bus ridership increased 6.3% year over year to 19,255,341, with the largest gains on weekends. Saturday bus ridership rose 7.7% to 502,898 and Sunday ridership grew 6% to 427,383\. The J Line, a bus rapid transit route used by many World Cup travelers, was up 7.6%.
The July totals exclude 212,865 rides taken on enhanced direct service to Los Angeles Stadium for World Cup fans attending matches.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Heat wave will roast Los Angeles through Friday
URL: https://www.smdp.com/heat-wave-will-roast-los-angeles-through-friday/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T16:32:12.000Z
The ocean breeze that has long made Santa Monica a refuge from Southern California's inland heat is offering little protection this week, as an extreme heat wave grips the region and pushes temperatures in the beach city well above normal.
The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Heat Warning for Santa Monica beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday and continuing through 8 p.m. Friday, part of a broader warning covering much of Los Angeles County, including the Malibu Coast, Los Angeles County beaches and the Santa Monica Mountains. The warning signals dangerously hot weather that creates a high risk of heat-related illness for everyone, not just those in the region's usually sweltering inland valleys.
While Southern California's coastline typically offers a natural buffer against the kind of triple-digit heat that bakes the San Fernando and Antelope valleys, forecasters say that buffer will be thin this week. According to the National Weather Service's area forecast discussion issued early Tuesday from the Los Angeles/Oxnard office, a strong and expansive upper-level high pressure system is settling over New Mexico and Arizona, producing weak onshore breezes and even offshore flow during some mornings. The marine layer will be shallow and will not extend far inland, according to the forecast discussion, meaning less of the marine air that normally cools coastal communities like Santa Monica.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said coastal areas, including Santa Monica, should expect highs between 80 and 90 degrees through Friday, while inland and inland-adjacent areas could see 90 to 100 degrees and valleys and lower mountain elevations could reach 100 to 110 degrees. The forecast discussion noted that without a strong onshore push in the afternoons, inland portions of coastal regions could warm into the 90s, with some spots reaching 100 to 101 degrees.
Nighttime offers little relief. The forecast discussion said overnight lows will run 6 to 12 degrees above normal as an inversion sets up near valley and foothill elevations, meaning even after sunset, residents may not get the cooling they are used to.
Tuesday through Thursday will mark the peak of the heat event, forecasters said, with only slight relief arriving by Friday. A more meaningful cooldown is expected over the weekend as a trough moves in from the west, but the National Weather Service and Fire Department warned that all heat warnings and advisories now in place will remain in effect until then.
Health officials are urging residents, even those in typically temperate coastal communities, not to let their guard down. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the extreme heat "creates a high risk of heat-related illness for everyone" and urged residents to check conditions using the National Weather Service's HeatRisk map, which factors in how unusual the heat is for the time of year, its duration and social vulnerability data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Heat causes more deaths in the U.S. annually than floods, storms, and lightning combined," Dr. Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County health officer, said in a statement. He said older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes and people with chronic medical conditions are most likely to become ill during the heat wave and urged anyone experiencing dizziness, nausea, a rapid heartbeat, confusion or fainting to seek medical help immediately.
Public health officials said residents should call 911 immediately if they or someone nearby shows signs of heat-related illness, including a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, hot and red or dry skin, a fast and strong pulse, confusion, dizziness, nausea or fainting.
Officials recommended drinking water throughout the day even without feeling thirsty, avoiding outdoor activity during peak heat hours, wearing lightweight and light-colored clothing, and using sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher. Residents without air conditioning were urged to visit a cooling center, library, shopping mall or other air-conditioned space, or to call 211 for help locating one. In Santa Monica, public libraries are being offered as cooling locations, according to a public alert from the National Weather Service, which pointed residents to santamonica.gov/library-locations-and-hours.
Officials also stressed that children and pets should never be left in vehicles, even briefly, warning that interior car temperatures can climb dangerously even with windows partially open.
Beyond the health risks, the heat wave is elevating the danger of wildfire across the region. The Fire Department said it is augmenting staffing and pre-positioning personnel and equipment countywide to ensure a rapid response to fires. The National Weather Service forecast discussion said the combination of triple-digit heat, deep mixing heights, gusty winds, low humidity and fuels approaching critical dryness will raise the risk of large, plume-dominated fires with rapid spread in interior mountains and adjacent foothills across Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, prompting a Red Flag Warning from Tuesday through Friday. The discussion cited the historical precedent of large fires under similar conditions, including the Bridge, Bobcat and Station fires.
The Fire Department urged residents to sign up for emergency alerts at alert.lacounty.gov, to have a wildfire evacuation plan in place through the county's Ready! Set! Go! program, and to immediately report any sign of smoke or fire by calling 911.
The heat wave also is expected to bring hazardous ocean conditions. The Fire Department warned of elevated surf and strong rip currents that raise the risk of ocean drownings, advising beachgoers to check with lifeguards on conditions before entering the water.
County officials said additional information is available at ready.lacounty.gov/heat or by calling 211, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
### California must grow ‘connective tissue’ to better link employers to young people seeking careers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-must-grow-connective-tissue-to-better-link-employers-to-young-people-seeking-careers/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T16:00:00.000Z
Ask a Los Angeles employer whether they’d give a young person their first real shot at a career and most would say yes. Ask them to pull it off across a maze of disconnected programs, agencies and contracts, and the yeses would likely grow quieter.
The willingness is there. So is the vision.
California’s new [Master Plan for Career Education](https://careereducation.gov.ca.gov/master-plan-engage/?ref=smdp.com), for instance, promises every young person a clear route [from classroom to career](https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/04/career-education/?ref=smdp.com). The state’s [regional K-16 collaboratives](https://k16collaborative.org/?ref=smdp.com) connect high school to college to jobs in growing fields.
A July budget trailer bill, [Senate Bill 172](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb172?ref=smdp.com), made the state’s Regional Economic Development Initiatives office a permanent part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, commonly called [GO-Biz](https://business.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com). And [California Jobs First](https://jobsfirst.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com) is helping regions reshape their economies.
Clearly California’s challenge isn’t vision; it’s coordination.
In Los Angeles County, the scale of the challenge tells the story. The region trains a quarter of California’s students across 80 school districts, 21 community colleges, five CSU campuses and seven workforce boards.
Each engages employers separately.
A hospital or utility willing to host young interns, for example, must navigate separate onboarding protocols, insurance requirements and “employer-of-record” contracts. For learners under 18, questions about labor law, supervision and liability turn eager employers into cautious ones.
None of this reflects a shortage of willing partners. The people and programs are here; they simply [pursue similar goals through separate systems](https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/09/trade-schools-job-training-california/?ref=smdp.com), leaving employers to stitch the pieces together.
Students face barriers, too. Many must weigh unpaid internships against their obligations to jobs, family and school. And funding for paid, work-based learning is scarce.
[The Golden State Pathways Program](https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/hs/gspp.asp?ref=smdp.com), for instance, can’t cover student wages. And the [Learning-Aligned Employment Program](https://www.csac.ca.gov/learning-aligned-employment-program?ref=smdp.com) committed the state to paid, career-connected experience for college students — but [budget pressures cut it short](https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/06/workforce-funding/?ref=smdp.com).
Regional partners are taking up the mantle. Last year, nonprofit [UNITE-LA](https://www.unitela.com/?ref=smdp.com) served 5,302 Angelenos, engaged 68 employers and made 193 private-sector job and internship placements.
Its [L.A. Regional Cleantech Career Academy](https://cleantechacademy.org/?ref=smdp.com) has opened doors for 281 young adults over three years. In 2025 alone, 99 young people completed paid cleantech training; nearly 90% came from communities long underrepresented in the industry.
Work-based learning pays off [even for younger learners](https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/04/career-pathways/?ref=smdp.com). UNITE-LA’s [Tech Pathways Academy](https://www.unitela.com/tech?ref=smdp.com) served 97 high school students last year, alongside L.A. Trade-Tech and West L.A. College. They earned college credit and industry-recognized credentials in class and with employers like Snap and Accenture.
The experience highlights two lessons: First, employers are eager to take part when a trusted intermediary handles coordination, compliance and onboarding. Second, one word makes all the difference — paid — a paycheck lets students who can’t afford to work for free take part.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because a regional intermediary does what no single entity can do alone: gives employers one front door; standardizes the paperwork; braids public, private and philanthropic dollars into student wages, and ties work-based learning to education pathways.
Where that connective tissue exists, employers show up. Where it doesn’t, they say “maybe next year.”
California has assembled the pieces: California Jobs First, the K-16 collaboratives and the Master Plan for Career Education. The task now isn’t inventing new programs. It’s connecting the ones we have, so employers and educators stop navigating a dozen initiatives that share goals but not rules or timelines.
California can maximize its regional momentum by investing in that connective tissue — the intermediaries and sector partnerships that bring employers, colleges and workforce agencies to one table.
While the state has rightly invested in apprenticeships as the gold standard of earn-and-learn efforts, true economic mobility necessitates a full continuum of paid, work-based learning opportunities to gain experience without sacrificing a paycheck.
A new administration will soon shape the next phase of California’s workforce strategy. The boldest move isn’t launching something new; it’s accelerating what’s already working.
Regions have spent years building the partnerships and earning the trust these plans require. They need continuity, not reinvention. The vision is written. The partnerships are established. Now California just has to scale it and turn every employer’s “maybe next year” into “yes, this year.”
\_\_\_\_\_
By Alysia Bell
### UCLA Law School to Host Symposium Examining Enduring Legacy of Sept. 11
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ucla-law-school-to-host-symposium-examining-enduring-legacy-of-sept-11/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T18:58:59.000Z
UCLA School of Law will host a two-day symposium examining the enduring legal, political and social legacies of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, 25 years after the assaults that killed nearly 3,000 people and reshaped law and society in the United States and abroad.
The symposium, set for Sept. 10-11, 2026, will explore how the legal and political architecture of the post-9/11 era continues to shape contemporary debates about race, migration, surveillance, war, technology, policing and international law, along with the lasting consequences that followed the attacks.
In response to the attacks, the government declared a global "War on Terror" and vowed to strengthen national security, ushering in sweeping expansions of state power that transformed domestic and international law. Those developments reshaped the lives of people in the U.S. and abroad who were targeted by racialized national security policies, immigration enforcement, policing and war, according to organizers.
Legal scholars, practitioners and others from a range of disciplines will discuss those legacies during the event.
The symposium is a collaboration among the law school's Critical Race Studies Program, International & Comparative Law Program, Institute for Technology, Law & Policy, Miñana Family Center for Immigration Law & Policy and The Promise Institute for Human Rights.
The event will be held in Room 1347 on the first floor at 385 Charles E. Young Drive E., Los Angeles.
For more information, including program details, visit[ ](https://law.ucla.edu/25Years911Symposium?ref=smdp.com)[https://law.ucla.edu/25Years911Symposium](https://law.ucla.edu/25Years911Symposium?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Documentary 'This Is Buzz' to Screen Sept. 5 Ahead of Release
URL: https://www.smdp.com/documentary-this-is-buzz-to-screen-sept-5-ahead-of-release/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T18:58:59.000Z
A new documentary about Buzz, the short-lived 1990 MTV series that put avant-garde writers and artists on music television, will screen in Santa Monica on Sept. 5 ahead of its wider release, followed by a live panel.
The film, "This Is Buzz," was directed and written by Mark Pellington, whose work spans Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" video, "Arlington Road" and "The Mothman Prophecies." It chronicles the making of the 13-part experimental series Pellington created with producer/director Jon Klein, commissioned by MTV and Channel 4 in the U.K.
Buzz put William S. Burroughs, Jenny Holzer, William Gibson, Jaron Lanier, Timothy Leary and RuPaul on music television, cut together with a rapid, collaged visual logic. It aired once and was never rerun, and MTV canceled it after its first run.
The screening launches Moving Image Arts, a new Los Angeles nonprofit event series. The documentary premiered at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival and will be released by Antenna Releasing.
"Buzz was a visceral proto-version of modern media language: pop culture, politics, art, philosophy, and the manic energy of youth, all colliding chaotically in one show," said Tony Romain, founder of Moving Image Arts. "It deserves to be remembered as a milestone in the development of our visual culture. That is the work of Moving Image Arts, connecting the craft and history of visual storytelling to the new tools and new forums of mass communication. September 5 opens our fall and winter calendar, and there is no better way to launch it."
The evening will open with excerpts from the original series, followed by the film and a panel on how Buzz's visual language of pastiche, irony and cut-up shaped how media is consumed today. Moderated by Joanne McNeil, author of "Lurking: How a Person Became a User," the panel features Pellington; Robert Tercek, former international creative director at MTV; Kate Parsons, associate professor of digital art at Pepperdine University; and Holly Willis, chair of Media Arts + Practice at USC's School of Cinematic Arts.
The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at Highways Performance Space + Gallery on the 18th Street Arts Center campus, 1651 18th Street. Free parking, food and drinks are available. Admission is free with RSVP, and seating is first come, first served:[ ](https://this-is-buzz-conversation.eventbrite.com/?ref=smdp.com)[https://this-is-buzz-conversation.eventbrite.com](https://this-is-buzz-conversation.eventbrite.com/?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica couple, together since their teens, advances in national contest
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-couple-together-since-their-teens-advances-in-national-contest/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T16:00:00.000Z
Their love story began the way the best ones do, they say: with a 13-year-old Greg snatching Laura's pencil at a youth group Christmas party and setting it alight in a candle with a group of friends.
"What can we say: when it's meant to be, it's meant to be," the couple said.
They started dating two years later, at 15 — and promptly got a challenge that would define them. "Our youth pastor told us, in front of that same youth group, that we wouldn't last two weeks," they recalled, "and there's nothing like telling two quietly revolutionary teenagers they can't do something to really make 'em commit."
Today, Laura Vidal Leib and Greg Leib are still together, raising a high school [senior in Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/waitlist-for-home-delivered-meals-nears-100-as-senior-hunger-deepens-on-westside/) and now competing on a national stage. The pair have advanced to the quarterfinals of "America's Favorite Couple," a competition hosted by Colossal, with a $20,000 prize and a feature in Variety on the line. Voting for this round opens Monday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m. PDT and closes Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. PDT.
For the couple, the contest is the latest chapter in a story that began in a fundamentalist evangelical church, where the two met at youth group services and, against the odds, decided to build a life together.
"We became very different people than we were at 15," Greg said. "We grew up together and had the flexibility to change as we became adults. We love to spend time together and were careful to keep that as we went through life transitions."
That intentionality meant practical choices to stay close, including attending colleges near one another. "Staying available and prioritizing time together was really important in those early years, and continues to be," Greg said.
Laura described their longevity as a decision renewed again and again. "We chose each other," she said. "It's neat to look back. We're different and the same, all at once."
The couple point to the 2011 Pride Parade in New York City as a favorite shared memory. Marriage had just been legalized, and the family rode a float down Fifth Avenue with affirming Christians and queer people of faith, with Laura wearing their infant son in a carrier. "We smiled, cried, and celebrated together with the crowd while 'Chapel of Love' played over the speaker," they said. "As a neurodivergent family, big sensory moments can sometimes be overwhelming, but this was simply effervescent joy and a cherished piece of history we got to share as a young family."
Their son, Gavin, is now a high school senior — and the same age his parents were when they met, a coincidence that has prompted reflection. "I look at our son, Gavin, and see a young man who is going to get to experience life through a totally different lens than his Dad or I," Laura said. Unlike his parents, Gavin does not share their church upbringing. "We're hopeful that Gavin will find his own unique path as he goes out into the world, just as we found ours, and each other," Laura said.
The couple's path to the competition began casually. "I forget where I originally saw the America's Favorite Couple competition advertised, but I decided to enter us on a whim," Laura said. Placed first in their group on the strength of daily votes from family and friends, they advanced to the quarterfinals. "We are usually not 'contest' people and this is out of our comfort zone, but in a way that's turned out to be pretty fun," Laura said.
Should they win, the couple have modest, practical plans for the $20,000: home projects, a dent in the mortgage and a celebratory weekend getaway with their two dogs in tow. "With our son now a high school senior, these family moments are fleeting," they said.
The campaign also raises money for two nonprofits, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Oceana, chosen by the event's nonprofit partner, the Action Initiative Team. Greg cited Santa Monica's ties to the coast in explaining Oceana's appeal and called food insecurity, which affects 1 in 4 people in Los Angeles County, equally pressing. "We're grateful for the work the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank does to ensure that people in our communities are fed," he said.
A Variety feature would be a surreal capstone, Laura said. "Having this platform allows us to bring a positive and upbeat story to the place we call home while rallying support for charities that have a direct impact on our community."
Voting is open through Aug. 27 at the couple's profile at [americasfavcouple.org/2026/laura-and-greg](http://americasfavcouple.org/2026/laura-and-greg?ref=smdp.com).
### Santa Monica native brings homecoming to book on Indigenous Mexican students
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-native-brings-homecoming-to-book-on-indigenous-mexican-students/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T16:00:00.000Z
For Rafael Vásquez, seeing his book on the shelves of the Santa Monica Public Library is more than a professional milestone. It is a return to the building where, as a middle and high school student, he did his homework until closing time.
"It truly feels like a full-circle moment, and it means a lot to me," Vásquez said.
Vásquez, a Santa Monica native and graduate of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and Santa Monica College, coauthored "Culturally Responsive Schooling for Indigenous Mexican Students" with William Pérez, a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Loyola Marymount University. Vásquez is affiliate graduate faculty in the College of Education at Oregon State University and board president of the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project. The Los Angeles Unified School District recently purchased 600 copies for educator professional development, and the book is now available at the Santa Monica library.
"It means a great deal to me because the Santa Monica Public Library was part of my educational journey long before I ever imagined [writing a book](https://www.smdp.com/instagram-born-book-club-walks-its-way-across-los-angeles/)," Vásquez said. "When I was in middle school and high school, I would walk to the main library after school almost every day to study, do my homework, and read. Many times, I would stay until closing."
He hopes the book finds a wide audience there. "I hope another student, parent, teacher, or community member will pick it up," he said. "I hope the work can contribute something back to the community that helped shape me in such a very real way."
That community shaped the book's questions. The son of parents who "migrated from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca in the 1970s and settled in Santa Monica," Vásquez said he grew up "within the Tlacolula community here — a community of Indigenous Oaxacan families with roots in the region."
School taught him early that his identity was more complicated than others assumed. "My experiences in school made me aware very early that being Mexican was not the whole story," Vásquez said. "I experienced stigma associated with being from Oaxaca and being Indigenous. At one point, I even avoided saying that I was from Oaxaca at school because I had learned that identifying that way could change how people treated me."
Those memories became the book's driving questions. "What happens when schools see Indigenous Mexican students only as 'Mexican' or 'Latino'?" Vásquez said. "What happens to their languages, communities, histories, and identities when those differences are invisible within the educational system?"
Indigenous Mexican students, he said, "are students whose families come from one of the many Indigenous peoples of Mexico, such as Mixtec, Nahua, P'urhépecha, or Zapotec communities." Many are born in the United States, he added, and "may identify as Mexican, Mexican American, Latino, or Indigenous — or as several of these at the same time."
The trouble comes, he said, when schools "automatically place these students into a broad 'Mexican' or 'Latino' category," so that "important differences can disappear." Such students, he noted, "may speak an Indigenous language at home, have cultural traditions and community ties that differ from those of other Mexican or Latino students, and sometimes face backlash because of their Indigenous identity or language."
"If schools don't recognize these differences, they may not have the information, language support, or cultural understanding needed to serve these students well," Vásquez said. "Recognizing Indigenous identity allows schools to see students more fully and provide support that reflects who they actually are."
For Pérez, the most important reform begins with better data. "When students are not accurately identified, it becomes much harder for schools to understand their experiences, identify inequities, provide appropriate language support, or develop culturally responsive programs," he said.
"Accurate data would not solve every challenge these students face, but it would provide an essential foundation for addressing them," Pérez said. "Schools cannot effectively respond to disparities they cannot see or measure."
Data alone, he cautioned, is not enough. "Policy change should be accompanied by meaningful engagement with students, families, and communities," Pérez said. "Recognition means making Indigenous students visible." He warned that "if Indigenous Mexican students remain invisible in school data and institutional policies, their needs and strengths can continue to be overlooked."
The book grew out of a three-year, mixed-methods study in semi-urban, urban and rural settings, using student interviews, teacher interviews and survey data. It focuses on multilingual students who speak Zapotec, Mixtec or P'urhépecha.
Pérez described the partnership as one of complementary strengths. "Working with Rafael was a natural progression of my scholarship and a collaboration in which our perspectives reinforced one another," he said. Vásquez, he added, "brought deep and focused expertise on Indigenous Mexican students, particularly their linguistic and cultural experiences and the ways their identities can be overlooked in educational settings."
"I would not characterize our perspectives primarily in terms of difference," Pérez said. "I would characterize them as complementary." Together, he said, they set out to ask "what happens when schools fail to recognize an important dimension of a student's identity, and what can institutions do differently?"
You can learn more about the book, including photographs and academic reviews, at[ ](https://heyzine.com/flip-book/782c258cf5.html?ref=smdp.com)[heyzine.com/flip-book/782c258cf5.html](https://heyzine.com/flip-book/782c258cf5.html?ref=smdp.com).
### Second shooting mars hot weekend in Santa Monica
URL: https://www.smdp.com/second-shooting-mars-hot-weekend-in-santa-monica/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T13:31:20.000Z
Santa Monica police are investigating a shooting near the Pier ramp that left one person with non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday near the Pier ramp, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
A preliminary investigation found that a group of individuals approached the victim and an altercation ensued during an attempted robbery, police said. One of the individuals fired a weapon during the altercation, striking the victim in the leg.
Officers provided emergency medical aid at the scene before the victim was taken to a local hospital. The injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening, police said.
The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived. No arrests had been made as of Sunday night, and police said they are working to identify and locate those involved.
SMPD said additional information will be released as it is confirmed.
The shooting was the second of the weekend after a man was killed by police when he tried to stab an officer in Palisades Park.
### Two shootings leave one man dead and another injured along the Santa Monica coast
URL: https://www.smdp.com/two-shootings-leave-one-man-dead-and-another-injured-along-the-santa-monica-coast/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T13:30:02.000Z
Two shootings over two days left one man dead and another injured as a hot summer weekend turned violent in Santa Monica, according to police.
The first came Saturday afternoon, when a Santa Monica police officer shot and killed a man who charged at officers with a knife in Palisades Park. The second came Sunday night near the Santa Monica Pier ramp, where a robbery attempt escalated into gunfire that left a victim with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
**Fatal officer-involved shooting**
Officers were in the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue at approximately 12:49 p.m. Saturday investigating a reported domestic violence incident when a man not connected to that case ran toward them while holding a knife, according to Santa Monica Police.
The man ignored repeated commands to drop the knife and continued to advance on officers, Jacob said. One officer opened fire, striking the man.
Officers immediately began lifesaving measures, and Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics arrived and continued providing emergency medical care, police said. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:49 p.m.
The officer was not injured, and no members of the public were hurt, according to police.
The man is described as being in his mid-40s and was homeless. Officers said the individual was not known to the department beforehand and may have been new to the area. His identity will be released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office once formal identification is complete and his next of kin has been notified, police said.
A knife was recovered at the scene and police said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
SMPD said investigators preserved evidence, interviewed witnesses and reviewed all available information, including body-worn camera footage and other video from the area, Jacob said.
"Any incident resulting in the loss of life is significant," Jacob said. "We recognize the impact this has on the deceased's family and those who knew him, our community and the personnel who responded."
Jacob called the shooting a reminder of the unpredictability officers face on the job and said department personnel have his full support. He cautioned that the information released so far is preliminary and could change as investigators gather more evidence.
**Second shooting near Pier ramp**
The following night, officers responded to a report of a shooting near the Pier ramp at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
A preliminary investigation found that a group of individuals approached the victim and an altercation ensued during an attempted robbery, police said. One of the individuals fired a weapon during the altercation, striking the victim in the leg.
Officers provided emergency medical aid at the scene before the victim was taken to a local hospital. The injuries are not life-threatening, police said.
The suspects fled before officers arrived but a juvenile suspect was taken into custody later that evening in connection with the incident. Investigators are working to determine the juvenile’s role in the attempted robbery and shooting. Detectives continue working to identify and locate the remaining individuals involved.
Rising arrests amid realignment push
The two shootings come as Santa Monica has reported a sharp rise in arrests this year under the city's Realignment Plan, a public safety-focused framework the City Council adopted unanimously on Oct. 28, 2025.
The plan committed $60 million in one-time reserves over 24 months to bolster policing, including doubling the department's downtown unit, adding non-sworn public safety officers in parks and downtown corridors, opening a new downtown substation, and launching a $6.125 million real-time crime hub known as the SMART Center.
City data show arrests have climbed significantly in 2026\. As of the week ending Aug. 1, arrests were up 68.5% year-over-year, with 3,113 recorded so far this year compared with 1,847 over the same period in 2025\. Calls for service also rose 7.7%, to 76,067, while officer-initiated activity was up 26.7%.
The department reached full sworn staffing of roughly 232 officers in early 2026 for the first time in more than two decades, following an increase in applications early in the year.
City officials have pointed to a 12.5% drop in Part I crime in 2025 — from 4,793 to 4,194 incidents — as evidence the strategy is working, alongside a rise in total arrests of 22.9% that year and a jump in traffic citations of 102%.
Homelessness has remained a significant driver of enforcement activity under the plan. Arrests involving people experiencing homelessness rose 52% in 2025, to 2,465, and made up roughly 70% of arrests during at least one week in July, according to city data. The Realignment Plan also called for expanding diversion programs, including the SaMo Bridge respite center, as an alternative to jail for minor offenses.
### Santa Monica affordable housing production remains on pace, city report finds
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-affordable-housing-production-remains-on-pace-city-report-finds/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T09:59:59.000Z
Affordable housing built in Santa Monica over the past fiscal year outpaced the city's minimum requirements by a wide margin, according to a new report presented to the City Council, even as the number of affordable units awaiting construction approval showed a smaller share of low-income units.
The report, dated June 17 and submitted by Aileen Reynolds, the city's director of Housing and Human Services, found that 81% of the 72 multifamily residences completed in fiscal year 2024-25 were affordable to low- and moderate-income households, and 25% were affordable specifically to low-income households. Both figures far exceed the thresholds set by Proposition R, the 1990 voter-approved measure that requires 30% of new multifamily housing to be affordable to low- and moderate-income residents, with half of that — 15% of all new units — reserved for low-income households.
The five completed projects included a 56-unit, 100% affordable mixed-use development at 711 Colorado Ave., along with smaller condominium and apartment buildings on 17th Street, Franklin Street, 10th Street and Bay Street.
The report, required annually, also tracked housing still in the pipeline. Of 927 multifamily units under construction citywide, 321 were affordable — 35% affordable to low- and moderate-income households and 25% to low-income households, both above the Proposition R thresholds.
Housing awaiting planning approval told a different story. The 14 multifamily developments approved during the fiscal year would bring 2,146 total units, including 367 affordable to low- and moderate-income households — 17% of the total, with 11% affordable to low-income households specifically. Those approved projects include a 24-story mixed-use tower at 601-609 Colorado Ave. and an 18-story mixed-use building at 1415-1437 5th St., along with a 100% affordable senior project at 1217 14th St. and a 100% affordable building at 1217 Euclid St.
The completed and under-construction totals mark a shift from the prior fiscal year. In FY 2023-24, the city reported 91 affordable residences completed and 243 under construction, according to that year's report to the council. The FY 2024-25 report shows completions dipping to 58 affordable units while construction activity rose to 321 affordable units, and affordable units in the planning pipeline jumped from 88 to 367.
Looking back over three decades, the city has completed 7,089 multifamily residences since Proposition R took effect, of which 2,512 — 35% — were affordable. Roughly 24% of all units built since 1994 have been affordable to very low- and low-income households, and the city has funded 1,560 of the affordable units, or 84%, according to the cumulative data included in the report. None of the units completed this past fiscal year relied on city funding.
The report also credited three pending city-owned sites, all with executed development and disposition agreements, as key to future affordable housing production: 1318 4th St. (122 residences), 1217 Euclid St. (48 residences) and 1211-1217 14th St. (82 residences).
City officials also pointed to a round of zoning and policy changes adopted during the fiscal year meant to streamline affordable housing development. Those included amendments to the city's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance under the city's 6th Cycle Housing Element, a streamlined architectural review process, a new ministerial approval process for housing in the Bergamot Area Plan, and an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance intended to encourage converting non-residential buildings to housing. The city also expanded flexibility for accessory dwelling units and adopted local implementing rules for several recent state housing laws, including SB 1211, which allows ADUs on multifamily-zoned lots, SB 9 and SB 450, which govern lot splits and duplexes on single-family lots, and SB 1123 and SB 684, which allow ministerial approval of small subdivisions.
### Man killed while trying to stab SMPD officer
URL: https://www.smdp.com/man-killed-while-trying-to-stab-smpd-officer/
Last updated: 2026-08-22T21:03:33.000Z
A Santa Monica police officer shot and killed a man Saturday after he charged at officers with a knife in Palisades Park, police said.
Officers were in the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue investigating a reported domestic violence incident when a man not connected to that case ran at them holding a knife, according to police. An officer opened fire, striking the man.
Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics treated the man at the scene before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The officer was not injured.
The area remains an active crime scene as investigators collect evidence and conduct a preliminary investigation, police said. Police asked the public to avoid the area.
The Santa Monica Police Department said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
### Overnight closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard set for Aug. 28-29 as Palisades Fire recovery nears end
URL: https://www.smdp.com/overnight-closure-of-topanga-canyon-boulevard-set-for-aug-28-29-as-palisades-fire-recovery-nears-end/
Last updated: 2026-08-22T15:59:59.000Z
Topanga Canyon Boulevard will shut down entirely overnight later this month so crews can continue installing a large storm drain beneath the highway, part of the final major phase of recovery from the Palisades Fire and winter storms, Caltrans said.
State Route 27 will be fully closed between [Pacific Coast Highway](https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-local-emergency-to-speed-encampment-removals-as-fire-conditions-worsen/) and Grand View Drive from 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, to 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29\. Before the full closure, from 9 to 11:59 p.m. Friday, the highway will be reduced to a single lane shared by both directions for about a half-mile near mile marker 2.5, with flaggers directing alternating traffic while crews reconfigure the work zone.
The reconfiguration allows crews to keep installing the drainage culvert perpendicular to the roadway with minimal impact on traffic, Caltrans said. North of the closure, SR-27 will remain open between Grand View Drive and U.S. 101.
Caltrans advised southbound SR-27 drivers to detour via U.S. 101 to southbound Interstate 405, then westbound Interstate 10 to northbound PCH. Northbound drivers were directed to take southbound State Route 1 to eastbound I-10, then northbound I-405 to westbound U.S. 101.
The 84-inch reinforced concrete pipe being installed is designed to carry stormwater and increased mud and debris flow during rainstorms, reducing the risk of debris spilling onto the highway and triggering an embankment failure in future storms. The pipe installation is expected to cost about $2.75 million.
Caltrans described the work as the last major piece of ongoing recovery on SR-27 from the Palisades Fire and winter storms. The pipe installation is expected to be finished by fall 2026, with most recovery work on the highway wrapping up by the end of the year.
The weekend shutdown is one of several Caltrans projects underway along the coastal corridor still recovering from the fire. Along Pacific Coast Highway from Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades to Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu, crews may set up single-lane closures anytime from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays through Aug. 30 for creek cleanup and roadway, drainage, slope and retaining-wall repairs. Overnight, both northbound lanes of PCH between Sunset Boulevard and Porto Marina Way will close from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday nights through Friday mornings, with both directions of traffic sharing the southbound lanes.
Caltrans urged motorists to stay alert and focused while driving through the SR-27 work zone, where the speed limit drops to 15 mph, and to take extra caution around blind curves in case of slowed traffic. Fines can be doubled in a work zone.
Farther inland, [Caltrans](https://dot.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com) is pressing ahead with a separate pavement rehabilitation project on Interstate 405 through the Sepulveda Pass. Overnight lane reductions, ramp closures and connector closures ran from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, Aug. 24 to Aug. 28, with up to five lanes of northbound I-405 closed at some points and the speed limit reduced to 55 mph in certain sections for paving work.
A larger weekend closure follows next month. Southbound I-405 will be reduced to three lanes between Ventura Boulevard and Mulholland Drive from 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14\. Northbound I-405 will not be affected by the reductions. Caltrans strongly encouraged motorists to seek alternate routes and consider public transportation during that weekend.
The freeway work is part of the I-405 Pavement Rehabilitation Project between the Los Angeles communities of Van Nuys and Westwood, which will apply about $143.7 million toward improving safety and mobility along the corridor and extending the life of the pavement.
All of the closures are weather-permitting and subject to change, including their times, dates and scope, Caltrans said. Residents and businesses near the freeway work may experience noise, vibrations and dust. The agency reminded drivers to "Be Work Zone Alert" and to "Slow for the Cone Zone," and directed motorists to its Quickmap website for current road conditions.
### Malibu Farmers Market ordered to cease operations at Legacy Park
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-farmers-market-ordered-to-cease-operations-at-legacy-park/
Last updated: 2026-08-22T10:00:50.000Z
The City of Malibu has ordered the operator of the Malibu Farmers Market to immediately cease operations at Legacy Park, citing unresolved public safety and permitting concerns after months of trying to find a compliant path forward for the market.
The city said it worked extensively with the market operator to accommodate continued operations after the market moved from its originally approved site at the Los Angeles County Library parking lot on Civic Center Way. But officials said the Legacy Park site was never designed, approved or intended as a permanent home for the market.
Despite those efforts, concerns over public safety, limited parking, access to neighboring businesses and compliance with the market's Conditional Use Permit remain unresolved, the city said. Officials said the issue has taken on added urgency during the summer season, when increased visitor traffic heightens safety risks at a site not built to handle the additional vehicle and pedestrian activity. Weekend parking demand in the area is already exceptionally high, and market vendor vehicles and booths occupy nearly 40% of available public parking in the Civic Center area, further limiting access for visitors and nearby businesses.
"This is not about shutting down a farmers market that our community values," City Manager Joe Irvin said. "We have worked to make the current arrangement work, but we also have a responsibility to protect public safety and ensure City requirements are applied fairly. We are committed to working with the market to get them back to their approved home on the County lot. The City has offered to host the market in an approved location outside of City Hall while its permanent license is processed by L.A. County."
The market operator has been notified that operations at Legacy Park must stop immediately. The city said it remains supportive of the farmers market and is willing to continue working toward a suitable, properly permitted location.
The market operated free of charge for more than 16 years in the county-owned Civic Center lot near the library. That arrangement ended as construction of the $25 million Santa Monica College Malibu satellite campus encroached on the space. By late 2022, a fence had gone up, cutting the lot roughly in half, and the city issued urgency ordinances allowing temporary parking while relocating the market to Legacy Park in January 2023.
Legacy Park, however, carries a deed restriction from the city's 2002 purchase of the land from investor Jerry Perenchio barring commercial activity. Perenchio's son, John Perenchio, allowed temporary use of the park during the campus construction but later declined further exceptions. Officials have said releasing the restriction would require agreement from all six original parties to the deed.
When the city's temporary permits lapsed in October 2023, each market held at Legacy Park began counting against a six-event annual cap, and the city fined organizers thousands of dollars for continuing to operate there. The county later approved the market's return to the Civic Center lot, but paperwork delays and disputes over space stalled the move. In February 2025, the county paused use of the Civic Center lot altogether to stage Palisades Fire recovery operations, pushing the market back to Legacy Park.
### Oops. They did it again.
URL: https://www.smdp.com/oops-they-did-it-again/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T21:56:00.000Z
Recently, the City Council called a special meeting to rescind an ordinance they had just passed at their previous meeting. This isn’t the first time this year they’ve held a special meeting to do damage control or walk back previous votes, which is making them resemble the gang that can’t shoot straight, except they’re more like the gang that shoots first and asks questions later.
The latest blunder was over a charter amendment, intended to protect rent control tenants, particularly elderly tenants with loved ones (such as siblings) caretaking for them. Such caretakers can be denied permission to cohabitate in rent control apartments, or worse, they can be evicted when the lease holder dies, potentially leaving them homeless.
The Council wanted to mitigate these risks, and their goal was laudable. Their method was unlawful.
They passed a ballot measure on July 14 giving tenants the right to have family members live with them regardless of lease rules, and since the government doesn’t want to be in the position of deciding who constitutes a “family,” the Council determined that anyone, related by blood or not, could be considered members of the tenant’s “household.” (Current law only permits spouses, partners and children.)
Then the Council went a step further, granting any member of a household the right to take over a lease after the original tenant departs, whether the departure is from this mortal coil or just from the neighborhood.
This is where they got out over their skis. If a rent control lease can be traded at any time to anyone, related or not, then there’s nothing to stop it from being passed from person to person, in perpetuity, removing the property permanently from its owner’s possession.
If we were living in Cuba, this wouldn’t be of particular concern, but since we’re not, it violates the law.
The City Manager assured the public two weeks later that this infraction was discovered “subsequent to the voting.” But that’s not accurate. Councilmember Lana Negrete repeatedly addressed the issue before the Council voted, warning of the negative consequences.
“The intent comes from a really good place,” said Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya, referring to the motivation for the ballot measure, “but intent and outcome are not always the same.”
That’s the kind of forthright assessment we want from our council members. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t offered prior to the vote but only after being faced with the ramifications.
It was in fact good intentions that trumped all other considerations for most of the council members. These are the same council members that are digging themselves out from the $230 million (and growing) hole created by equally virtuous legislators, oblivious to the repercussions of their actions.
If this were the first time something like this had happened, I’d say give the Council credit for fixing their mistake. But it’s become a pattern.
In May, there was a special meeting to propose collaborating with the Coastal Commission after several council members had previously endorsed a bill threatening it. And in March, there was a special meeting to rectify a regulation unconstitutionally restricting the actions of neighborhood associations.
Michael Jenkins, a former president of the City Attorneys Department of the League of California Cities, expressed misgivings. “It’s not a desirable way to do business, to constantly have to have special meetings,“ said Jenkins, who is also a lecturer of local government law at USC. “It suggests things are being rushed and not being given proper consideration.”
In February, there wasn’t a special meeting, but there probably should have been, because the Council pushed through a flawed ordinance supposedly intended to protect workers’ jobs on the Santa Monica Pier but more likely intended to placate a powerful union in an election year.
If the council members hadn’t been embarrassed by their gambit, they would likely have allowed for the normal statutory review process by the Pier board. Instead, they rushed to vote (6-1) for something with critical typographical errors that negate its meaning. I’ve asked the city attorney repeatedly for the past three months why the ordinance wasn’t fixed, and she has refused to answer.
“It’s an odd situation,” said Jenkins. “Why wouldn’t you want to fix it?” He explained that errors can potentially invalidate an ordinance or lead to costly lawsuits. “The ordinance has to be clear, explicit and unambiguous to be enforceable.”
The most obvious reason for not fixing the errors is that there are far bigger problems with the ordinance. Accusations have been made that it violates state privacy laws and possibly federal labor management laws, and even if those accusations are proved wrong, its primary mechanism for assisting workers is so vague that it’s doubtful it could pass judicial scrutiny.
Let me be clear, the issue isn’t that the Council makes mistakes. The council members are human, and they have an immense workload. I can barely keep up with all the municipal documentation for the small number of items I choose to write about. Errors are unavoidable. It’s the unforced errors, borne too often of hubris, that are shameful and wasteful.
When I was a kid, my grandmother had a motivational plaque over her office desk; it said “If you don’t have time to do things right, you don’t have time to do them twice.”
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### ER doctors to be trained for psychiatric holds under LA County pilot
URL: https://www.smdp.com/er-doctors-to-be-trained-for-psychiatric-holds-under-la-county-pilot/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T18:58:59.000Z
Emergency room physicians at five private Los Angeles County hospitals will be trained and authorized to place patients on 5150 psychiatric holds under a pilot program approved by the county Board of Supervisors.
The motion, authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, aims to free the county's mental health crisis teams to respond faster to emergencies in the community.
A 5150 hold allows authorized professionals to detain a person against their will for a psychiatric evaluation for up to 72 hours when they pose a risk to themselves or others.
The county has spent recent years expanding its Alternative Crisis Response system, which dispatches mental health professionals rather than armed law enforcement to people in crisis. It now operates 71 mobile crisis response teams around the clock.
As more residents call 988 and the county's mental health crisis line, calls to law enforcement have declined. Between 2023 and 2025, mental-health-related calls to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department fell 16%, and arrests from those calls dropped 24%. Referrals from the crisis line for mobile responses rose 31% over the same period.
One drain on crisis teams comes from private hospital emergency rooms that call for help initiating holds. County crisis teams spend an average of 1,100 hours each month conducting 5150 evaluations at hospitals.
While county hospitals have long had authorized staff, a 2025 state law, Assembly Bill 416, only recently allowed private hospital ER doctors to become LPS-authorized to initiate the holds. At least 35 private hospitals across the county lack LPS-authorized physicians and rely on the county's Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams.
"Every hour our crisis teams spend inside an emergency room is an hour they aren't out in the community responding to someone who is having a mental health emergency in their home or on the street," Hahn said. "If a patient is already in an emergency room, we should empower trained ER doctors to evaluate them and initiate a 5150 hold, rather than making them wait for a County crisis team to arrive."
The pilot will begin at the five hospitals that most rely on county teams for evaluations: Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, UCI Health in Lakewood, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance and UCLA West Valley Medical Center.
The motion directs the county Department of Mental Health to develop a plan to expand training to all eligible non-county hospitals by the end of 2027.
"When someone is already in an emergency department, we should be using the expertise of the physician at their bedside while preserving our mobile crisis teams for people who need help in the community," Horvath said.
The department must report to the board within 120 days on the pilot's implementation, including hospital participation and any barriers, and provide quarterly updates thereafter.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Superior Court Expands Online Tool to Handle Traffic Tickets
URL: https://www.smdp.com/superior-court-expands-online-tool-to-handle-traffic-tickets/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T18:58:59.000Z
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County has added traffic services to CourtHelp, its interactive online tool, allowing residents to look up citations, make payments and complete common traffic-related requests without calling or visiting a courthouse.
The expansion, available at[ ](http://www.lacourt.ca.gov/help?ref=smdp.com)[www.LACourt.ca.gov/help](http://www.lacourt.ca.gov/help?ref=smdp.com), guides users through citation lookup, identifies options based on individual eligibility and helps them complete eligible requests online. The court expects the traffic services to launch Aug. 17, 2026.
"Available with around-the-clock convenience, CourtHelp's expanded traffic capabilities reflect the Court's enduring commitment to expanding public access to justice through technology and innovation," Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said. "By bringing personalized, conversational traffic services to CourtHelp, the Court is meeting people where they are and making it simpler than ever for court users to find the information they need, understand the options before them, and act on their cases with confidence and without delay."
To search, users type "traffic ticket" into CourtHelp, then enter a citation or driver's license number. If a search returns multiple citations, the tool displays details and lets users choose which to manage. If a citation has not been filed with the court, CourtHelp notifies the user and offers to send an alert once it becomes available.
Once a citation is located, users see a menu of eligible actions that may include paying and closing a ticket, enrolling in a payment plan, submitting a payment for an approved plan, requesting traffic school, making a partial payment, requesting due date, payment or traffic school extensions, and requesting an arraignment hearing. When an option is unavailable, CourtHelp explains why and points to alternatives.
"The expansion of CourtHelp into traffic services, one of the most common ways Angelenos interact with our Court, represents a significant enhancement to CourtHelp and marks another step in the Court's efforts to improve the public's digital experience," Executive Officer/Clerk of Court David W. Slayton said.
CourtHelp is the court's AI-driven virtual assistant, which also helps users register for jury service, find filing instructions and locate courtrooms. The enhancement advances the court's 2025-2028 Strategic Plan.
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the largest trial court in the nation, serving almost 10 million people in 36 courthouses. More information is available at[ ](http://www.lacourt.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com)[www.LACourt.ca.gov](http://www.lacourt.ca.gov/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica College faces accreditation threat over financial crisis
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-college-faces-accreditation-threat-over-financial-crisis/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T17:52:13.000Z
The years-long failure to arrest Santa Monica College’s enrollment decline and fiscal crisis has endangered the school’s accreditation according to a new warning sent by the institution responsible for evaluating community colleges.
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) notified SMC Superintendent/President Kathryn Jeffery in July that the college had scored in the "at-risk" category on the commission's Composite Financial Index, based on data submitted in the college's 2026 annual fiscal report. Institutions that score at-risk are automatically placed on enhanced monitoring, a designation ACCJC uses to track member colleges' fiscal stability throughout the accreditation cycle.
"Federal regulations and ACCJC policy require the Commission to monitor member institutions' fiscal stability throughout the accreditation cycle, in order to ensure that accredited institutions are able to continue to meet their missions and ensure ongoing viability for the students they serve," ACCJC Vice President Melynie Schiel wrote in the letter.
Schiel's letter cited four factors behind the at-risk designation: an unresolved structural deficit, marked by expenses exceeding revenue in each of the last three reporting years, from 2022-23 through 2024-25; a significantly unfunded Other Post-Employment Benefits liability with no district contributions over that same three-year span; a 34% decline in the district's ending cash balance over three years; and multiple expired collective bargaining agreements that remained unresolved.
The commission required SMC to submit an update describing the actions it is taking to address those factors, and cautioned that colleges that remain on enhanced monitoring for three consecutive years without resolving their fiscal issues could face adverse action from the commission.
The ACCJC serves as the primary accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for two-year institutions across California and the Pacific, overseeing 136 colleges as of 2024\. This institutional seal of approval is the critical mechanism that grants member colleges access to federal Title IV financial aid, ensures the transferability of credits, and maintains the essential academic legitimacy required to serve their student populations.
Jeffery said the data behind the designation was backward-looking and predated a series of cost-cutting steps, including layoffs, contract non-renewals, elimination of vacant positions, furloughs and pay freezes for classified and management employees. The college submitted its formal response to ACCJC and Jeffery said the district has since resolved two of its extended labor contracts — with the California School Employees Association and the Santa Monica College Police Officers Association, both ratified this spring with no ongoing salary or benefit increases — while negotiations continue with the faculty association. She also noted SMC is expected to move out of "hold harmless" state funding status and into the Student-Centered Funding Formula this year, making it newly eligible for cost-of-living adjustments, though the unfunded liability remains unaddressed pending resolution of the college's core operating imbalance.
Faculty leaders say the crisis has been building for months. Academic Senate President Vicenta Arrizon noted the state Chancellor's Office has separately directed SMC to take part in its Fiscal Health Assessment and Fiscal Forward Portfolio sessions in 2027, and pointed to a Fiscal Responsibility Resolution the Senate brought to the Board of Trustees in April warning that the administration's failure to develop and present a fiscal plan "directly jeopardizes compliance with ACCJC Standard Three." Arrizon said the college's tentative 2026-27 budget projects a structural deficit of about $7.6 million with no clear plan yet shared with the campus to close it, and has renewed calls for a campus-wide budget forum this fall along with more frequent, timely updates on the district's response to both ACCJC and the Chancellor's Office.
The fiscal picture has been further complicated by enrollment trends discussed at the college's most recent Board of Trustees meeting. While domestic enrollment has grown moderately, non-resident enrollment has declined 10.44% in the summer term and 8% in the fall, a drop tied in part to a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security ruling that replaces open-ended F-1 international student visas with a strict four-year admission window. Because SMC international students take an average of 3.5 years to complete their degrees, administrators say the change has introduced significant transfer anxiety among that population. The college is responding with targeted phone outreach aimed at converting applicants into enrolled students and a bilingual marketing campaign promoting SMC's $46-per-unit cost.
Trustees also aired sharp criticism of the state's Student-Centered Funding Formula, which SMC will fully transition into for 2026-27 as its hold-harmless protections expire. Under the formula, cost-of-living adjustments and enrollment growth funding are calculated across 32 separate metrics rather than as flat, system-wide percentages — a shift that reduces SMC's effective COLA to 2.23%, or $3.7 million, compared with $7.2 million the college would have received under the old formula's statutory 4.37% rate. Because growth funding is calculated using socioeconomic and education demographics within each district's boundaries, SMC's enrollment growth rate is capped at 0.3462%, or roughly 60 full-time equivalent students worth about $352,000 — tied for the lowest growth allocation in the state.
Trustee Rob Rader said the formula has recreated the funding disparities the state's equalization efforts were meant to resolve. "One of the complaints about prior to equalization was that there were such different rates for every district," Rader said. "It seems that we've done nothing but return to that on steroids, if you will." He said large urban districts, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, are also faring poorly under the growth formula and predicted "a lot of agitation for change."
Trustee Margaret Quiñones-Perez said the formula's structure reflects the outsized influence of smaller, rural districts on the state body that oversees it. "Unless the CEOs of the big districts start booting them out of that committee, our formula is not going to change, because it's not happening with the board of governors," she said. "It's all those small districts that are doing it."
Trustee Anastasia Foster pointed to broader fiscal pressure on the city of Santa Monica and voiced support for statewide funding measures, including Proposition 3, which would extend the state's tax on income over $1 million. "Extension of what's known as the millionaires' tax has gone a very long way toward supporting our general fund budget," Foster said, noting that 40% of the revenue is directed to Proposition 98, which funds public education from transitional kindergarten through community college.
The fiscal warnings follow a turbulent spring at SMC. The Board of Trustees voted 6-2 in May to finalize the termination of 45 classified employees — including custodians, administrative assistants, parking enforcement officers, tutors, a plumber and a painter — effective June 30, as the college confronted a projected $14.7 million deficit heading into the current fiscal year. The cuts came on top of $8.6 million in reductions already made for the current fiscal year, including a 5% cut to class schedules.
The school’s reserves peaked at $43.9 million in 2021-22 with help from federal pandemic relief funds and have fallen every year since, a decline of more than $27 million, or about 61%, in four years.
Rising labor costs have driven much of the structural gap: combined academic and classified salaries have grown more than 20% since 2021-22, and benefits 25%, adding nearly $40 million to the college's expense base. A wave of retirements — about four times the typical annual rate — is adding further pressure through higher payouts, with the college projecting roughly $1.1 million in mandatory vacation and banked-hours payouts alone.
Arrizon has said SMC meets five of seven Chancellor's Office indicators of systemic fiscal distress and warned the structural deficit extends into the 2027-28 fiscal year. The college's final adopted budget is expected in September, following a state budget revision that will inform next month's tentative budget presentation.
### As California demands less plastic in packaging, manufacturers say you’ll pay more for stuff
URL: https://www.smdp.com/as-california-demands-less-plastic-in-packaging-manufacturers-say-youll-pay-more-for-stuff/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T15:59:59.000Z
More than two dozen California Assembly Democrats and one state senator sent a letter Wednesday to legislative leaders asking them to delay fees under SB 54, the state’s landmark plastic reduction law, for two years — an eleventh-hour push as the Legislature hurtles toward the end of session.
The letter, addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, was signed by 23 Assemblymembers and Sen. Melissa Hurtado. It asks lawmakers to pause fee assessment and collection this year and next, commit to a “reform package” next session, and increase legislative oversight of the program going forward.
The request lands amid a broader fight over how the plastics law is rolling out. Little by little California is demanding that the packages you pick up at your doorstep or at the store contain less plastic. A law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four years ago aims to phase out 25% of non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic by 2032.
To get there, the state tasked a nonprofit, the Circular Action Alliance, with drafting a plan to meet the state goals. The group estimated the work would cost $17.2 billion over five years – and is asking for a three-year exemption from the source-reduction deadline.
But as the state moves to implement the law, questions are mounting over how the organization calculates the fees producers — and eventually consumers — will pay, and how much oversight the group actually faces.
Industry groups say the price tag for complying with the law could be tens of billions of dollars higher than California originally estimated. An industry-commissioned study found the law could cost consumers three times what the state projected — between $683 and $948 a year, rather than $190.
That means groceries, shampoo bottles and other consumer goods packed in plastic could cost a little more as the law takes effect.
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, which oversees implementation, declined an interview but said in a written statement that the law puts consumers first and pushes producers to design packaging with recycling in mind.
“Californians are facing rising costs and pollution from increasingly complex packaging that wasn’t designed for the recycling systems local governments, ratepayers, and the state developed and funded over the past four decades,” said CalRecycle director Zoe Heller. “The law’s rollout is a dial, not a switch, giving producers flexibility to redesign packaging, invest in recycling systems, reduce single-use plastics, and make adjustments along the way,” she added.
## **Watching the watchers**
The Circular Action Alliance published its fee schedule in June, spelling out what each producer owes into the system. The fees could add up to more than $10 million for some businesses, according to the Dairy Institute of California. The Dairy Institute is a trade association that represents milk processors and dairy product manufacturers.
But unlike a state agency, the Circular Action Alliance answers to almost no one, said Katie Davey, executive director of the Dairy Institute.
“\[The alliance\] does not have to go through an audit by the state auditor. They’re not subject to the (California open government law) Brown Act. They’re not subject to public records requests. The Legislature does not approve their budget and does not approve how many employees they need, or how many fees they can charge,” Davey said.
As a private nonprofit, Circular Action Alliance indeed is not subject to the Brown Act or public-records law — but records it submits to CalRecycle or other government entities may be.
CalRecycle must approve its fee schedule and implementation plan, and has the authority to audit the organization’s performance, said CalRecycle spokesperson Lance Klug, who added that the plastics law includes provisions to ensure the group’s budget and fees are appropriate.
The alliance’s role “is not to set California policy,” said its spokesperson, Larine Urbina. “Our role is to implement the framework established by SB 54 under CalRecycle’s oversight.”
Davey said the gap extends to enforcement. Businesses that fall short will face so-called [malus fees,](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64260ed078c36925b1cf3385/t/6a2ffce95c73742ee3a1dc97/1781529833493/10%5FEco-Modulation%5FCAA%5FCA%5FPlan%5F20260615.pdf?ref=smdp.com) which fund bonuses for those that comply. But the Circular Action Alliance hasn’t said what those fees will be.
Shane Gusman, a lobbyist for the Teamsters, which represents hundreds of thousands of California workers, raised similar concerns. **“**They’re a wholly independent nonprofit organization that has no oversight. That’s part of the problem.” The union backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs; Guzman now says the fees could affect workers too.
Shortly after the alliance published its fee schedule, Davey and a coalition of industry leaders — including the California Restaurant Association, the California League of Food Producers, the American Forest and Paper Association and the Print Creative Alliance — commissioned a study disputing CalRecycle’s numbers.
It found CalRecycle’s 2025 estimate of $21 billion in implementation costs, or $190 a year per California household, rests on “idealized assumptions that fail to capture real-world costs and complications the regulations will create.”
The study puts the number somewhere between $35 and $58 billion, rising after the implementation period.
Klug of CalRecycle said the agency’s earlier reports were just estimates. “The actual costs will be determined by producer choices,” he said. “These costs, for example, will reflect the infrastructure needed to recycle materials that producers are choosing to use.”
## **Agriculture groups push back**
The biggest hurdle for producers is cutting plastic use 25% by 2032 — which state regulators say will require redesigning packaging and shifting toward reusable products, such as dishes at restaurants and paper-based packaging for produce.
Business groups say they support the state’s goals but call the timeline unworkable.
Food safety is one sticking point: alternatives like paper-based containers for berries are less breathable and spoil faster, while heavier glass or cardboard adds transportation costs, said Casey Creamer, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association.
“We just don’t want to force something out and not be able to deliver a fresh, healthy commodity, or create a situation that has more significant or adverse environmental concerns just because we look at plastics and packaging in a silo,” Creamer said.
Environmental groups oppose any pause.
“All of us pay for plastic pollution through higher garbage bills and clean-ups of polluted beaches and waterways, not to mention the damage to our environment and our health,”said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste.
Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat representing coastal Los Angeles County who authored the law, said it’s time plastic producers are held accountable for the waste they produce.
“This 11th-hour Hail Mary is only trying to maintain status quo and avoid due responsibility, throwing years of good-faith negotiations, and affordability and sustainability improvements out the window,” he said in a statement about producers’ efforts to pause implementation of the law.
## **Businesses pass costs to consumers**
Whether the plastics law is actually driving up grocery prices yet is hard to pin down. Creamer said businesses may already be factoring the organization’s planned fees into their prices.
Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating, said Richard Volpe, a consumer-price expert at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Neither the USDA nor the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released August figures, and no data yet isolates the state plastics law’s effect from broader inflation.
Volpe said retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass costs on to consumers — but probably not right away.
“It will not happen overnight,” he said. “And it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”
Industry groups warn it will add up.
“If someone’s even on the cusp of food insecurity and they’re looking at $1,000 more a year, that’s pushing them over the food cliff,” said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.
The Teamsters, which backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs, now worry the fees could affect workers too.
The law “has been morphed into something that is going to cost California consumers a substantial amount of money at a time when I don’t know if we need to spend thousands more on groceries,” said Gusman, the Teamsters lobbyist. “That also has an impact on the workforce.”
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
**by** [**Alejandra Reyes-Velarde**](https://calmatters.org/author/alejandra-reyesvelarde/?ref=smdp.com)
### Red Cross grant expands Malibu wildfire recovery effort
URL: https://www.smdp.com/red-cross-grant-expands-malibu-wildfire-recovery-effort/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T20:54:19.000Z
A disaster recovery coalition serving communities scarred by the Palisades Fires has received a new grant from the American Red Cross to expand long-term help for families still working to rebuild, the group announced.
The [Malibu Community](https://www.smdp.com/newsoms-wildfire-recovery-proposal-will-make-sure-californians-get-paid-first/) Long Term Recovery Group said the funding will support disaster recovery and unmet needs services for individuals and families in Malibu, Topanga and Pacific Palisades who were displaced from their homes or otherwise affected by the fires.
The coalition, established in April 2025 by the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, brings together nonprofits, government agencies, businesses and community partners to coordinate resources and support survivors through what its leaders describe as a recovery measured in months and years rather than weeks.
"Recovery is a long journey, and partnerships like this ensure that survivors continue to receive the support, resources and advocacy they need every step of the way," said Shannon Dunn, executive director of the recovery group.
The grant builds on the disaster case management program run by the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, which has served more than 2,550 individuals and provided over 24,000 hours of casework and care coordination. The club has also distributed $3.5 million in donated goods and $3.3 million in cash assistance to wildfire survivors, according to the organization.
Kasey Earnest, chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, said the club was honored to expand its work with the Red Cross and grateful to the California Community Foundation, which is serving as the coalition's fiscal sponsor.
"We're honored to expand our partnership with the American Red Cross as we continue walking alongside our community throughout the long-term recovery process," Earnest said.
For many survivors, the hardest stretch of recovery may still lie ahead. Jacquelyn Clites, regional chief executive officer of the Red Cross Los Angeles Region, said housing remains the central challenge as families move deeper into the rebuilding process.
"Each individual's recovery is unique, but the ongoing needs related to housing, whether that be temporary housing costs, or repair or rebuild needs, has been a significant obstacle at this stage," Clites said.
She also warned that survivors' well-being can suffer as public attention fades.
"We recognize this stage of the recovery may be especially difficult for those affected," Clites said. "As public attention on the recovery wanes, the need continues and the mental health of survivors can suffer as a result."
The new partnership is part of the national Red Cross Long-Term Recovery Program, which supports individual and household recovery while addressing broader community needs after a disaster. Amanda Ree, director of wildfire long-term recovery at the American Red Cross, said the collaboration would help sustain critical work in the communities hit by the fires.
"Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we're able to continue supporting the communities affected by wildfire, and working alongside trusted partners like these will ensure that important work continues in the days and weeks to come," Ree said.
Clites said the [Red Cross](https://www.redcross.org/local/california/los-angeles/about-us/locations/western-los-angeles.html?srsltid=AfmBOooXVacaj-CUuoBsf173eIvdVM5FGGSkDh9uK7vp54l2XFFWncoh&ref=smdp.com) grant was one of several awarded to community organizations providing recovery services to families affected by the Palisades and Eaton Fires. A full list of grantees is available at RedCross.org/CAFireGrants.
"The Red Cross is here to provide support as recovery continues," Clites said.
Community members seeking more information about the grant, the Boys & Girls Club's activities or how to access services can reach the recovery group's team.
The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu describes itself as a trusted community anchor offering long-term disaster recovery services, no-cost mental health and wellness services, and youth enrichment programs. More information is available at[ ](http://www.bgcmalibu.org/?ref=smdp.com)[www.bgcmalibu.org](http://www.bgcmalibu.org/?ref=smdp.com).
The American Red Cross, a nonprofit that relies on volunteers and public donations, shelters and feeds disaster victims, supplies about 40% of the nation's blood and supports military members, veterans and their families, among other services.
### One month left to enter Santa Monica's Route 66 centennial song contest
URL: https://www.smdp.com/one-month-left-to-enter-santa-monicas-route-66-centennial-song-contest/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T18:58:59.000Z
Songwriters and musicians have until Sept. 13 to enter Santa Monica Travel & Tourism's Route 66 Song Contest, a competition marking the 100th anniversary of the highway that ends in the beachside city.
The contest invites entrants over the age of 18 to submit an original song capturing the spirit of Santa Monica and its connection to the historic road. The winner will receive $10,000 and will be announced in November.
Artists based in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are eligible to submit pieces celebrating the route.
Route 66 runs 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, where it officially ends at the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic boulevards. An honorary "End of the Trail" marker on the Santa Monica Pier commemorates the terminus. Visitors can stop at the city's[ ](https://www.santamonica.com/about/visitor-centers/?ref=smdp.com)[Visitor Information Centers](https://www.santamonica.com/about/visitor-centers/?ref=smdp.com) for Route 66 souvenirs, merchandise and a free Certificate of Completion.
The contest coincides with nationwide centennial festivities in 2026\. Santa Monica hosted several events this year, including the Santa Monica International Jazz Festival, Route 66 edition, in May; the Santa Monica Welcomes Texas to Route 66 event on the pier in June; and multiple organized caravans that began or ended in the city. Additional events are listed on the city's[ ](https://www.santamonica.com/events/?ref=smdp.com)[calendar of events](https://www.santamonica.com/events/?ref=smdp.com).
"The centennial anniversary of Route 66 is a once-in-a-generation milestone," said Misti Kerns, president and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. "As the western terminus of this beloved road trip experience, Santa Monica is searching for an original tune capturing the spirit of the Mother Road and our beachside community. We invite musicians from around the world to be a part of this historic celebration and honor Route 66 in a creative way."
Full contest details are available at[ ](http://santamonica.com/route66?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.com/route66](http://santamonica.com/route66?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Around Town: Pier Boxing, Main St. and Montana Events, & More!
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-pier-boxing-main-st-and-montana-events-more/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T20:33:03.000Z
**SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes Pier Boxing, Main Street Sunday Funday Street Event, Montana Ave. Dog Daze of Summer Event, Sunset Swims, Mahjong Classes, and much more!**
**Venice Art Crawl:** Experience the eclectic soul of Venice as local galleries, studios, and pop-up spaces open their doors for this quarterly community tradition. This volunteer-run sunset tour celebrates the neighborhood’s historic status as a creative haven, offering everything from large-scale murals and fine art to experimental performance pieces and live music. **Thursday, Aug. 20, 6p.m.** [veniceartcrawl.com](http://veniceartcrawl.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Bombas Venice Store Opening:** To celebrate the opening, Bombas will give its first 150 customers a pair of exclusive Sushi Socks. 🧦 **Friday, Aug. 21, 1140 Abbot Kinney Blvd.** [instagram.com/bombas](http://instagram.com/bombas?ref=smdp.com)
**Sunset Swim at the Annenberg Beach House:** Spend your evening poolside at the historic Annenberg Community Beach House, home to the iconic 1920s Marion Davies estate built by media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Sunset Swim invites adults to enjoy an evening of swimming, relaxing, and connecting by the sea at their historic and heated pool. Float under the evening sky, unwind with friends old and new, and enjoy complimentary s’mores and pool floaties while taking in the ocean air and sunset views. **Friday, Aug. 21, 415 PCH** [santamonica.gov/events/426hjtf67wfff7r8y1ypwkx6c5/202608211800](http://santamonica.gov/events/426hjtf67wfff7r8y1ypwkx6c5/202608211800?ref=smdp.com)
**Introduction to Mahjong with Mahjong Mistress:** Santa Monica Public Library launches a new monthly Mahjong series with an afternoon of guided play, community gathering, and cultural learning hosted by Mahjong Mistress. **Saturday, Aug. 22, 2:30 p.m., Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.** [santamonica.gov/events/45kmadhkp674g6w9mns9k55knp/202608221430](http://santamonica.gov/events/45kmadhkp674g6w9mns9k55knp/202608221430?ref=smdp.com)
**Dog Daze of Summer on Montana Ave.:** The event encourages you to “Bring your furry best friend for a day of shopping, treats, and giveaways as you explore the charming boutiques and restaurants along Montana Ave.” **Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m.** [instagram.com/montanaavesm](http://instagram.com/montanaavesm?ref=smdp.com)
**Pickleball Speed Dating:** You can snag a spectator seat to cheer on the players in a pickleball tournament that’s doubling as speed dating. **Saturday, Aug. 22 3 - 5 p.m., SaMo Pickleball Center (1330 4th St.); Post-tourney drinks at Barney’s Beanery (1351 3rd St. Promenade)** [instagram.com/p/Dbn7YhwKj4o](http://instagram.com/p/Dbn7YhwKj4o?ref=smdp.com)
**New Outdoor Music & Movie Series Saturdays at Tongva Park:** Spend your Saturday nights under the stars at TONGVA TWILIGHT: Sounds & Cinema, a free outdoor series blending live music, iconic films, and summer vibes in Tongva Park. Grab your friends, pack a picnic and enjoy complimentary popcorn on movie nights while supplies last. **This week, Mayer Hawthorne** is doing a DJ set. **Saturdays, through Sept. 12, 7 - 10 p.m., 1615 Ocean Ave**. [santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series](http://santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series?ref=smdp.com)
**Marina Movie Nights:** Grab your family, a picnic dinner, and a blanket or low-profile beach chairs and make your way to Burton Chace Park for the free Summer Concerts presented by the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors on select Saturdays from August 22 to September 26, 2026\. Movies start at 8 p.m. but arrive by 7 to pick out your spot on the lawn. Free admission. [visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights](http://visitmdr.com/annual-events/marina-movie-nights?ref=smdp.com)
**Blockprint Music & Arts Festival:** A full-day 21+ street festival taking over Abbot Kinney with live dance music, art, and food while keeping local storefronts open. Saturday, Aug. 22, starting at 3:00 p.m. [tixr.com/groups/blockprint](http://tixr.com/groups/blockprint?ref=smdp.com)
**Butterfly Brawl Returns to Santa Monica Pier:** Local boxing returns to the oceanfront as Westside Boxing Club hosts the 2026 Butterfly Brawl directly on the iconic Santa Monica Pier deck. This outdoor amateur boxing showcase features a full card of competitive local bout matchups, food vendors, and ocean views. **Saturday, Aug. 22; 4 p.m. Santa Monica Pier deck**[ ](https://www.southerncaliforniaboxing.com/single-post/butterfly-brawl-returns-to-santa-monica-pier-august-22?ref=smdp.com)[southerncaliforniaboxing.com](http://southerncaliforniaboxing.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Main St. Farmers Market in the Street Event:** This Sunday, the Main Street Farmers Market hits the Street for a very special Sunday Fun Day event! Main St. will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. - 4 p.m. with more than a dozen food vendors expected and the Entertainment Zone activated for people who want to enjoy an adult beverage on the street. Expect live music and DJs all day and a Kid Zone on the lawn featuring City Council Members.
**Wellness on the Westside:** Spend the day exploring fitness classes, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, sound baths, and recovery treatments. Sip healthy bevs and bites, discover new self-care favorites, and collect stamps in your Wellness Passport for prizes and giveaways. You'll also receive complimentary professional beauty portraits and enjoy a mindful flower market. **Sunday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Santa Monica Place** [eventbrite.com/e/wellness-on-the-westside-tickets-1994242947339](http://eventbrite.com/e/wellness-on-the-westside-tickets-1994242947339?ref=smdp.com)
**Laughs by the Sea: Gladstones Launches Malibu's New Weekly Comedy Night:** The series is hosted by comedian Lawrence Thomas and features a rotating lineup of established comedians and surprise special guests in one of Southern California's most iconic oceanfront settings. Comedy Hang Ten brings live stand-up to the beach, offering guests the chance to enjoy dinner, drinks, sunset views and a comedy show all in one evening. Show starts Wednesdays at 8 p.m. [instagram.com/gladstonesmalibu](http://instagram.com/gladstonesmalibu?ref=smdp.com)
**Weekly Western Wednesdays Line Dancing at Santa Monica Place:** No prior dance experience is required, and attendees are encouraged to bring enthusiasm and comfortable shoes. FREE. **Every Wednesday through Aug. 26, 6 - 8 p.m., 395 Santa Monica Place, Center Plaza.**
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com)
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Dine LA Restaurant Week Continues (Now Through Aug. 28):** LA’s premier dining event is back for two full weeks of culinary exploration. Dozens of Westside and Santa Monica favorites are rolling out special multi-course lunch and dinner menus at fixed price points ranging from $15 to $65+. Whether you're looking to revisit an iconic neighborhood staple, check out a newly opened concept, or splurge on a Michelin-starred tasting menu, it’s the perfect excuse to skip cooking and sample the city's best kitchens. Here are some SaMo offerings and you can browse menus and make reservations directly at[ ](https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela?ref=smdp.com)[discoverlosangeles.com/dinela](http://discoverlosangeles.com/dinela?ref=smdp.com).
**Cheers to 80 Years! Hot Dog on a Stick Celebrates National Lemonade Day with 80-Cent Lemonade** 🍋🎉On Thursday, Aug. 20, guests who purchase any Original Hot Dog on a Stick or Cheese on a Stick at can get a 16 oz. Original Fresh Hand-Stomped Lemonade for just 80 cents. **1633 Ocean Front Walk** [hotdogonastick.com](http://hotdogonastick.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Nespresso x Caffè Panna Venice Pop-Up:** The New York ice cream shop is teaming up with Nespresso for a three-day pop-up at **57 Windward from Aug. 21 - Aug. 23, 10 a.m. - 4p.m. daily.** The event will feature three limited-edition offerings created for the collaboration. The signature Stracciatella Iced Coffee is made with Nespresso’s Double Espresso Dolce and other flavors include Coconut Double Espresso Crunch and Raspberry Yuzu Swirl. [instagram.com/caffepanna](http://instagram.com/caffepanna?ref=smdp.com)
**Origins Culinary Series: An Evening in the Napa Garden with Caymus:** Indulge in an exclusive multi-course wine dinner celebrating the iconic pours of Napa Valley’s Caymus Vineyards. The evening pairs seasonal garden dishes with select Caymus vintages, highlighting the vineyard's rich winemaking heritage in an intimate outdoor setting. **Wednesday, Aug. 26, 6 p.m., 13534 Bali Way, Marina del Rey** [eventbrite.com/e/origins-culinary-series-an-evening-in-the-napa-garden-with-caymus-tickets-1995603765583](http://eventbrite.com/e/origins-culinary-series-an-evening-in-the-napa-garden-with-caymus-tickets-1995603765583?ref=smdp.com)
**Farmer's Market Mimosa Flight at Calabra:** Santa Monica Proper's rooftop restaurant Calabra introduces a farmer's market-inspired mimosa flight during weekend brunch. Guests get to mix and match seasonal juice combinations with champagne, alongside an elevated brunch menu featuring standouts like tomatillo green shakshuka, Greek fries, and olive oil cake topped with Gaviota strawberries. [properhotel.com/santa-monica/restaurants-bars/calabra/](http://properhotel.com/santa-monica/restaurants-bars/calabra/?ref=smdp.com)
**Three SaMo Places Make The Infatuation's "Best Sandwich Shops In LA" List:** Of course **Bay Cities** is represented, but they also give love to **Bread Head** (1518 Montana Ave) and **Lady & Larder** (828 Pico Blvd). Describing Bread Head: "LA is flooded with fancy focaccia sandwiches. But it only takes one bite of the pork-stuffed Combo Grinder to know this spot is doing something special. This glass box of a sandwich shop bakes its loaves daily, blending the soft, airy innards of focaccia and a crackly glazed ciabatta that shines like a polished penny." [theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-sandwich-shops-in-la](http://theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-sandwich-shops-in-la?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Pier Boxing, Main St. and Montana Events, & More!**
### Santa Monica founder built a vape company on a nicotine-free bet
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-founder-built-a-vape-company-on-a-nicotine-free-bet/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T17:51:51.000Z
When Conrad Kurth explains why he started a vape company, he doesn't cite a market study. He points to his friends.
"Honestly? My friends. Around 2018 everyone I knew was on Juul," said Kurth, a former software engineer who studied at USC and spent more than 10 years writing code before founding Cyclone Pods.
Vaping, Kurth had assumed, was supposed to help people quit smoking. He came to believe it did the opposite.
"I figured the point was to help people quit smoking for good. It wasn't. It just traded cigarettes for a Juul habit," he said.
So he went looking for a nicotine-free alternative. Finding none, he built one himself — tracking down manufacturing and liquid facilities, putting up a website and posting in online forums until orders started to arrive.
"It was niche, but niche is a good place to get your foot in the door," he said. "There have been ups and downs, but we've grown every year since."
That was the start of Cyclone Pods, the [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-advances-9-2-million-social-services-grant-program-amid-pleas-for-more-funding/) company Kurth founded in 2018 and still leads. Eight years on, the brand sells nicotine-free vapes and caffeine-based "Focus" pouches in a market long dominated by nicotine products.
Kurth frames the business less as a hardware company than as a single idea in several forms.
"One idea, several formats," he said. "The through-line was never the hardware. It's giving adults the habit without the addictive substance."
The product line has widened from a single nicotine-free pod to rechargeable pod systems, disposable vapes, nootropic lip pouches and wellness supplements. Kurth describes the growth as a coherent vision shaped by customer demand rather than a scramble to chase trends. The Focus Pouches, which the company says contain caffeine and adaptogens, were added, he said, "because customers wanted function, not only a substitute."
"So it's a coherent vision, shaped by where our customers pulled us," Kurth said. "Supplements are just another avenue to help people along their journey."
Bold flavors are central to the brand — and flavored vapes are precisely the products regulators have targeted over concerns about youth appeal. Asked how a flavor-forward product avoids becoming a gateway for teenagers, Kurth argued the concern is misdirected in his company's case.
"A gateway to nicotine is the allure of using nicotine," he said. "Ours has none. ... There's nothing addictive to graduate to."
He said the company's packaging is deliberately restrained. "Our packaging is deliberately clean and mature, not the bright, cereal-box look a lot of nicotine brands use," he said, adding that the marketing targets adults who already vape rather than new users. "We built this as an off-ramp from nicotine, not an on-ramp to it."
To back its central claim, [Cyclone Pods](https://cyclonepods.com/?ref=smdp.com) says it has its products tested by independent, accredited laboratories and publishes the results. The company's vapes are tested by Legend Technical Services Inc., an ISO 17025-accredited lab in St. Paul, Minnesota, using a mass-spectrometry method the company says can detect nicotine down to 0.063 micrograms per gram. Of 16 products analyzed under one recent work order, the company says, 15 returned non-detect results for nicotine, and all tested at 0% for diacetyl.
The Focus Pouches are tested separately by Certified Laboratories, an A2LA-accredited facility in Burbank, California, that screens for pesticides, solvents and heavy metals. The company says caffeine content was verified at 113% of its 50-milligram label claim.
For all the growth, Kurth said the company remains rooted in Santa Monica, where he has lived since 2015 and where Cyclone Pods began.
"Because it's home," he said. "Santa Monica is where Cyclone started and where I still live. Might as well keep it here where life is great."
Cyclone Pods products are sold at cyclonepods.com and in retail stores nationwide.
### Santa Monica students turn summer jobs into career experience
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-students-turn-summer-jobs-into-career-experience/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T15:59:59.000Z
Summer break gives students a chance to explore different career fields while earning income. This summer, many students in Santa Monica and Los Angeles are using their time off to get a taste of the working world through jobs in corporate settings, food service and local organizations.
While summer jobs have long been a way for teens to earn money, many students are now emphasizing experience and insight as they look for positions. Their jobs show how seasonal work can serve as both a paycheck and a stepping stone toward long-term goals.
Motivations vary by student. Sydney Rodstrom took a job at Cartwheeling Cuties, a gymnastics program for young children, to see the sport from the coaching side rather than as an athlete. She said the supportive environment made the job appealing.
"The environment was super supportive, and my coworkers are all really kind. And it was definitely a change from how I grew up doing gymnastics. It was much more welcoming and supportive of all different kinds of kids... I'd only seen the gymnast side of it, and I wanted to try the coaching part, and it was definitely very helpful," Rodstrom said.
Many students start the application process online, submitting applications through a company's website before moving to interviews. Once hired, students under 18 must obtain a work permit from their school. Other students said they landed jobs through recommendations from friends.
Training requirements vary by job. Sasha Shiri, a barista at Makenna Koffee, said she completed training days, earned a food handler's certificate and took a sexual harassment prevention course before starting paid work. Rodstrom's training was informal, given her years of experience in gymnastics.
A typical workday looks different for each student, depending on their position and the job's demands. Weekly hours range from six to more than 12.
Rodstrom works two three-hour shifts a week, each one physically active as she leads children through drills, activities and crafts.
At Target, Taylor Summers handles high customer volume and a range of tasks, including checkout, returns and stocking shelves. Depending on her availability, she works four-hour half shifts or eight-hour full shifts.
As a barista, Shiri prepares coffee, takes food orders, restocks inventory and handles in-store and drive-through orders. She works about 12 hours a week over three shifts.
First-time employees are bound to run into challenges. In customer-facing roles, frustrations can build quickly.
Summers said staying calm is the hardest part of the job, especially with difficult customers.
"The hardest part is keeping your cool when people are being completely unreasonable and annoying — especially when they're trying to return something with no receipt, no card, no proof of purchase, and you're just enforcing Target's policy," Summers said.
She added that when a situation escalates, she defers to her supervisors.
For Rodstrom, the biggest challenge is helping kids manage their frustration when they struggle to master a new skill — an experience she said has sharpened her adaptability and problem-solving skills.
The work also comes with rewards. Shiri said she takes satisfaction in seeing her own progress.
"A rewarding part is seeing my progress — memorizing orders, learning the recipes better, and seeing customers happy with the drinks I made," Shiri said.
As the school year approaches, students' schedules will shift to make room for classwork and extracurriculars. But the communication and people-management skills gained from these first jobs will carry beyond the summer — whether students stay in customer service or move into different careers, the lessons in teamwork and relationship-building remain valuable for both their professional and personal lives.
Sophia Friedman, Special to the Daily Press
### Drivers urged to be cautious as school opens
URL: https://www.smdp.com/drivers-urged-to-be-cautious-as-school-opens/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T09:59:59.000Z
Santa Monica students return to class this week prompting Santa Monica police and city transportation officials to urge drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to slow down and stay alert amid the seasonal surge in traffic around local schools.
The Santa Monica Police Department said the start of the school year brings a sharp increase in vehicle, bicycle, e-bike and pedestrian traffic near campuses, particularly during morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal, and asked drivers to build extra time into their commutes.
"Getting students safely to school is a responsibility we all share," Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob said in a statement. "Slow down. Put the phone away. Pay attention to what is happening around you. A few extra seconds of patience can make a meaningful difference when children are walking, biking and riding through our neighborhoods."
Police asked drivers to follow posted speed limits, obey crossing guards, avoid distractions, check mirrors and blind spots before turning or opening doors, and refrain from double parking or stopping in bike lanes and crosswalks near schools.
The department also flagged e-bikes as a growing concern, noting that some vehicles marketed as e-bikes are legally classified as electric motorcycles or off-highway vehicles that minors may not be permitted to ride on public streets. SMPD urged parents to confirm how their child's vehicle is classified before allowing them on the road, and asked young riders to wear helmets, obey traffic signals, avoid phone use, and never weave through traffic.
National data underscores why officials emphasize this time of year. In 2025, federal transportation researchers found pedestrian deaths among school-age children peak between 3 and 4 p.m. and nearly one in four fatal teen-driver crashes occurs between 3 and 7 p.m.
Locally, the city's Mobility Division and the GoSaMo Transportation Management Organization set up information tables at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District registration events this month to help families plan school commutes.
"The first week of school is an exciting time for students and families, but it can also bring heavier traffic and new routines," Transportation Planning Assistant Edgar Mejia wrote in a city post, encouraging families to consider walking, biking, riding Big Blue Bus, carpooling or combining transit with walking to help ease congestion around schools.
The city also reminded families that students can obtain a GoPass through their school, which provides free, unlimited rides on several transit agencies including Big Blue Bus and LA Metro, and encouraged riders to plan routes and bus stops before the first day.
For drivers, the city repeated many of SMPD's core reminders: slow down in school zones, watch for students near crosswalks, and follow posted drop-off procedures rather than double parking. Pedestrians and cyclists were advised to use marked crosswalks, wear properly fitted helmets, and make eye contact with drivers before crossing.
Students traveling independently were also encouraged to know their route in advance and avoid distractions while crossing streets, while bicyclists were reminded to ride predictably, use hand signals and remain visible to motorists.
Both the police department and the city's mobility office framed the effort as a shared responsibility among everyone using Santa Monica's streets during the transition back to the school routine.
"A safe school year starts with a safe trip to school," the department said.
### Back-to-School Shoppers Tighten Belts Even as Spending Hits Record Highs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/back-to-school-shoppers-tighten-belts-even-as-spending-hits-record-highs/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T19:48:42.000Z
Back-to-school shopping is back in full swing as students and parents prepare for the upcoming school year. But the 2026 season is increasingly defined by disciplined spending, even as some forecasts point to record-breaking totals.
The National Retail Federation expects the market to reach an all-time high of $43.3 billion. Still, parents are taking a more cautious approach as inflation — which rose 4.2 percent in May — shapes their decisions.
That economic pressure has fueled growing pessimism among buyers. According to the 2026 Deloitte Back-to-School Survey, 57 percent of buyers believe the economy will continue to worsen.
The Deloitte survey found spending per child at $557, largely stagnant compared with previous years. The National Retail Federation, by contrast, found spending at $863.86 per family, reflecting an increase in dollar terms.
Deloitte projected the K-12 market to reach $30.4 billion, a 6 percent decline, compared with the National Retail Federation's $43.3 billion projection. The two organizations attribute the gap to differences in survey size and timing: Deloitte surveyed a smaller pool in May, while the National Retail Federation surveyed a larger pool in June, capturing spending activity from major sales events such as Prime Day.
Parents' priorities are clear in how they're allocating their budgets. Within K-12 households, apparel spending is up 22 percent as families replace worn items, while spending on technology upgrades is being deferred, with an expected 16 percent decrease. The National Retail Federation, however, predicts electronics spending will rise among both K-12 and college students, noting more college shoppers plan to spend in that category.
Rather than spending all at once, 23 percent of consumers plan to spread their purchases over time, and 47 percent plan to buy only essentials and replenish supplies throughout the year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Much of this year's spending is being driven by what Deloitte calls "hyper-value seekers" — shoppers who rely on four or more cost-saving methods. Deloitte found 31 percent of shoppers fall into that category, and 54 percent said they used major June sales events, such as Prime Day and Target Circle Deal Days, specifically for school-related purchases.
Despite their focus on cutting costs, hyper-value seekers actually spend more: $610 per child on average, 14 percent above the overall figure.
Parents who use social media also tend to spend more, according to Deloitte, which found that shoppers using search engines, social media and generative AI spend $737 per child, compared with $381 for those who don't use those tools. Even so, the intent to buy online hasn't fully translated into purchases: Only 50 percent of K-12 shoppers and 41 percent of college shoppers who research online actually complete purchases there.
Retailers are adjusting to these cost-conscious trends by rolling out early promotions and value offerings to win over shoppers. Walmart, for example, has marked down select back-to-school items to 25 cents and cut prices on 14 of its most popular products, while Kohl's has listed thousands of items below $25\. Beyond price cuts, retailers are also courting hyper-value seekers with wider product assortments and more convenient shopping options.
In California, families are navigating a mix of regional inflation and state support this school year. Fuel prices have jumped 23.6 percent and shelter costs 2.8 percent, but the 2026-27 fiscal budget signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom aims to ease some of that pressure through universal school meals, tax relief and expanded student support.
Those efforts may help soften the blow, but for now, economic uncertainty continues to shape how parents spend — and that's expected to hold true through the rest of the school year.
Sophia Friedman, Special to the Daily Press
### Supervisor Horvath moves to explore new LA County Office of Gender Equity
URL: https://www.smdp.com/supervisor-horvath-moves-to-explore-new-la-county-office-of-gender-equity/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T18:58:59.000Z
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath introduced a motion to study whether the county should create an Office of Gender Equity, a new office that would coordinate gender equity efforts across county departments.
The proposed office would build on the county's work implementing the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, known as CEDAW, and its Gender Impact Assessment Program, which the county describes as nationally and internationally recognized. The office would provide centralized leadership and subject-matter expertise.
"Los Angeles County has a responsibility to lead on gender equity — and to make it real in the policies, programs, and services we deliver," Horvath said. "We have built a strong foundation for this work, but we need sustained leadership to carry it forward and embed gender equity across County government. That means building systems that work for everyone, including women, girls, transgender, gender-expansive, and gender-nonconforming people."
Horvath said the county has an opportunity "to ensure that gender equity is not just a goal, but a standard for how we govern," pointing to a moment when she said fundamental rights, health care and safety are under attack.
The proposal follows the 2024 sunset of the county's Women and Girls Initiative. The proposed office would help coordinate existing county programs and resources, support departments in identifying and addressing gender disparities, and keep gender equity a sustained priority across county government.
The motion was accepted with an[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/GlFwvjP9tGg?e=bf83c1f9f9&c2id=3f9e0bb20c920e8ace7cc6e0451385a1&ref=smdp.com)[amendment](https://us.list-manage.com/GlFwvjP9tGg?e=bf83c1f9f9&c2id=3f9e0bb20c920e8ace7cc6e0451385a1&ref=smdp.com) directing the chief executive officer, the Department of Public Health and county counsel to report back on the feasibility of establishing the office, including its potential structure, responsibilities, staffing, funding, and opportunities to build on existing county programs and resources.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Poll finds rising public trust in LA County Superior Court
URL: https://www.smdp.com/poll-finds-rising-public-trust-in-la-county-superior-court/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T18:58:59.000Z
Public confidence in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County is climbing, according to a 2026 poll the court commissioned.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they had "a great deal" or "some" trust in the court, up from 64% in 2025 — again the highest rating among the government institutions surveyed. The poll also showed gains in how residents view the court's innovation, transparency and impartiality.
Sixty-one percent agreed the court is committed to protecting individual and civil rights, up from 60%, while 55% agreed it serves as an appropriate check on other branches of government, up from 53%. Among respondents with first-hand court experience, 70% said they were satisfied with the fairness of the process regardless of outcome, up from 69%. Half rated the court's job performance "excellent" or "good," up from 47%. Each gain was modest, but together they mark a consistent upward trend since 2025.
"A cornerstone of the Court's 2025-2028 Strategic Plan is building public trust and confidence in the judiciary," Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said. He said the priority remains "ensuring equal access to justice through the fair, timely, and effective resolution of all cases."
The poll also flagged room for improvement. Forty-seven percent said the court needs to do better at adopting new technologies and breaking down barriers with the public, down from 49%, while perceptions of inefficiency improved by a net 7 points.
Outside factors weighed on access. Sixty-eight percent said rising gas prices made them less likely to travel to a courthouse, and 57% said they were less likely to appear in person when federal immigration enforcement is near courthouses. While 61% preferred in-person visits, many showed interest in remote options through the court's website (54%), phone (40%) and local offices or kiosks (33%).
On artificial intelligence, 46% expressed general concern about its growing use in daily life, but 57% supported AI tools that help users find information, complete forms or access services. Court Executive Officer David W. Slayton said fostering innovation and improving efficiency remain priorities.
The full poll and information on the court's approach to AI are available on the court's website. The survey of 1,000 Los Angeles County adults was conducted May 7-18, 2026.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Malibu Declares Local Emergency to Speed Encampment Removals as Fire Conditions Worsen
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-declares-local-emergency-to-speed-encampment-removals-as-fire-conditions-worsen/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T18:58:59.000Z
The Malibu City Council unanimously approved a declaration of local emergency on Aug. 10 after live fuel moisture levels in the Santa Monica Mountains fell below 65%, the threshold the council set for hazardous fire conditions.
The declaration allows the city — all of which lies within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone — to act more quickly to remove homeless encampments and reduce the risk of fires tied to unpermitted camping.
"Declaring a local emergency provides an important proactive measure to reduce wildfire risk and protects lives and homes in Malibu as fire conditions worsen as we move towards the peak fire season," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. He said the declaration lets the city act swiftly while maintaining a balanced approach that protects both public safety and vulnerable community members.
Live fuel moisture measures the percentage of water in living plants and is a key wildfire threat indicator. The Los Angeles County Fire Department takes fuel samples every two weeks. At 60% moisture, vegetation burns as if dead, allowing fires to grow rapidly and posing a greater risk to lives, property and the environment. The most recent sample came in at 63%, down from 67%.
Under normal conditions, state law requires a more extensive noticing process before removals. The emergency declaration allows them to be completed within a day.
The 2026 Homeless Count found Malibu's unhoused population had declined to 27 individuals and 16 dwellings — including tents, cars, RVs, vans and makeshift shelters — the lowest since the city began tracking in 2016\. The figure is down from 46 in 2025, 69 in 2024, 71 in 2023, 81 in 2022 and 157 in 2021\. The city's Homeless Outreach Team, operated by The People Concern, connects individuals with permanent housing, interim placements and family reunification services.
Working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Malibu cleared 44 encampments in 2025, 44 in 2024 and 29 in 2023.
The declaration remains in effect until the city receives at least two inches of rain, live fuel moisture reaches at least 80%, and there have been no Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings for two weeks, with none in the forecast. The staff report is available at[ ](https://www.malibucity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8256?fileID=91260&ref=smdp.com)[https://www.malibucity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8256?fileID=91260](https://www.malibucity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8256?fileID=91260&ref=smdp.com).
Residents are urged to monitor conditions via Watch Duty at[ ](https://app.watchduty.org/?ref=smdp.com)[https://app.watchduty.org](https://app.watchduty.org/?ref=smdp.com), prepare emergency plans and supplies, and sign up for alerts from the city at[ ](http://www.malibucity.org/news?ref=smdp.com)[www.MalibuCity.org/news](http://www.malibucity.org/news?ref=smdp.com) and the county at[ ](https://alertlacounty.genasys.com/portal/en/register?ref=smdp.com)[https://alertlacounty.genasys.com/portal/en/register](https://alertlacounty.genasys.com/portal/en/register?ref=smdp.com). Learn more about power outages at[ ](https://ready.lacounty.gov/power-outage/?ref=smdp.com)[https://ready.lacounty.gov/power-outage/](https://ready.lacounty.gov/power-outage/?ref=smdp.com) and fire safety at[ ](http://www.malibucity.org/FireSafety?ref=smdp.com)[www.MalibuCity.org/FireSafety](http://www.malibucity.org/FireSafety?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Instagram-Born Book Club Walks Its Way Across Los Angeles
URL: https://www.smdp.com/instagram-born-book-club-walks-its-way-across-los-angeles/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T17:09:45.000Z
When Samantha Dockser and Morgan Messing set out to fix a problem in Los Angeles' literary scene, they started on Instagram.
The two founded [Preoccupied LA](https://www.instagram.com/thepreoccupied/?hl=en&ref=smdp.com) after discovering that author talks and book events across the city were underattended. The obstacle, as they saw it, was that there was no single place to find out about them.
"There was no central place to see the book events happening all across LA on a given week," Dockser said.
Their account, @ThePreoccupied, began as a weekly roundup of literary happenings and has grown into a hub that connects readers with authors and independent bookstores. The community now counts more than 7,000 followers and has expanded to more than eight cities nationwide, with a Canadian chapter set to launch this fall.
At the center of the operation is the Preoccupied Walking Book Club, a monthly gathering that brings online followers together in person. Each month, readers meet a featured author for a neighborhood walk, building a connection before the group gathers at a local independent bookstore for conversation and a book signing.
"It's just a nice way to take that online community and bring it offline for an hour once a month," Dockser said.
The path from a social media follower to a reader standing on a sidewalk runs through the platform. By following the account, Dockser said, people can find out exactly when and where the group will meet and which author will join them. Authors and brand partners reach out through the same channel.
"Instagram has been invaluable," Dockser said. "That is where our community lives."
Though Preoccupied LA shares book events across the greater Los Angeles area, its roots run deepest in Santa Monica, where the founders host their monthly walk and where they live.
"Santa Monica functions as our home base because it is in fact our home," Dockser said.
Even so, the pair make a concerted effort to support book events across the city. Their "Preoccupied Picks" shelves now appear in bookstores around greater Los Angeles, and Walking Book Club locations have begun popping up in other parts of the region.
The founders met, fittingly, at a book event.
"Fittingly, we met through a book event here in Los Angeles," Dockser said.
Together, the two also run Logue Social, an author-exclusive social media marketing agency.
Scaling a venture built on in-person connection has meant leaning on people who live in each [community](https://www.smdp.com/beyond-rebuilding-what-the-palisades-comeback-can-teach-santa-monica-about-economic-recovery/). Preoccupied LA relies on local chapter leaders who organize events on the ground, while the founders provide administrative support, facilitate relationships with authors and secure branded partnerships.
"We have nationwide — and starting this fall in Canada, too — chapter leaders who are local and organize the events in their cities," Dockser said.
Wherever the walks take place, Dockser said, the core of the event stays the same. No matter the city, she said, readers build connections with one another and with authors while taking a walk.
### Waitlist for Home-Delivered Meals Nears 100 as Senior Hunger Deepens on Westside
URL: https://www.smdp.com/waitlist-for-home-delivered-meals-nears-100-as-senior-hunger-deepens-on-westside/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T09:59:59.000Z
A waitlist for home-delivered meals to homebound seniors across the Westside is approaching 100 people, a milestone that a local nonprofit says reflects a deepening senior hunger crisis and a federal funding formula that has not kept pace with the region's aging population.
[Meals on Wheels West](https://mealsonwheelswest.org/?ref=smdp.com) said 93 seniors in Santa Monica and surrounding communities are now waiting for the deliveries that keep them fed and safe, and the organization expects the list to reach 100 by the end of August. It is the first waitlist in the group's more than 50-year history. The list was created in November 2025 and has grown steadily since.
"When I hear we have 93 seniors waiting, I don't hear a number. I hear 93 people whose independence is hanging in the balance," said Kaylee Hawkins, the organization's executive director.
The people on the list are among the region's most vulnerable residents. The median age of current clients is 78, and nearly 8 in 10 live with a disability, most often mobility problems or chronic pain. Some 83% cannot safely cook for themselves. More than one in five are veterans or the spouses of veterans, and nearly one in four have experienced homelessness.
Isolation compounds the danger. Some 84% of clients eat alone almost always or often, and for 53% of them, the Meals on Wheels West volunteer or caller is one of the only people — sometimes the only person — checking on them at all.
Each week, the nonprofit delivers meals and wellness checks to hundreds of homebound seniors, veterans and people with disabilities in Santa Monica, Venice, Pacific Palisades, Marina del Rey and Malibu. Every meal arrives with a knock at the door, often a client's only in-person contact of the day, along with referrals to community resources. The approach is designed to catch small problems before they become medical emergencies. Feeding a client for a full year costs an average of $3,360, typically less than a single overnight stay in a local emergency room.
The shortfall reflects strains across the region's safety net. Federal Older Americans Act funding, which flows to local agencies, has not grown as fast as the [number of seniors](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-student-launches-program-pairing-teens-with-seniors-to-fight-loneliness/) who qualify. Many donors have shifted support toward recovery from the 2025 fires, and rising costs have made it harder for everyday givers to contribute at past levels. Local government partners have remained supportive, but their funding has not kept pace with demand.
Hawkins said the core problem lies with Washington, not city hall. "This isn't a story about government failing to write a check, but instead about funding formulas that haven't caught up to the rapidly changing demographics to write the right-sized check," she said.
The Older Americans Act, the backbone of senior nutrition funding nationwide, was written for a smaller, younger senior population than exists today, Hawkins said. Meals on Wheels America, the national organization that leads federal advocacy for member groups, has calculated that meeting true demand would require funding the act at $2.285 billion a year. Instead, it has held flat at about $1.059 billion.
The pressure is expected to intensify. Los Angeles County is undergoing a demographic shift some call the "silver tsunami." By 2030, nearly one in four county residents will be 60 or older — a wave of aging residents colliding with rising food costs and a higher cost of living. For many homebound adults, the organization said, that means facing isolation and food insecurity alone, without nearby family or the means to keep up with grocery prices.
Meals on Wheels West has set an immediate goal of moving its 10 most vulnerable, longest-waiting neighbors into meal delivery by the end of the year. Hawkins was blunt that the target is a starting point, not a solution.
"Moving ten clients off the waitlist immediately isn't the ceiling — it's the floor," she said. "At $3,360 a year per client, clearing our current list of 93 would take roughly $312,000 in new annual funding," and that figure does not account for demand still to come.
Money is not the only way to help, Hawkins said. Volunteers are the organization's backbone, filling more than 40 delivery routes each day, and a separate friendly caller program offers social connection to clients who need it. She also urged residents to press elected officials to plan for an aging population and invited businesses to sponsor meals or connect the group with workplace giving programs.
The organization is asking for donations at mealsonwheelswest.org/endthewaitlist.
Meals on Wheels West is a community-based nonprofit serving homebound neighbors in Santa Monica, Venice, Pacific Palisades, Marina del Rey and Malibu.
### Two families to receive 2026 Santa Monica Pier Awards at September gala
URL: https://www.smdp.com/two-families-to-receive-2026-santa-monica-pier-awards-at-september-gala/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T18:58:59.000Z
Two families whose commitment has helped define the Santa Monica Pier will be recognized Sept. 19 during the second annual A PIERfect Benefit, the Santa Monica Pier Corporation announced.
The 2026 Santa Monica Pier Awards will go to the Gordon Family, owners of Playland Arcade for more than seven decades, and the Whiting Family, descendants of the Newcomb Family whose support has helped preserve the Pier's history for generations.
Established in 2025, the awards recognize individuals, families and organizations whose dedication has helped preserve and strengthen what the corporation calls America's last great pleasure pier.
Playland Arcade was founded in 1954 by brothers George and Eugene Gordon and their father, Morris "Pops" Gordon. More than 70 years later, it remains the longest-running family-owned business on the Pier, now led by four women of the family's fourth generation: Marlene Gordon, Joanie Gordon, Dana Picore and Monique Giroux. The family is being honored for its stewardship, resilience and commitment to creating memories through decades of changing trends, coastal storms and redevelopment proposals.
The Whiting Family descends from the Newcomb Family, which owned and operated the Pier's commercial district for nearly three decades. Rather than through ownership, the Whitings continued that tradition through support during physical, political and financial challenges. Their recent contribution made possible the book "Santa Monica Pier: America's Last Great Pleasure Pier."
"Buildings can be restored. Attractions can change. But what truly defines the Pier are the people who dedicate their lives to protecting it," said Jim Harris, executive director and historian of the corporation. "The Gordon and Whiting families represent generations of commitment, generosity and love for this remarkable place."
This year's gala invites guests aboard the legendary SS Rex, transforming the historic Merry Go-Round Building into a floating casino. The evening will feature a Casino Night with signature cocktails, culinary offerings, live entertainment, casino gaming and auctions. Guests who buy gaming tickets in advance receive 50% off the day-of price, and table winners earn raffle tickets for prizes.
Guests are encouraged to wear vintage attire inspired by the grand ocean liners of the 1920s and 1930s. Adele's of Hollywood, a costume house since 1945, is offering 15% off rentals and purchases with the code PIER.
Proceeds support the corporation, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, year-round programming, including Youth Day for underserved children across Los Angeles County and the annual Pier 360 Beach Festival.
Early Bird pricing is available through Aug. 19, with 20% off admission using the code EARLYBIRD. Tickets, gaming packages, sponsorships and tax-deductible donations are available at[ ](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com)[givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026](https://givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Salvation Army rehab center to host benefit concert Aug. 30
URL: https://www.smdp.com/salvation-army-rehab-center-to-host-benefit-concert-aug-30/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T18:58:59.000Z
The Salvation Army Santa Monica Adult Rehabilitation Center will host its 2nd Chance Benefit Concert on Sunday, Aug. 30, an afternoon of music and fellowship supporting men and women working to rebuild their lives through recovery.
The free event runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Salvation Army Santa Monica Corps, 1533 4th St. The Christian band "Hill To Die On" will perform. A free-will offering will be collected to support the center's mission of recovery, restoration and second chances.
The Santa Monica center runs a residential rehabilitation program that helps people struggling with alcohol and drug dependence build stability, life and work skills, spiritual strength and a foundation for reentry into the community. The 59-bed, six-month, faith-based work-therapy program helps men address social and spiritual challenges, including substance abuse.
For more than 100 years, The Salvation Army has provided spiritual, emotional and social assistance to people facing life's challenges. Its more than 80 rehabilitation centers nationwide are funded primarily by the sale of donated goods in thrift stores, online thrift auctions and monetary gifts. Each year, thousands of graduates transform their lives, reunite with families and bring hope to their communities.
Services are offered on a charitable basis, generally at no cost and without the need for insurance. Organizers said every donation and every thrift store purchase help make the programs possible.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Students trade summer jobs for internships choosing experience over income
URL: https://www.smdp.com/students-trade-summer-jobs-for-internships-choosing-experience-over-income/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T16:34:03.000Z
Summer break gives students a chance to explore different career fields, and many are choosing internships over traditional paid jobs to do it.
Internships can offer valuable hands-on experience, professional connections and industry knowledge, but they often come without pay. As more students opt for internships over summer jobs, many are weighing long-term career benefits against the immediate need to earn money.
Unlike jobs, which are typically secured through a formal application, internships are often introduced through a connection — a family member or friend. But landing the internship still comes down to the student's own initiative, whether that's an email or a phone call.
Student Adria Bini said a connection through her grandfather helped her secure an internship at the Mario Cucinella Architects firm in Bologna, Italy. She used that connection to email the head of the firm herself and began working as an intern shortly after.
For many students, the goal is to gain experience in a field they're considering for the future. Student Emma Berline said she approached her internships hoping to explore marketing and public relations before committing to a college major.
"I wanted to start figuring out what to study in college," Berline said. "Doing social media gave me a glimpse into that world, and working at a PR firm showed me the other side of how influencers and promotion work — it helped me see what I do and don't want to major in."
Through those experiences, Berline said she realized she preferred social media PR over traditional business PR — something she could see herself pursuing in the future.
A typical workday looks different for every intern, depending on the tasks they're given.
Student Audrey Shamooilian works at a clean beauty brand, where she spends two to three hours screwing caps onto products, organizing shelves and opening packages. Simple as the tasks are, she said they help her feel like part of a real work environment.
"It definitely does feel good to be a part of a work environment because it kind of motivates me even further for my future," Shamooilian said. "I see how well the team works together and how cool it is to have a really nice office space — it's definitely motivating."
Bini's hours looked different. Her internship spanned the full workday — arriving at the busy architecture office at 9 a.m. and working until 6 p.m. on research, presentations, model-making and observation.
Despite the hands-on experience, both students said they felt some initial discomfort starting out.
Bini said she felt intimidated as the only high school intern at the firm and was determined to prove her value to the team.
"I would definitely say it was intimidating being the only high school intern — being so young and feeling kind of out of place, also in a foreign country, and having to interact with these professionals and try and show that I'm worthy of being there," Bini said.
Berline faced a similar learning curve entering the PR field with little prior knowledge, saying she had to learn "on the spot."
Still, she said the reward has come in seeing the results of her work.
"What's been rewarding is looking at what my work has done for people — actually seeing views, actually seeing change," Berline said. "I'm actually making an impact."
Through their internships, the students said they've picked up skills and lessons beyond their specific fields — including how to handle rejection during the outreach process itself. For Shamooilian, that lesson proved especially valuable.
"When I'm applying in the future, it's taught me not to be afraid to reach out twice," she said. "Sometimes you email once and you don't get a response, but it's always okay to go back and get out there again, because it's not embarrassing at all — it's really only helping you gain, not lose."
Berline said those lessons are exactly why she encourages other students to pursue internships when they can.
"If any teen has the opportunity for an internship or a job experience anywhere in their high school career, they should do it," she said. "You'll learn something you won't learn in school or through your parents."
Sophia Friedman, Special to the Daily Press
### Newsom’s wildfire recovery proposal will make sure Californians get paid first
URL: https://www.smdp.com/newsoms-wildfire-recovery-proposal-will-make-sure-californians-get-paid-first/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T15:59:59.000Z
Six years ago, the Creek Fire tore through the Sierra National Forest. Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee with almost no warning, leaving their homes with only what they could carry.
The fire burned 13 acres of my family’s ranch, and many of my friends and neighbors [lost homes and structures](https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2020/09/california-fires-winds-pge-outage-psps/?ref=smdp.com). In the years that followed, our community began the long process of rebuilding and recovering.
California hasn’t learned from what happened to us in 2020\. I’m worried we’re running out of time before the next catastrophic fire.
That’s why I support the [wildfire recovery reforms](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/newsom-wildfire-utility-liability-package/?ref=smdp.com) Gov. Gavin Newsom and state leaders are discussing, because they’ll ensure victims get paid first. Any serious reform must put victims ahead of out-of-state interests like hedge funds, trial attorneys and insurance companies, who’ve profited while victims in communities like mine were left waiting.
I’ve spent most of my life caring for the land. I’ve seen the devastation caused by wildfires while working in and around the Sierra — as a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire, as a river guide and as a member of the community.
When I talk about wildfire risk and forest management, it’s from lived experience. I spend a lot of time thinking about what it takes for our community to be resilient — not just to survive a fire, but to recover from one.
What I’ve seen, both personally and professionally, is a recovery system in California that is not built for the realities we’re facing.
In Fresno County, our schools feel it when families who can’t get coverage, or can’t afford what little coverage is left. They decide they can’t afford to rebuild here and move away. Our local economy feels it when businesses that depend on those families don’t have enough customers to stay open.
Fire takes a toll on communities beyond physical destruction.
In the wake of the fire, families across the Sierra Nevada foothills watched their insurance policies get canceled, or their premiums climb past what they could afford.
Many of us were pushed onto the state’s FAIR Plan, [the insurer of last resort](https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/california-insurance-myths/?ref=smdp.com), and it’s expensive for what little it actually covers. I’ve heard enough from neighbors to know I’m not the only one worried it won’t be able to pay out if another major fire strikes.
Then there’s the rebuilding process. Instead of a straightforward path to recovery, too many Creek Fire victims were met with years of litigation and disputes, watching attorney fees and outside investors eat into their settlements before they ever saw a dime.
Families who lost everything were left behind by the system that was supposed to help them.
The recovery wasn’t straightforward, but the solution is: real reform that invests in wildfire prevention, fixes the insurance market so coverage is affordable and available, and overhauls the recovery system so victims come first.
Every fire season that passes without reform is another season where a community like mine could go through exactly what we did — and come out the other side with even less to rebuild with.
California has the chance to change that before it happens again. I hope our leaders take that chance this year, not after the next fire forces their hand.
**by Joe Denham**
### School board backs November parcel tax, adopts budget revision and tax-collection deal
URL: https://www.smdp.com/school-board-backs-november-parcel-tax-adopts-budget-revision-and-tax-collection-deal/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T09:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously Aug. 6 to endorse a citizen-initiated parcel tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, part of a fiscal agenda that also included a rare mid-summer budget revision and the renewal of a delinquent-tax collection agreement.
The board's central action was Resolution No. 26-04, a statement of support for the "Excellent Santa Monica Public Schools Parcel Tax Measure," which would levy $495 a year on each taxable parcel in [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/cafe-demitasses-new-bar-blooms-with-its-own-herb-garden/), adjusted for inflation. Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton, reading the resolution into the record, said the measure "does not create any new funding; it replaces the source of funding previously provided through the master facility use agreement."
That agreement, known as the MFUA, currently sends the district roughly $12 million a year — the equivalent of about 5% of its workforce — but is scheduled to end June 30, 2027\. The Santa Monica City Council declared local fiscal distress in September 2025, and district leaders warned that losing the money without a replacement would be devastating.
"Losing the master facilities use agreement would be catastrophic," board member Stacy Rouse said, describing a budget she called tight even in a "basic aid" district that draws excess local property tax.
Board member Jon Kean framed his support as a way to end the district's financial reliance on the city. "In the past eight years, I have been in dozens of meetings where the master facility use was used as a cudgel," he said. "It was used as a carrot and a stick." He added that he did not want the city to have "that sort of Damocles over our head anymore."
Board member Jennifer Smith tied her vote to the volatility of California school funding. "We need to stabilize school funding as much as we can," she said, arguing the measure "actually creates more stability." Board member Maria Leon-Vazquez said local control was essential to preserving what she called "a community school district," one that enrolls the children of city, college and district employees who live outside district boundaries.
The measure, brought forward by the nonprofit [Santa Monicans for Reliable School Funding](https://theballotbook.com/jurisdictions/929/local%5Fcampaign%5Fcommittees/10021?ref=smdp.com), includes exemptions for qualifying seniors, affordable housing, nonprofits and religious organizations, and bars spending on administrator salaries, land acquisition or capital construction. It requires independent oversight and annual performance audits. If approved, it is estimated to generate about $11 million a year.
Board members stressed that community use of school facilities is protected by law and does not depend on the measure. Upton said district and city staff have already begun discussing an agreement to preserve city-run programs if the tax passes. Board Vice-President Laurie Lieberman said a new facilities agreement would be difficult to negotiate until voters decide the measure's fate, warning that if it fails, "we're in a much, much deeper hole." Board member Rouse suggested a nominal agreement "even if it's for $1" to signal good faith.
Board President Alicia Mignano called the roll on each item. On the parcel tax, Rouse voted yes but added "with humility as a Malibu resident" that she "wouldn't carry the burden that other people carry." Malibu student board member Parker Kaplan abstained.
The board also approved its first 45-day budget revision in four to five years, a step required when the enacted state budget differs significantly from the spending plan the board adopted in June. Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Gerardo Cruz — who quipped, "I will not make this 45 minutes. Don't worry, we'll make it 10" — said the revision reflects about $11.23 million in newly finalized state and federal funding. Most is restricted, he cautioned, and cannot flow to the district's day-to-day operating fund.
The largest piece, roughly $7.49 million, is a one-time Student Support and Professional Development Block Grant. About $3 million in additional special education money, passed through the Tri-City SELPA shared with Beverly Hills and Culver City, is the only portion that meaningfully eases the general fund. Cruz said special education is "woefully underfunded, not only at our district, not only across the state, but across the nation." Smaller amounts include about $280,000 for expanded learning and $490,000 in learning-recovery funds. A school-level equity multiplier allocation for Olympic High School remains pending state certification. The revision passed unanimously and will be formally booked into the district's ledger at the First Interim report in December.
Finally, the board adopted Resolution No. 26-05, assigning delinquent property-tax receivables to the California Statewide Delinquent Tax Finance Authority for the fiscal years ending in 2026, 2027 and 2028\. Cruz said the district, which has participated since 2002, contracts the collection of late payments through School Services of California, as do "99% of all school districts in California." Board member Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein moved the resolution and Smith seconded it; it passed with no dissenting votes.
### LA County Launches 'Path to 2028' to Ready Businesses for Olympic Contracts
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-launches-path-to-2028-to-ready-businesses-for-olympic-contracts/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T18:58:59.000Z
The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity has launched Path to 2028, a countywide initiative designed to help small businesses, workers and communities benefit from economic opportunities tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and other sporting events.
In partnership with cities and communities across the county, Path to 2028 events connect businesses with speakers, public-sector partners and resource providers. Attendees can learn about public contracting, vendor registration, business certifications, bid readiness, access to capital and technical assistance.
The initiative supports LA28's commitment to achieve 75% local and 25% small-business spending targets under its Impact and Sustainability Plan. By helping businesses get certified, registered and contract-ready, the county aims to build the supplier pipeline LA28 needs. Officials note the county purchases many of the same commodities and services LA28 expects to procure, offering local businesses multiple revenue streams.
"Path to 2028 is not only about creating meaningful opportunities for local businesses and our economy, but also about expanding economic mobility and advancing inclusion across our communities," said Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis.
"We are not just preparing for a global event—we are building pathways to economic mobility, expanding opportunity, and investing in a more inclusive future for Los Angeles County," said Kelly LoBianco, director of the department.
The first event was held May 26 in partnership with the City of Pico Rivera. The next will take place Thursday, Aug. 20, with the City of Torrance. Registration and event details are available at opportunity.lacounty.gov/pathto2028.
The department is also advancing workforce training programs, including Youth@Work and High Road Training Partnerships, to prepare residents for jobs connected to the Games.
Cities, organizations and partners interested in co-hosting an event can apply at opportunity.lacounty.gov/pathto2028.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica rents edge up in July but stay below year-ago levels
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-rents-edge-up-in-july-but-stay-below-year-ago-levels/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T18:58:59.000Z
Santa Monica rents ticked up in July, though prices remain lower than they were a year earlier.
The median rent in Santa Monica rose 1.4% over the course of July to $2,405, according to Apartment List's August 2026 rent report. The increase came in a market that has spent much of the past three years in retreat.
Even with the gain, rents are down 2.7% from a year earlier, leaving Santa Monica behind both the state and the nation. Rents across California climbed about 1.5% over the past 12 months, while the national median slipped 1.1%, the report said.
By unit type, [Apartment List](https://www.apartmentlist.com/?ref=smdp.com) pegged the median one-bedroom in Santa Monica at $2,276 and the median two-bedroom at $2,729.
The city's rents have fared better in 2026 than in the same period a year earlier. Seven months into the year, rents have risen 1.1% — compared with a 0.2% decline through July 2025.
The gains follow several down years. Santa Monica rents surged during the pandemic rebound, jumping 12.4% in 2021 and 9.8% in 2022 before reversing course. Prices then fell 6.4% in 2023, 0.9% in 2024 and 3.1% in 2025.
The median also remains below its recent high. Apartment List's city series shows it reached about $2,527 in March 2025, roughly $120 above July's figure.
Santa Monica remains one of the pricier corners of the Los Angeles area. Its $2,405 median sits 9.6% above the metro-wide figure of $2,194, according to Apartment List. Across the broader metro, rents were down 1% over the year — a shallower decline than Santa Monica's, which fell faster over the past 12 months than the metro as a whole.
Among the 29 Los Angeles-area cities the firm tracks, Newport Beach is the most expensive, with a median rent of $3,396, while Inglewood is the most affordable at $1,664\. The fastest annual rent growth is in Aliso Viejo, at 6.3%, and the slowest is in Pomona, where rents fell 5%.
The regionwide picture was mixed. Rents fell over the past year in nearby Culver City, down 2.8%, and Glendale, down 3.1%, while they climbed in cities such as Brea, up 4.2%, Calabasas, up 2.5%, and Fullerton, up 1.8%. Others were essentially flat, including Anaheim, down 0.2%, and Huntington Beach, up 0.3%. Over just the past month, several markets gained ground, among them Brea, up 1.9%, and Burbank, up 1.3%.
The pullback in [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/council-to-weigh-three-paths-for-shielding-expo-bundy-area-from-state-housing-law/) has come alongside a rise in empty units. Apartment vacancy in the city climbed to 5.3% in May, up 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier, according to Apartment List.
The firm builds its estimates from Census Bureau data, projecting them to the current month using its own listing figures and a same-unit analysis, an approach it says tracks closely with government statistics.
Whether July's increase marks a turn or a brief pause, Santa Monica's rents remain below where they stood a year ago, and well above the region's median.
### Santa Monica student launches program pairing teens with seniors to fight loneliness
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-student-launches-program-pairing-teens-with-seniors-to-fight-loneliness/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T16:00:00.000Z
When Kyleigh Belle Butler was little, her grandfather was the strongest person she knew — always moving, always helping others, always there when someone needed him. As she grew up, she watched aging take its toll. These days, even walking is hard for him, and though he does not like asking for help, he lets her step in.
"His trust in me made me realize just how important it is for older adults to have someone who genuinely cares about them," Butler said.
That realization became Belle's Moments, a student-led organization Butler founded to connect teenagers with retirement home residents through monthly visits, activities and friendships. This fall, the 15-year-old New Roads School sophomore will launch the program at two senior living communities — Ivy Park Santa Monica and Westmont Culver City — pairing [student](https://www.smdp.com/five-smc-students-selected-for-competitive-space-camp-scholarship/) volunteers with residents in an effort to reduce loneliness among older adults.
Butler, whose middle name is Belle, credits her grandparents — whom she calls her Grandma and Papa — as the inspiration for the organization.
"It breaks my heart knowing that not every senior has grandchildren, a friend, or family member to spend time with them or remind them that they're loved," she said.
The idea did not begin as a formal program. Butler said Belle's Moments started as a passion project for Pretty Brown Girls, a summer program that asked participants to turn something they cared about into something meaningful. She considered many causes before returning, again and again, to older adults.
"Senior citizens have spent their lives contributing to their families and communities yet they're often overlooked," Butler said. "That was the moment I realized this wasn't just about my own grandparents, it could become a program that actually brings joy and meaningful friendships to seniors and teenagers."
The organization's mission, as Butler describes it, is to bridge generations by empowering young people to build relationships with older adults through service, compassion and shared experiences. Her vision is a world where every older adult experiences meaningful connection and every young person discovers the power of service.
Butler said the program has not yet held its first official monthly visit, but she and others involved have spent considerable time planning what those gatherings will look like. The goal is for each volunteer to spend about an hour building a genuine friendship with a resident rather than simply stopping by for a quick activity.
A typical visit will likely begin with everyone gathering for a few minutes before students pair off with residents, she said. From there, pairs might talk about life, play cards or board games, do a craft, listen to music, or celebrate birthdays and holidays. Some visits may feature performances or special activities.
"The most important part isn't the activity, it's making sure each resident has something to look forward to every month," Butler said.
For Butler, a student with a full schedule, the potential impact made the commitment worthwhile.
"Knowing that even one friendship could brighten someone's life reminded me why this work matters and motivated me to keep going even with my busy schedule," she said.
She said her family has been a driving force. When she told her grandmother about Belle's Moments, "she couldn't stop telling me how proud she was," Butler said, and her grandfather has been sending her resources about nonprofits to help her prepare.
Teenagers interested in volunteering can complete an application on the organization's website, bellesmoments.org, or email Butler directly at bellesmomentsca@gmail.com. The time commitment is minimal — just one visit each month, with the length depending on the activity. Students who cannot volunteer because of sports, clubs or other activities can still help by sharing the mission with their communities, she said.
Butler calls Belle's Moments a movement, and she has ambitions well beyond a single home. She hopes to expand nationwide, bring the program to schools where students lack access to service opportunities and, eventually, offer scholarships to students committed to giving back.
But the ultimate measure of success, she said, is not the number of visits.
"Success means the friendships continue long after the program ends with teens and their resident partners staying connected because they genuinely care about one another," Butler said.
Her larger dream, she said, is "to build a movement that bridges generations, inspires young leaders, and ensures every older adult feels seen, valued, and loved."
More information about Belle's Moments is available at [bellesmoments.org](https://www.bellesmoments.org/about?ref=smdp.com).
### Local acupuncturist bets on habit-building over quick fixes with new wellness programs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/local-acupuncturist-bets-on-habit-building-over-quick-fixes-with-new-wellness-programs/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T16:00:00.000Z
Awaken Now, a one-stop acupuncture and wellness practice, will launch three new 12-week programs in September led by founder Marina Dabcevic, aimed at addressing different health issues across the body.
Each group is capped at 15 participants so members can build relationships and a sense of community, Dabcevic said. She was intentional about the 12-week timeline.
"It takes about 66 days to create a habit, and each week I'm trying to teach you a new habit to implement so you're not overloaded all at once," she said.
The final four weeks focus on reinforcing those habits. The programs are held online but are not asynchronous — participants meet for weekly Zoom calls, have one-on-one consultations with Dabcevic and join a group chat for daily support.
**The Whole Body Reset** targets systemic inflammation through diet, nervous system regulation, stress management, sleep, environment and body awareness. The program treats symptoms "not as something to manage or to fix" but as "a signal from your body that's telling you something's going on," Dabcevic said.
**The Resilient Brain** is designed for people with cognitive decline, Parkinson's disease, early-onset Alzheimer's disease, long COVID or other conditions that affect memory and brain function. The program aims to slow disease progression through movement, nutrition, functional medicine and community support.
"People with specifically cognitive decline really do isolate themselves, so my goal is to bring them together and go, 'Hey, you're not the only one,'" Dabcevic said.
**The Metabolic Reset Blueprint** was created for people struggling with weight, Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions. Rather than a short-term diet, the program takes a holistic approach to weight loss and metabolic health, teaching participants about the body's functions — from building muscle and reducing inflammation to stabilizing blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity.
Awaken Now opened 11 years ago, offering acupuncture, cupping, massage, herbal medicine and red light therapy. The practice also has a hyperbaric chamber, an infrared sauna and a cold plunge, and offers one-on-one consulting and retreats around the world.
Dabcevic's path into functional medicine began with a homeopathy bachelor's degree in Australia. She later moved to the United States, where she earned a master's degree in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture and a doctorate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, specializing in oncology and chronic pain management.
The idea for the new programs grew out of Dabcevic's reflections on her retreats and one-on-one consulting work. She found that individual sessions offered a personalized approach but lacked the structure of group work, while retreats made a strong impact through their communal nature. The 12-week programs were designed to combine both.
For Dabcevic, functional medicine represents the intersection of Eastern and Western medicine. Her goal with the new programs is to help participants build lasting habits while fostering the kind of community she believes is central to healing.
"I hope that they get that village, which would then bring them confidence, joy and laughter, and even that changes the chemistry in the body," she said.
Awaken Now is located at 1410 Second St., Suite 302, Santa Monica, and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. More information is available at awakennowhealth.com, with details on[ ](https://www.awakennowhealth.com/the-whole-body-reset?ref=smdp.com)[The Whole Body Reset](https://www.awakennowhealth.com/the-whole-body-reset?ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://www.awakennowhealth.com/the-resilient-brain?ref=smdp.com)[The Resilient Brain](https://www.awakennowhealth.com/the-resilient-brain?ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://www.awakennowhealth.com/the-metabolic-reset-blueprint?ref=smdp.com)[The Metabolic Reset Blueprint](https://www.awakennowhealth.com/the-metabolic-reset-blueprint?ref=smdp.com).
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
### Santa Monica Council advances $9.2 million social services grant program amid pleas for more funding
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-advances-9-2-million-social-services-grant-program-amid-pleas-for-more-funding/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T09:59:59.000Z
The City Council on Aug. 11 approved new funding guidelines and authorized staff to seek proposals for the next four-year cycle of the city's largest local grant program, even as residents and service providers warned that the money falls far short of a mounting crisis in need.
The 5-0 vote — with Councilmember Barry Snell recused and Councilmember Dan Hall absent — launches the Human Services Grants Program for fiscal years 2027-31\. Operating for more than 50 years, the program is the city's single largest source of funds for local nonprofits and underwrites a social safety net [serving residents](https://www.smdp.com/fresh-finds-the-way-to-your-farmers-heart/) from infancy to old age.
"This truly is a city of contrasts," Councilmember Ellis Raskin said before moving to approve the staff recommendations. "In a place of such affluence, we are still met with extreme need."
The first-year budget for the new cycle is projected at about $9.2 million, down from the roughly $11.2 million the current cycle is ending at. Nicole Liner-Jigamian, the fiscal administrator for the city's Human Services Division, told the council the drop is not a cut but a relocation: interim housing funds historically routed through the program will now be funded separately, moving about $2 million outside the grants program while still supporting that need.
Staff said they expect to recommend an increase when they return in spring 2027 with proposed awards. "We really do expect to get higher funding requests than we have in the past, and we expect it to exceed that $9 million," Liner-Jigamian said, noting that in the last cycle the city funded programs at about 85% of what they requested.
Mayor Caroline Torosis pressed staff to find more. Citing roughly $180 billion in federal cuts to nutrition assistance, proposed elimination of Older Americans Act programs and a $303 million deficit at the county homeless services department, she directed staff to identify additional local dollars. "We have to hold the line at the local level," Torosis said, asking staff to find "at least $2 million somewhere to add to this program."
Staff responded that they are collaborating with the city's Measure GS committee to allocate eligible tax revenue toward housing and homelessness prevention, and anticipate that a significant share of future applicants will qualify.
The new guidelines mark a shift toward a more "prescriptive" approach, replacing the previous open call with a finite list of 19 eligible services across three areas: housing and homelessness prevention, health and wellness, and financial stability. New or expanded priorities include domestic violence services, immigration support, community violence and gang intervention, dental care, intergenerational programming and expanded case management for the newly unhoused.
The cycle also introduces a wage option aimed at reducing burnout among low-paid frontline workers. Agencies may either provide a 30% cash match, as historically required, or agree to pay staff billed at least 90% to a program the city's minimum wage — $25 an hour for fiscal 2026-27 — and have the match waived.
Public testimony was dominated by calls for more investment. Connections for Children, a current grantee, reported that the average cost of licensed child care in Santa Monica has climbed to $1,755 a month, roughly 80% of the average gross monthly income of a two-person household using its subsidies. The nonprofit said 30 children sit on its eligibility waitlist and estimated that closing the gap would require about $631,800 more in annual funding.
Others urged the council to restore a five-day congregate senior meal program at [Reed Park's WISE Diner](https://www.findhelp.org/wise-%26-healthy-aging--santa-monica-ca--wise-diner-program/5163290546143232?postal=90401&ref=smdp.com), which closed in July, and to keep neighborhood-based meal programs eligible for funding.
Council members repeatedly emphasized prevention, particularly for youth. "When we invest in our youth, we are investing in our future," Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya said, requesting a future analysis of the program's return on investment.
Councilmember Lana Negrete, who described years of PTA involvement, said early intervention saves money later. "What we end up dealing with in the end is so much heavier when we don't address it" early, she said.
Staff plan to release the request for proposals in September, hold a bidders' conference and close it in December. Funding recommendations are due back to the council in spring 2027, with awards finalized in the June 2027 budget. The new cycle begins July 1, 2027.
### How to Survive Your Order to Show Cause Publication Without Crying in the Court Clerk's Office
URL: https://www.smdp.com/order-to-show-cause-publication/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T19:08:08.000Z
An **order to show cause publication** is a legal requirement in California that notifies parties of court proceedings through a qualified newspaper. Missing the deadline or publishing in the wrong paper can delay or derail your case entirely. This article walks through every requirement, deadline, and step so your publication goes right the first time.
## **What Is an Order to Show Cause Publication and Why Does the Court Require It**
You filed your paperwork. The judge signed your order. Then the clerk handed it back and said Get it published in a newspaper. If your first thought was "why does a newspaper still matter in 2026," you are not alone.
**An order to show cause publication** is the legal process of printing a court-issued notice in an approved newspaper so that any party who could not be personally served has a public opportunity to respond. California law requires this for name changes, certain family law matters, and civil cases where a respondent cannot be located.
The California Courts Self Help Center is direct: you must publish the Order to Show Cause once a week for 4 weeks in a row before your court date, and if you do not, your case can be delayed. That is a hard stop that can push your hearing back by months.
[Filing a legal notice](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) with SMDP satisfies this requirement for cases within the court's designated jurisdiction throughout the Westside.
## **What California Law Actually Says About OSC Publication Requirements**
**Legal notice publication California** rules come from specific statutes, and understanding them protects your case from procedural errors that waste time and money.
California Code of Civil Procedure Section 415.50 governs service by publication when a respondent cannot be located through standard methods. Publication must appear in a newspaper most likely to give actual notice to the party being served ([California CCP 415.50](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=415.50.&ref=smdp.com)).
For family law matters, California Rule of Court 5.72 adds structure. If the respondent cannot be found to be served a summons by any method described in Code of Civil Procedure sections 415.10 through 415.40, the petitioner may request an order for service of the summons by publication or posting under Code of Civil Procedure sections 415.50 and 413.30.
You cannot simply pick any newspaper. The court either names the paper on your OSC form or approves one that meets the adjudicated standard for the jurisdiction. [SMDP's legal notice service](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) is designed to meet this requirement for Westside Los Angeles cases.
## **The Step-by-Step Process for Order to Show Cause Newspaper Publication**
Understanding the steps before you start saves time at every stage. Here is how an **order to show cause newspaper publication** works from filing to proof.
### **Step 1:**
**Get your signed order.** The judge must sign your Order to Show Cause before publication begins. Take the signed form to the clerk's office and get your certified copies.
### **Step 2:**
**Identify the correct newspaper.** Check your signed OSC form. In most name change cases, the court writes the approved newspaper directly on form NC-120\. If you live in California and have to write the name of the newspaper on your Order to Show Cause (form NC-120), you have to publish in the newspaper you wrote on your NC-120. To switch papers, you must file an amended order first.
### **Step 3:**
**Contact the newspaper immediately.** Four weekly publications take at least four calendar weeks. Contact [SMDP's legal notices team](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) the same day you receive your signed order to lock in your schedule.
### **Step 4:**
**Provide the required documents.** Give the newspaper your signed OSC. SMDP formats the notice to meet legal standards, so it appears correctly every week.
### **Step 5:**
**Obtain and file proof of publication.** After the final publication, the newspaper provides a proof of publication affidavit. File it with the court clerk before your court date. Do not wait until the day of your hearing.
## **Common Mistakes That Invalidate OSC Publication and Delay Your Case**
Most case delays tied to **court order publication requirements** come from the same small set of errors. Knowing them ahead of time keeps your timeline intact.
**Publishing in the wrong newspaper.** The paper must be adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in the county where your case is filed. Always confirm with your court clerk that SMDP qualifies for your specific case before submitting.
**Missing the four-week window.** Four publications mean four separate weekly editions. If the newspaper misses one issue due to your late submission, the clock restarts. Start immediately after receiving your signed order.
**Filing proof of publication late.** Courts require the affidavit to be on file before the hearing date, not brought in on the day. Confirm the exact filing deadline with your clerk's office.
**Submitting incorrect notice text.** The published notice must match your signed OSC exactly. Any material difference may invalidate the publication. When you submit to [SMDP for legal notice publication](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/), the team verifies the text before the first run.
The [SMDP advertising page](https://www.smdp.com/advertise/) outlines available options, and the legal notices team can confirm adjudicated status, pricing, and turnaround for your matter.
## **Why the Newspaper You Choose for Publish Order to Show Cause Matters More Than You Think**
Not every approved newspaper is equal when it comes to **OSC publication service**. California law requires the newspaper to be most likely to give actual notice to the party being served. That standard carries weight.
A paper with genuine local readership fulfills that intent. One that exists only to run legal notices at low cost technically qualifies but offers far less assurance of actual notice reaching anyone.
SMDP has served Santa Monica, Venice, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Marina del Rey since 2001 with award-winning local journalism read by residents, legal professionals, and community members every week. Legal notices run alongside real [community coverage](https://www.smdp.com/tag/community/) that Westside readers actually engage with.
Learn more about SMDP's reach and history on the [SMDP About page](https://www.smdp.com/about/).
## **Conclusion**
**Order to show cause publication** looks simple until you miss a deadline or use the wrong paper and watch your court date disappear. California courts set clear rules: four consecutive weekly publications, in an approved newspaper, with proof filed before your hearing.
SMDP has provided [legal notice publication](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) to the Santa Monica and Westside legal community for more than two decades, combining adjudicated status with genuine local readership that fulfills both the letter and the intent of the law.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**Q: How many times does an order to show cause need to be published in a newspaper?**
California law requires publication once per week for four consecutive weeks before your court date. Missing one week can delay your case and may require restarting the entire publication period.
**Q: Can I publish my order to show cause in any local newspaper I choose?**
No. The newspaper must be adjudicated in the county where the case is filed. Your signed OSC form usually names the required paper, and you must publish there unless you file an amended order.
**Q: What happens if I miss the publication deadline before my court date?**
Your hearing will be postponed. The court cannot proceed without completed proof of publication. You must reschedule and complete the full four-week publication cycle before any new hearing date is set.
**Q: How much does an order to show cause newspaper publication cost in California?**
Fees vary by newspaper and notice length. Publication cost is separate from court fees. A court fee waiver does not cover newspaper publication fees, which are paid directly to the newspaper you choose.
**Q: What is a proof of publication, and when do I need to file it?**
It is an affidavit from the newspaper confirming the notice ran on the required dates. You must file it with the court clerk before the hearing date, not bring it to the courtroom.
**Q: Can SMDP handle legal notice publication for out-of-county cases?**
SMDP is adjudicated for Los Angeles County. If your case is filed in a different county, confirm with your court clerk whether SMDP qualifies as the approved newspaper for your specific jurisdiction.
**Q: What documents do I need to start OSC publication?**
Bring a copy of your signed, court-stamped Order to Show Cause. The newspaper uses that form to prepare the legal notice text and confirms it matches your order before the first run.
**Q: How long after final publication do I receive proof of publication?**
Most newspapers provide the affidavit within a few business days after the final issue. Confirm the turnaround with SMDP when you place your order to plan your court clerk filing deadline.
**Q: Is online publication accepted instead of print for the order to show cause requirements?**
No. California law requires print publication in an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation. An online-only publication does not satisfy this requirement, regardless of the website's reach or audience size.
## **Key Takeaways**
- **Order to show cause publication** in California requires four consecutive weekly publications in a court-approved newspaper of general circulation before your hearing date.
- Publishing in the wrong paper or missing one issue can invalidate the publication entirely, forcing you to restart and delaying your case by weeks or months.
- Proof of publication must be filed with the court clerk before the hearing date, not brought to the courtroom, and SMDP's legal notices team can guide you through every deadline.
### Stalking suspect arrested with thousands of bullets
URL: https://www.smdp.com/stalking-suspect-arrested-with-thousands-of-bullets/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T17:03:51.000Z
Santa Monica police arrested a stalking suspect and seized a handgun, more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition and roughly 100 magazines during a search of his vehicle and residence, as part of a busy week in the city.
The Crime Impact Team and detectives served search warrants in connection with the case, recovering the weapon, ammunition, about 40 high-capacity magazines, narcotics and digital evidence, police said. The suspect was already prohibited from possessing firearms under a protective order at the time of his arrest, according to Councilwoman Lana Negrete.
The arrest was one of several notable cases detailed in the department's latest report, which also showed a citywide increase in proactive policing. Officer-initiated activity rose 25% over the previous week and accounted for 47% of all police work during the period, while calls for service from residents declined, according to the report.
Overall calls for service totaled 2,413 for the week, up from 2,316 the week before. Year to date, calls for service have climbed 7.7% compared with the same period in 2025, reaching 76,067 versus 70,630 a year earlier. Resident-initiated calls are down 5.2% year over year, while officer-initiated activity is up 26.7%. Total arrests for the year stand at 3,113, a 68.5% increase over the 1,847 recorded through the same period last year. Homeless-related dispositions this week totaled 532, though the year-to-date figure of 17,344 is down 6.1% from 2025.
In another case highlighted by Negrete, police arrested two suspects attempting to force open the door of a residence in the 1000 block of 4th Street after the homeowner's alarm and dog interrupted the break-in attempt. Officers located the pair several blocks away in possession of burglary tools and a switchblade. One of the suspects was on felony probation for burglary at the time, police said.
Police also arrested a suspect connected to the vandalism of approximately 298 city-owned water meters, with estimated repair costs exceeding $200,000.
On the Third Street Promenade, officers arrested a man reported to have inappropriately touched women in the area. Police said the suspect was violating sex-offender registration requirements, and city camera footage captured evidence of a sexual battery.
In Palisades Park, bicycle officers stopped a man for an open-container violation and discovered he was wanted in Georgia on felony charges. Georgia authorities have confirmed they will extradite him, police said.
Traffic enforcement remained focused on areas of resident concern, with motor officers conducting 232 stops and issuing 141 citations and 83 advisals during the week. Enforcement was concentrated near Colorado Avenue and Yale Street, along with pedestrian-safety operations on the Wilshire and Lincoln corridors. At Pico Boulevard and Euclid Street, a driver who struck a center median was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
The department's Homeless Liaison Program team logged 131 radio calls, 112 self-initiated contacts, 38 citations, 24 arrests and five SaMoBridge referrals during the week. Two individuals were assisted through the department's Project Homecoming effort — one was taken to SaMoBridge from the beach lots while arrangements were made to return home, and another was helped with transportation from Tongva Park back to family in Kansas. A separate multi-agency beach operation connected 20 people with resources, completed two mental health evaluations and removed 2,680 pounds of trash.
The Santa Monica Fire Department also assisted with regional wildfire preparedness, sending a Type 6 engine to join a Cal OES pre-positioned task force stationed in northeast Los Angeles from July 31 through Aug. 2 amid elevated brush fire risk. At home, SMFD completed 173 annual fire inspections, 28 alarm and sprinkler plan checks, 12 new construction plan reviews and 16 special event plan reviews during the week, while responding to 326 total calls, 73 of them homeless-related.
### Waymo wins temporary appeal
URL: https://www.smdp.com/waymo-wins-temporary-appeal/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T00:27:11.000Z
A state appeals court Friday temporarily blocked [a July 27th lower-court injunction against Waymo](https://www.smdp.com/court-halts-overnight-charging-operations-at-waymo-facilities-in-santa-monica/), thus allowing the company to retain 24-hour access to its Santa Monica charging facilities while the court considers Waymo's appeal.
The City of Santa Monica provided the following statement:
"This order temporarily pauses enforcement of the injunction while the Court of Appeal considers Waymo's request to overturn the trial court’s decision to halt overnight operations. The Court of Appeal made this decision without the benefit of the City’s opposition, which we are looking forward to providing no later than August 24 as ordered by the Court. To be clear for our residents, the order restores Waymo's overnight access to the Broadway lots for now. Waymo has confirmed that they intend to resume overnight operations this evening, and neighbors are likely to hear their charging operations again. What the order does not do is reverse or vacate the trial court's findings. We'll be urging the court to resolve this quickly. Residents have waited more than a year for quiet nights, and we maintain that the City is likely to succeed, as the trial court found."
### Santa Monica-Raised Conductor Elias Brown Wins 2026 Solti Award
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-raised-conductor-elias-brown-wins-2026-solti-award/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T18:58:59.000Z
Elias Brown, a conductor whose path to the podium began in Santa Monica's public school music classrooms, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, the largest grant currently given to American conductors in the formative years of their careers.
The Solti Foundation U.S. announced the honor July 16\. Board Chair Penny Van Horn and Artistic and Awards Committee Chair Elizabeth Buccheri said Brown had built a steadily expanding career marked by imaginative programming and deepening relationships with orchestras and festivals since the foundation first recognized him with Career Assistance Awards in 2023 and 2024.
Brown described the recognition as a high mark for any young American conductor.
"It's a tremendous honor to receive this award — the Solti Conducting Award is perhaps the biggest award that an early-career American conductor can receive," he said.
The prize carries concrete benefits. Brown said it includes a $30,000 award along with introductions to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Lyric Opera arranged by the foundation, plus a year of professional mentorship. He said he also viewed the honor as recognition of his work so far and "an important step towards invitations for new projects and collaborations with orchestras and arts institutions in the United States."
Brown traces the origins of his career to the music programs of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. He started on an inherited piano as a boy, then picked up the trumpet in the fourth grade at Grant Elementary School, where a teacher stayed late to give lessons that stretched for hours. He went on to play in ensembles at John Adams Middle School and [Santa Monica High School](https://www.smdp.com/former-santa-monica-high-homecoming-queen-monet-bagneris-brings-comeback-concert-home/) and first held a conductor's baton after his essay on what music meant to him won a school contest, earning him the chance to lead the UCLA Wind Ensemble.
"I give my teachers and the SMMUSD music program complete credit for making this career possible," Brown said. He noted that music was built into his schooling from age 8 to 18, a period when mentors "challenged me to strive to improve through consistency of practice."
"This is precisely what made music into a second language, and ultimately made this path feel like a real possibility," he said.
Asked what he would tell a Santa Monica fourth-grader picking up a trumpet this year, Brown pointed to the range of music the instrument opens up, from orchestra and jazz to the traditions of Latin America and the Balkans, and urged young players to stay curious.
"We say that we 'play' or 'make' music, not 'work' music — coming to practice with a sense of curiosity and play is what opens the door to a fulfilling life in music," he said.
Brown, who now lives in Berlin, has studied and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. After completing his undergraduate degree at Yale University, where he was named first trumpet in the Yale Symphony Orchestra and led his first opera and ballet projects, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Sian Edwards. He later enrolled in the conducting program at the Berlin University of the Arts and was chosen for the German Dirigenten Forum. He was mentored by Esa-Pekka Salonen as a Salonen Fellow and has assisted Salonen at the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris.
He has made recent debuts with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and he won first prize at the Korean National Symphony Orchestra International Conducting Competition in Seoul. His 2026-27 season includes the October release of his first full-length album, "ACCORDATURA," recorded with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra.
Brown said he expects to build his career in both Europe and the United States.
"I ultimately see my career developing on both sides of the Atlantic, like many American conductors before me," he said, adding that he hoped the award would bring more opportunities, "particularly on the west coast!"
His summer engagements include the U.S. premiere of a work he co-composed for [New York's MATA Festival](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&pf=1&ai=DChsSEwjmkOuChoqWAxXynoMHHRmwIHUYACICCAEQABoCZWY&co=1&ase=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwvsvTBhBaEiwAmf-3niec9VhoTBfivzcV-wFAOPNaggtVZvjO49ttGRXA5wpNUWARevLjcxoCcmMQAvD%5FBwE&cid=CAASWeRos9k5SDH8esN-cFgOmoEu9sEOBma8ky8uNyw556mWy13B5hbkjXPAvVSVnUQrODWiKnBqV7Tv8eQNzPrE%5FIDmnpzd9XGPucPB0wiYmqCuWFeP11ZpPm9q&cce=2&category=acrcp%5Fv1%5F32&sig=AOD64%5F1S53aHnK20uMLY3JyiOZMjWnEFzw&q&nis=4&adurl=https://www.matafestival.org/?gad%5Fsource%3D1%26gad%5Fcampaignid%3D23456030090%26gbraid%3D0AAAAACqJGBbP4egSjaKs2yv%5FatedDRgqZ%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwvsvTBhBaEiwAmf-3niec9VhoTBfivzcV-wFAOPNaggtVZvjO49ttGRXA5wpNUWARevLjcxoCcmMQAvD%5FBwE&ved=2ahUKEwilyeGChoqWAxWt%5FrsIHayMEYgQ0Qx6BAgXEAE&ref=smdp.com), a role as cover conductor for Barber's "Vanessa" at Italy's Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, and an artist residency at Hotel Pupik in Austria.
### Death Investigation Closes Part of 7th Street; No Threat to Public
URL: https://www.smdp.com/death-investigation-closes-part-of-7th-street-no-threat-to-public/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T18:49:13.000Z
Santa Monica police and fire personnel responded to a death investigation in the 1100 block of 7th Street, where an adult was pronounced dead at the scene following an apparent suicide.
Preliminary information indicates the death is not related to criminal activity, and there is no threat to the public.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death. The individual's identity will not be released pending notification of next of kin.
Seventh Street is closed between Wilshire Boulevard and Washington Avenue while personnel complete the investigation. Officials asked the public to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
Anyone experiencing emotional distress or concerned about someone who may be in crisis can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Beyond Rebuilding: What the Palisades Comeback Can Teach Santa Monica About Economic Recovery
URL: https://www.smdp.com/beyond-rebuilding-what-the-palisades-comeback-can-teach-santa-monica-about-economic-recovery/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T15:59:59.000Z
As Pacific Palisades moves from disaster response into economic recovery, developer Rick Caruso says rebuilding will require more than reconstructing homes and reopening storefronts. It will require cities to compete for investment, give small businesses a viable path back and embrace public-private partnerships that can move recovery forward.
He believes those lessons extend well beyond the Palisades, particularly as cities across Los Angeles look for ways to create the conditions necessary for businesses, residents and investment to return. The conversation has particular relevance for neighboring Santa Monica as it works to revitalize its own commercial districts.
“Every city’s got to be welcoming for business — we need to cut the red tape,” Caruso said.
Then came the warning.
“Businesses will close,” he said. “They’ll also move.”
Much of the attention surrounding Pacific Palisades has understandably focused on rebuilding homes. But physical reconstruction is only one part of economic recovery.
Businesses have to return. Restaurants need customers. Residents need reasons to spend time in their neighborhoods again. Developers and entrepreneurs need enough confidence to invest before a recovery is complete.
The question now is not simply how quickly a community can rebuild, but whether it can use that moment to create a stronger economy for what comes next.
Caruso’s approach to Palisades Village offers one model: help local businesses that might otherwise be unable to return, recruit new operators willing to invest before the recovery is complete, create places that bring people and foot traffic back, and use rebuilding as an opportunity to improve rather than simply replicate what existed before.
His mandate to his team after the fire was clear.
“Our mission now is to come back better than it was the day before the fire,” Caruso said. “Better than it was the day we opened.”
That philosophy shaped not only how Palisades Village was rebuilt, but who Caruso wanted to be part of its comeback.
One of his first calls was to longtime Palisades retailer Elyse Walker, whose store was lost in the fire. Caruso recalled asking her to partner with him to “bring back the city.”
Walker had a narrower description: “It’s bringing back the Palisades.”
Caruso saw something larger.
“No, it’s bigger than that,” he recalled telling her. “The way the Palisades comes back will be a real great message for the whole city that we can be resilient and come back.”
Walker ultimately became an advocate for the rebuilding effort, helping recruit other retailers to return and invest.
Caruso’s team also structured deals for independent businesses that he said might not otherwise have had the financial ability to reopen, creating rent structures intended to give them a viable path back. The strategy wasn’t limited to restoring what had been there before.
Brian Toll, co-founder and co-president of The h.wood Group, said that before the fire, Palisades Village probably would not have been the obvious next location for the hospitality company. After seeing the devastation, the calculation changed.
“I feel like it’s our duty to kind of help bring some excitement and life back to that part of town,” Toll said.
The result is Alphabet Bar & Grill, h.wood’s new Palisades Village restaurant with James Beard Award-winning chef Timothy Hollingsworth. For Toll, investing before the neighborhood’s recovery is complete is also a statement of confidence in where the Palisades is headed.
“We need to start getting back to what the Palisades will be,” he said.
Together, those decisions illustrate the economic cycle Caruso is trying to create: give established local businesses a path back, bring in new investment, create reasons for people to return, restore foot traffic and allow each piece of the recovery to reinforce the next.
But developers and business owners can only do so much, Caruso said. Cities have an equally important role in creating the conditions for that investment to happen.
“Every city’s got to be welcoming for business,” Caruso said. “We’ve got to cut red tape.”
His prescription centers on fundamentals: support small businesses, address public safety and homelessness, keep streets clean and create an environment where residents, visitors and businesses feel welcome. Cities, he argues, cannot assume investment will stay put.
That message is particularly relevant to Santa Monica as it works to revitalize its commercial districts and attract new investment. The lesson emerging from the Palisades is bigger than rebuilding one shopping district: Recovery requires businesses willing to bet on a community’s future and cities willing to create the conditions that make that bet worthwhile.
### Santa Monica affordable housing rehab runs $2.4 million over budget, drawing council frustration
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-affordable-housing-rehab-runs-2-4-million-over-budget-drawing-council-frustration/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T15:59:59.000Z
The city-financed rehabilitation of a 40-unit affordable apartment complex is projected to run about $2.4 million over budget, city officials told the City Council on Tuesday, prompting pointed questions about why extensive mold and termite damage in a building constructed in 1947-48 was not anticipated.
The [Virginia Avenue Apartments](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2025/08/13/affordable-livable-secure-housing-for-all-city-council-approves-loan-to-rehab-virginia-avenue-affordable-apartments?ref=smdp.com), at 2033-2101 Virginia Avenue, are being renovated by Community Corporation of Santa Monica, or CCSM, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, using a Housing Trust Fund loan of up to $35,650,000 that the council approved in August 2025\. The total development budget at loan closing was $35,874,999\. CCSM now forecasts a final cost of $38,307,795.
To date, the project has drawn down $26,633,843, or 77%, of the loan. Construction began in November 2025 and is targeted for completion in June 2027.
CCSM attributed the overrun to two main drivers: construction, or "hard," costs projected to exceed the budget by $2.7 million, and relocation costs $1.6 million higher than planned, partly offset by savings in soft costs such as insurance and furnishings.
Andrew Yick, who became the project's manager two months ago, said the construction overruns stemmed largely from reframing, plumbing repairs and remediation of mold and termite damage that proved worse than a pre-acquisition inspection had found. "You just don't know what's behind the walls," he said, noting the property condition report was based on a visual inspection of an occupied building with only two or three vacant units available to examine.
That explanation drew resistance from Councilmember Lana Negrete, who brought the oversight item forward and said residents had long flagged the building's condition. "This idea that the mold and the termites was a surprise is, I think, the most frustrating part for the residents and everyone involved because the building was built in 1947," she said. Negrete also noted that another contractor had once bid millions of dollars lower before the current builder matched the figure, "and yet now there's these unforeseen costs."
Negrete pressed CCSM to tap its developer fee — up to $1.5 million of which remains undisbursed — before seeking more public money. "It's 40 families, and I think they've waited a long time to hear this," she said.
Mayor Caroline Torosis was blunt about the presentation. "This has been an extremely frustrating presentation for me," she said. "We've sat here for an hour, and I don't know that we've had the good information." She noted the project's hard cost contingency was exhausted and its soft cost contingency was down to about $3,000 with construction only 70% complete, and asked what the plan was. "There isn't a plan right now," she said. "We need to raise additional money if there are any cost overruns. We don't have money for that."
The relocation increase resulted from a decision to move all tenants out at once rather than renovate in phases, which CCSM said was necessary because the property has a single utility connection point and because mold and asbestos work could not be done safely with residents on site. The relocation budget was not updated to reflect the change.
Yick outlined possible ways to close the gap, including federal congressional funds, a state BUILD grant now expected to yield about $200,000 rather than the roughly $1 million once hoped, up to 20 project-based housing vouchers and the developer fee. "CCSM is committed to completing the project successfully," he said.
Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick struck a more measured tone, calling the roughly 7% overrun modest. "The relocation cost not being adjusted to meet the new construction plan seems like a big boo-boo, but the hard cost overruns seemed totally reasonable for a construction project like this," he said. "If we didn't want to spend $40 million, we shouldn't have decided to do that. But we did."
In written comments, resident Stephanie Inouye urged the city to publish a full accounting, noting the projected cost approached $958,000 per unit "in a building that was never demolished." The Pico Neighborhood Association board submitted a letter supporting the tenants and urging that the project stay on track.
Councilmember Barry Snell said his priority was returning the displaced tenants. "I want them back in their homes," he said.
The [council](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-advances-cottage-court-plan-to-house-citys-workforce/) received and filed the report, which required no action.
### Peak Health brings pilates, yoga and human connection to Santa Monica's beaches and rooftops
URL: https://www.smdp.com/peak-health-brings-pilates-yoga-and-human-connection-to-santa-monicas-beaches-and-rooftops/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T15:59:59.000Z
From beach yoga to one-on-one nutrition consulting, Peak Health cultivates a holistic approach to wellness that encompasses movement, diet and, above all, human connection.
Peak Health currently offers rooftop pilates on Thursdays, beach yoga on Saturdays, hike club on Sundays, nutrition consulting and daily 7 a.m. live online pilates classes. It also hosts paint and sips, meditations and group trips across California.
The idea for Peak Health began nagging at founder Jill Aida Horn during her undergraduate studies in neuroscience at UCLA and persisted through her master's degree in public health at USC, before it finally came to fruition in early 2025\. "I really wanted to combine all the latest neuroscience research, what we know about health and wellness, the science of longevity, actual daily habits and community \[into\] something that's accessible and something that is sustainable for people," she said. For Horn, that means creating a low-cost wellness platform designed to bring people together.
Peak Health's hiking club moves from place to place, but its beach yoga and rooftop pilates classes are firmly rooted in Santa Monica. "Santa Monica is the perfect place because it has that combination of beach and mountains and city," Horn said. "The weather is always nice and it's a beautiful setting. You feel like you're actually connecting with nature, whether you're at the beach or in a park or on a hike."
Bringing physical activity outdoors can amplify its benefits, Horn said. Working out indoors too much can disrupt circadian rhythm and cause sleep issues, she explained. But working out in nature, "you get more than just the benefit of the pilates class, which is the strengthening and balancing effect on your body. You also get the soothing sound of the waves, the beach air, which is higher in oxygen. You get the sunlight in your eyes, the sunshine on your skin for vitamin D and the community component as well," Horn said. She aims to combine as many benefits into one activity as possible.
In a culture bursting with wellness options, it's hard to stand out. But where many programs focus mainly on one thing — movement, nutrition or sleep — Peak Health emphasizes human connection, highlighting the value of pursuing health goals alongside peers. "It's one of the most important parts of keeping people in the habit of doing something," Horn said. "There's studies on this, where the people who stick with it and where you have the most positive health behavior change that's sustainable, it's often when there's a community component in the intervention because it creates that accountability."
Social connection also benefits people beyond accountability, Horn said: It positively affects the nervous system, helps regulate dopamine and decreases stress and inflammation. Group workouts at Peak Health cap at 15 to 20 people so participants can get to know each other rather than get lost in a crowd. Each class is a healthy mix of longtime members and newcomers, according to Horn. "A lot of people who are looking for the community feel, they have an easy time connecting," she said. "There's an openness from the group to welcoming new members and striking up conversation."
Horn leads some of the pilates classes and provides nutrition consulting. She's also developing a Peak Health app to track what she considers the five pillars of health: movement, sleep, nutrition, social connection and recovery. "Having that scientific background, creating something that is based in science and to translate that science into action and make it easier for people to actually apply that in their everyday lives — that's a huge component of Peak Health," she said.
Peak Health's rooftop pilates class is at 1550 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Beach yoga is at Lifeguard Tower 26, 2600 Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica, on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
### Brisk Festival LA returns for sixth edition with 50 bilingual short plays
URL: https://www.smdp.com/brisk-festival-la-returns-for-sixth-edition-with-50-bilingual-short-plays/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T09:59:59.000Z
Brisk Festival LA will return for its sixth edition Aug. 22 through Sept. 13 at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, presenting 49 original short plays that organizers say mirror the multilingual character of Los Angeles.
The festival, an international showcase of live performances of 10 minutes or less, will stage 30 plays in English and 19 in Spanish. The rapid-fire format allows audiences to move through a wide range of stories, genres and emotions in a single evening while giving participating artists a platform for concise, original work.
"[Brisk Festival](https://briskfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) celebrates the immediacy and emotional power of live theater," said Christian Rodrigo, the festival's founder, director and executive producer. "The VI Edition will continue expanding our mission of creating a bilingual, inclusive, and international space for theater in Los Angeles."
That bilingual programming sits at the center of the festival's identity, Rodrigo said, and grows out of both deliberate cultivation and the submissions the festival draws.
"It's a combination of intention and organic growth," he said. "We curate the festival based on the strongest work, first and foremost, but because our mission has always included amplifying bilingual and Spanish-language theater, we actively encourage those submissions and cultivate relationships within those artistic communities."
The two language tracks are not meant to run on separate paths, Rodrigo said. "Los Angeles is inherently multilingual, and we want the festival to reflect the city we actually live in," he said. "Some audience members come specifically for one language, while others discover work they might not otherwise experience. That cross-pollination is one of my favorite things about the festival."
The Instituto Cervantes of[ ](https://www.smdp.com/la-uses-world-cup-to-show-off-upgraded-public-transit-and-test-plans-to-hold-car-free-olympics/)[Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/la-uses-world-cup-to-show-off-upgraded-public-transit-and-test-plans-to-hold-car-free-olympics/) continues to support the festival by helping promote writers, directors and actors creating and performing in Spanish, part of what organizers describe as an ongoing commitment to Spanish-language theater and to the visibility of Hispanic and international artists in the city.
New this year, the festival will pair its performances with food from Fuegos, which organizers describe as one of California's most celebrated Argentine restaurants, giving audiences a taste of Argentine cuisine alongside the evening's plays.
Now in its sixth year, Brisk has grown well beyond what Rodrigo said he first imagined when he set out to give artists a place to take creative risks and be discovered.
"What has surprised me most is seeing Brisk become a launching pad," he said. "Plays have gone on to full productions, or converted into films, artists have formed lasting collaborations, and many have found new opportunities because they were part of the festival." The most rewarding change, he added, "has been watching Brisk become more than a festival—it's become a creative community."
Sustaining that growth remains a challenge. The festival has been financed entirely by Rodrigo's production company, Full Emotions Inc., a point he raised as the festival looks toward future editions.
"Producing an independent festival like Brisk is incredibly challenging, and everything we've done so far has been privately funded by Full Emotions Inc," Rodrigo said. "That makes it even more difficult to sustain and grow the festival year after year, especially as it continues to expand."
He said he hoped to draw new backing from public cultural programs and private sponsors. "We're hopeful that we'll receive greater support from Los Angeles and Santa Monica cultural programs, as well as grants and private sponsors who believe in what we're building," he said. "Every year the need grows, and with stronger institutional and community support, we could reach even more people and continue building a festival that celebrates diverse voices and new work."
Since its creation, Brisk has given more than 1,200 artists the chance to share their work and connect with local audiences, according to the festival. It is produced by Full Emotions, a company with more than 12 years of experience in film, television and theater.
Rodrigo credited Santa Monica audiences with embracing the festival's experimental spirit. "Santa Monica has been a wonderful home because the audiences here are genuinely curious," he said. "They embrace experimentation and appreciate being introduced to emerging artists alongside established voices."
The festival has also traveled beyond California. "Our edition in Buenos Aires was an incredible success, with most of the performances selling out," Rodrigo said, describing Buenos Aires as home to "one of the most passionate theater communities in the world."
Wherever the festival lands, he said, the aim holds steady: "to create a space where artists can share their stories and audiences can discover work that inspires, surprises, and sparks conversation."
Performances run Saturdays and Sundays at 5:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the 2026 edition are available at briskfestival.com/tickets. More information is at briskfestival.com.
### Around Town: From Dine LA to Pro Padel to Top Tomatoes
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-from-dine-la-to-pro-padel-to-top-tomatoes/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T18:58:59.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes outdoor cinema at Tongva Park, the return of Dine LA, a Michelin-grilled BBQ collab, local tomato battles, late-summer music under the stars, and much more!
**Annenberg Beach House Sunset Picnic - Route 66 Edition:** Bring your own picnic and enjoy a relaxed night by the ocean. Come with friends, family, or on your own and join a communal table. There's live music, ocean views, complimentary s’mores (while supplies last) & board games. **Thursday, Aug. 13, 5-8p.m., 415 PCH** [eventbrite.com/e/sunset-picnic-tickets-1989064540585](http://eventbrite.com/e/sunset-picnic-tickets-1989064540585?ref=smdp.com)
**Pro Padel League LA Opener:** The world’s top professional padel players are taking over Santa Monica as the Pro Padel League kicks off its four-day LAtournament at The Barker Hangar. Over 40 athletes across 10 global franchises—including the local Los Angeles Beat—will compete in high-energy men’s and women’s match-ups. The event features stadium-style lounge seating, courtside boxes, and curated food and beverage options. **Thursday, Aug. 13 - Sunday, Aug. 16, 3021 Airport Ave.** [feverup.com/m/678294](http://feverup.com/m/678294?ref=smdp.com)
**17th Annual MixMatch Dance Festival:** Experience an eclectic showcase of dance as Hart Pulse Dance Company brings its annual celebration back to Miles Playhouse. The multi-day festival features a dynamic lineup of contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, and classical works from emerging and established choreographers spanning Southern California and across the country. **Friday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m., 1130 Lincoln Blvd.** [hartpulsedancecompany.ticketspice.com/the-17th-annual-mixmatch-dance-festival](https://hartpulsedancecompany.ticketspice.com/the-17th-annual-mixmatch-dance-festival?ref=smdp.com)
**New Outdoor Music & Movie Series Saturdays at Tongva Park:** Spend your Saturday nights under the stars at TONGVA TWILIGHT: Sounds & Cinema, a free outdoor series blending live music, iconic films, and summer vibes in Tongva Park. Grab your friends, pack a picnic and enjoy complimentary popcorn on movie nights while supplies last. **This week is New Orleans funk powerhouse The Rumble on August 15\. Saturdays, through Sept. 12, 7 - 10 p.m., 1615 Ocean Ave**. [santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series](http://santamonica.gov/events/tongva-twilight-sounds-cinema-series?ref=smdp.com)
**Palisades Village Grand Reopening Celebration:** Head just north up PCH as Palisades Village celebrates its grand reopening with a full day of neighborhood festivities. The coastal open-air center hosts live music, family-friendly entertainment, special pop-up experiences, and exclusive in-store promotions throughout its boutiques and eateries**. Saturday, Aug. 15, 15225 Palisades Village Ln., Pacific Palisades**[ ](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/palisadesvillage&ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/palisadesvillage](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/palisadesvillage&ref=smdp.com)
**Top Tomato Contest at Ishihara Park:** Think your backyard tomatoes have what it takes to win local bragging rights? Bring your homegrown sun-golds, heirloom purples, and prized reds to the Ishihara Park Learning Garden for Santa Monica's annual tomato showdown. While judges taste their way through the entries, attendees can enjoy pancakes, rock painting, bug hunts, and compost flipping. All contest entries must be registered on-site by 9:30 a.m. **Saturday, Aug. 15, 9 - 11 a.m., Ishihara Park Learning Garden, 2909 Exposition Blvd.**[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov](https://www.santamonica.gov/?ref=smdp.com)
**SMC Planetarium's August Shows Explore Mars, Telescopes and Eclipses:** Santa Monica College Planetarium presents live-hosted astronomy shows on Friday evenings in August, along with a Sunday Family Matinée on Aug. 16, featuring programs on the Mars rover Curiosity, the Great Observatories, eclipses and moon phases, and the sun. **1900 Pico Blvd.** [smc.edu/planetarium](http://smc.edu/planetarium?ref=smdp.com)
**The Mother Road at 100 Years Old: Voices of Route 66:** The event will be presented by Anthony Arno, host of the Route 66 Podcast, for a multimedia program exploring the rich history of Route 66\. The event will include a Route 66 trivia game, where participants can test their knowledge. **Saturday, August 15, 2 - 3:30pm @ the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.**
**Soundwaves Presents Avant-Garde Jazz & Punk Pioneers:** The monthly experimental music series returns with an all-star double bill featuring iconic figures from LA punk and free improvisation. The first set pairs drummer Matt Crane with guitarist Joe Baiza (Saccharine Trust) and legendary bassist Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges). The second set features European free-jazz pioneer Andrea Centazzo celebrating the 50th anniversary of his seminal Clangs album alongside flutist Ellen Burr and bassist Jeff Schwartz. **Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Westside Music Conservatory, 12424 Wilshire Blvd.** [soundwavesnewmusic.com](http://soundwavesnewmusic.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Weekly Western Wednesdays Line Dancing at Santa Monica Place:** No prior dance experience is required, and attendees are encouraged to bring enthusiasm and comfortable shoes. FREE. **Every Wednesday through Aug. 26, 6 - 8 p.m., 395 Santa Monica Place, Center Plaza.**
**Venice Art Crawl:** Experience the eclectic soul of Venice as local galleries, studios, and pop-up spaces open their doors for this quarterly community tradition. This volunteer-run sunset tour celebrates the neighborhood’s historic status as a creative haven, offering everything from large-scale murals and fine art to experimental performance pieces and live music. **Thursday, Aug. 20, 6p.m.** [veniceartcrawl.com](http://veniceartcrawl.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com);
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Dine LA Restaurant Week Returns (Aug. 14–28):** LA’s premier dining event is back for two full weeks of culinary exploration. Dozens of Westside and Santa Monica favorites are rolling out special multi-course lunch and dinner menus at fixed price points ranging from $15 to $65+. Whether you're looking to revisit an iconic neighborhood staple, check out a newly opened concept, or splurge on a Michelin-starred tasting menu, it’s the perfect excuse to skip cooking and sample the city's best kitchens. Here are some SaMo offerings and you can browse menus and make reservations directly at[ ](https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela?ref=smdp.com)[discoverlosangeles.com/dinela](https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela?ref=smdp.com).
→**Bar Xuntos:** Acclaimed Spanish tapas and conservas bar pairing natural wines with authentic Iberian small plates ($35 lunch / $65 dinner).
→**Bludso's BBQ:** Legendary Texas-style smoked brisket, pulled pork, and southern sides brought to the Westside ($25 lunch / $45 dinner).
→**BOA Steakhouse:** High-end Ocean Avenue favorite offering prime cuts, seafood towers, and oceanfront dining ($75 dinner).
→**Chinois On Main:** Wolfgang Puck’s iconic fusion pioneer serving up classic Asian-French dishes in an intimate setting ($85 dinner).
→**Citrin:** Chef Josiah Citrin’s elevated, Michelin-starred contemporary California restaurant featuring seasonal multi-course menus ($99 dinner).
→**Cosetta:** Cozy neighborhood spot specializing in fresh, house-made pastas and classic Italian fare ($25 lunch / $55 dinner).
→**Fitoor:** High-energy modern Indian grill and lounge on Ocean Avenue serving progressive coastal Indian dishes and creative craft cocktails with Pacific views ($35 lunch / $75 dinner).
→**Jyan Isaac Bread:** Ocean Park's beloved artisanal sourdough bakery on Main Street serving up handcrafted loaves, specialty breakfast toasts, sandwiches, and fresh pastries baked daily using locally sourced grains ($25 lunch).
→**Lunetta:** Neighborhood staple on Pico Boulevard offering Chef Raphael Lunetta’s wood-fired, seasonal California comfort food in an intimate, rustic-chic setting ($35 lunch / $68 dinner).
→**Mélisse:** Chef Josiah Citrin’s two-Michelin-starred fine dining destination serving world-class, ultra-refined French-inspired tasting menus ($350 dinner).
→**Sushi Roku Santa Monica:** Modern ocean-adjacent Japanese spot serving creative sushi rolls, fresh sashimi, and robata skewers ($45 dinner).
→**The Buffalo Club:** Historic Olympic Boulevard supper club offering upscale American classics, craft cocktails, and romantic patio dining in a speakeasy-style courtyard ($65+ dinner).
**Lunetta & Friends – A Chef Collaboration Series:** The Guest List is a one-night-only culinary collaboration celebrating friendship, fire, and Santa Monica summer. This special event brings together Chef Raphael Lunetta and acclaimed two-star Michelin Chef Josiah Citrin for a live-grilled dinner inspired by their longtime annual summer BBQ tradition. **Saturday, Aug. 15, 1740 Ocean Ave.** [https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1324975&experienceId=749807](https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1324975&experienceId=749807&ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Butterfly Brawl Pier Boxing Event](https://www.southerncaliforniaboxing.com/single-post/butterfly-brawl-returns-to-santa-monica-pier-august-22?ref=smdp.com) (8/22); Main St. Farmers Market in the Street Event (8/23); [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: From Dine LA to Pro Padel to Top Tomatoes**
### Palisades Village to celebrate grand reopening Aug. 15
URL: https://www.smdp.com/palisades-village-to-celebrate-grand-reopening-aug-15-2/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T18:58:59.000Z
Palisades Village will reopen its doors at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, welcoming back neighbors, families and visitors to the town square at the heart of Pacific Palisades after months of rebuilding and recovery.
The reopening marks a milestone for a community that mounted a citywide effort to recover. A first look at the Village's return is available in the Grand Reopening trailer, viewable at PalisadesVillageCA.com.
The day begins with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., bringing together community leaders, local businesses, tenants and residents. The shops and restaurants will open at 11 a.m., starting a full day of celebrations across the property.
Throughout the day, guests can enjoy retailer activations, pop-ups, live entertainment, exclusive tastings, family-friendly activities, limited-edition offerings and surprise moments from Village merchants and partners. The celebration continues with an evening finale at 8 p.m.
"Opening day will celebrate the resilience and shared determination that made this moment possible," said Corinne Verdery, CEO of Caruso. "We are deeply grateful to our neighbors, tenants and community partners who never stopped believing in the future of the Palisades. The reopening of Palisades Village is a meaningful milestone for our community and a celebration of all that lies ahead."
Guests can enjoy complimentary parking at Palisades Village through Sept. 30.
Beyond opening weekend, the Village will offer weekly and monthly programming. A Mahjong Social runs Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon at The Park beginning Aug. 17, hosted with Pali Mahj 90272\. A Rummikub Social, hosted by RummiKlubLA, takes place the first Tuesday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. beginning Aug. 18\. Giving Tuesday, a monthly initiative directing a percentage of proceeds from participating retailers to a local charity, begins Sept. 1.
Kids Club, in collaboration with Apple TV, runs Wednesdays at 10 and 11 a.m. beginning Aug. 19 at The Park. The Pacific Palisades Farmers Market returns Wednesdays from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. beginning Aug. 19 on Swarthmore Avenue. Complimentary self-defense and kickboxing classes with Ludus begin Aug. 20.
Weekend entertainment runs Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 4 to 7 p.m. near the Bay Theater beginning Aug. 15\. Cars & Coffee takes place the fourth Sunday of each month from 8 to 10 a.m. beginning Aug. 23.
For a complete list of retailers, restaurants and events, visit PalisadesVillageCA.com.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Ballot takes shape with contested races in all local elections
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ballot-takes-shape-with-contested-races-in-all-local-elections/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T17:58:57.000Z
The field of candidates for Santa Monica's 2026 local elections is set after the deadline to file for office passed this week, with contests unfolding for City Council, the Rent Control Board, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education.
According to city candidate filing records dated Aug. 12, 2026, multiple hopefuls pulled nomination papers in the weeks leading up to the deadline, though not all who took out papers ultimately filed, and some who filed later withdrew.
**City Council**
Three four-year seats are up for election. While some candidates have already qualified for the race, those that submitted paperwork by the deadline may still qualify in the coming days as their applications are verified. :
Ryan Blomberg
Phillip L. Brock — qualified
Lindsay Davis
Eli Gill — qualified
Daniel Ivanov — qualified
Wade Kelley — qualified
Ericka Lesley — qualified
Brett Morrow — qualified
Lana Negrete, incumbent — qualified
Ashley Oelsen
Caroline Torosis, incumbent — qualified
Derrick Townsend
Douglas Byron Trussler
Two candidates withdrew from the race: Nathaniel I. Jones and Angela D. Scott.
Four prospective candidates who pulled papers did not submit them: Autumn Dubra, Erik Kramer, Jonathan Louis Mann and Charles A. Mokuolu. Virginia Reese also pulled papers for City Council but did not file for the seat, instead filing for a College Board seat.
**Rent Control Board**
Three four-year seats are up for election.
Kurt Gonska, incumbent — qualified
Sue Himmelrich — qualified
Soledad Marcial — qualified
Zoë Muntaner
Heather Thomason — qualified
No candidates withdrew or failed to file for the Rent Control Board.
**Santa Monica College Board of Trustees**
Four four-year seats are up for election.
Luis Barrera Castanon, incumbent — qualified
Kera Blades-Snell — qualified
Oscar de la Torre
Thomas Peters, incumbent — qualified
Sion Roy, incumbent — qualified
Brahim Boumakh — did not qualify
Virginia Reese filed for the College Board after initially pulling papers for City Council, but later withdrew her candidacy. No prospective candidates failed to file for the College Board.
**Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education**
Four four-year seats are up for election.
Harry Leshner
Laurie Lieberman, incumbent — qualified
Alicia Mignano, incumbent — qualified
Stacy J. Rouse, incumbent
Robert "Robbie" Staenberg — qualified
Brahim Boumakh initially pulled papers for the School Board but instead filed for the College Board, where he was ultimately found not qualified. No candidates withdrew from the School Board race, and none who pulled papers failed to file.
Additional candidates can still enter local races with write-in status. Qualifications for write-in candidates are the same as those who qualified for the ballot but write-in candidates do not appear on any voter materials and when it comes time to vote, their names must be physically written on the ballot by the individual voter. The write-in nomination runs from Sept. 7 to Oct. 20.
### Santa Monica bets on concert giant AEG to reopen its Civic Auditorium
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-bets-on-concert-giant-aeg-to-reopen-its-civic-auditorium/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T19:36:30.000Z
The City Council voted Tuesday unanimously to authorize an exclusive negotiating agreement with concert giant AEG Presents and its Goldenvoice subsidiary to study whether the shuttered [Santa Monica Civic Auditorium](https://www.santamonica.gov/civic-auditorium?ref=smdp.com) can be revived as a live entertainment venue, advancing a 17-year effort to reopen the landmark even as critics warned the city was bypassing an open bidding process.
The agreement establishes a six-month window, with the option for two mutually agreed 90-day extensions, during which AEG will retain and pay for the technical experts and consultants needed to assess the project's feasibility. City Manager Oliver Chi told the council the arrangement carries no immediate cost to the city and does not commit either party to a redevelopment deal.
"We have been working for the past 17-plus years to identify a viable pathway forward to get the civic turned back on," Chi said, describing the auditorium as "such an iconic facility." He noted that separate solicitations in 2009, 2017 and 2023 each "ended without identifying a viable pathway."
AEG, which Chi called the world's second-largest presenter of live music and entertainment events, operates more than 100 venues and promotes over 12,000 shows annually. The company would evaluate the site's market demand, redevelopment costs and financial feasibility, then present its findings to the city.
The city's most recent effort, with the Revitalization Partners Group, ended in October 2025\. Chi said the city had heard little from RPG until "yesterday, we did hear reports that they had ceased engagement in the issue," adding that a representative indicated the group had continued to assess the project. The city has not received any financials from that assessment, he said.
Mayor Caroline Torosis pressed staff to guarantee that the new agreement would produce hard numbers, a concern she tied to the shortcomings of past efforts.
"Can we put a requirement in here that at any sort of presentation or at the end of the ENA period ... that we see a full pro forma of the project with a financial analysis?" Torosis asked. "Because I think that was the concern that we previously had on these other endeavors, that there's never been any sort of real there there."
She warned, "Otherwise, I think we're going to be wasting our time."
Chi responded that a detailed pro forma "has already been built into the entire conversation with AEG Presents" as an expected outcome of the assessment.
Councilmember Barry Snell moved to approve the item. "With excitement, I will second that," Torosis said before the council approved the agreement 6-0\. Councilmember Dan Hall was absent.
Public comment was divided. Several residents urged the council to move forward while attaching community conditions. Longtime resident Ann Bowman, co-chair of the Civic Center Task Force, called reopening the auditorium "a no brainer" but urged the city to keep the site "public space (or publicly-accessible), not thoroughly privatized." Resident Matt Goldenberg, co-chair of the North of Montana Association writing in a personal capacity, supported the deal and recommended adding community engagement to the scope and requiring a written pro forma as a condition of any extension. "I have not met anyone who wants the Civic to stay closed," he wrote.
The sharpest opposition came from Joseph DiRosa of Seedlings Inc., who has promoted an alternative concept to turn the site into a [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-advances-cottage-court-plan-to-house-citys-workforce/) Global Conference Center with Morphosis Architects. In a series of letters and a formal written protest, DiRosa argued the city should not grant exclusive rights to a company that did not compete in the city's 2024 solicitation without reopening the process.
"The issue is whether they should be granted exclusive negotiating rights without first competing in an open process available to other qualified parties," DiRosa wrote. He also questioned whether Goldenvoice's disclosures adequately reflected its separate agreement with the city for a beach music festival that, according to DiRosa, involves payments to the city exceeding $1 million.
Staff said the auditorium site was cleared under the state Surplus Land Act after the city received certification from the California Department of Housing and Community Development in 2023, giving the council authority to enter an agreement with any entity it chooses. Chi said no prescribed process is required for such an agreement and that it "doesn't constitute a disposition of property."
Under questioning from Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya, Chi confirmed the site's clearance means a live entertainment venue would not trigger a 15% affordable housing requirement that applies to residential redevelopment.
If the assessment identifies a viable path, staff said, the project would return to the council and community for further review.
### New Neighborhood Grill to Open Aug. 15 in Rebuilding Pacific Palisades
URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-neighborhood-grill-to-open-aug-15-in-rebuilding-pacific-palisades/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T16:00:00.000Z
A new upscale restaurant will open Aug. 15 in the Pacific Palisades, marking another step in the recovery of a neighborhood devastated by the January 2025 fires.
Alphabet Bar & Grill, a partnership between the [Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/homelessness-on-l-a-metro-system-falls-57-since-2024-agency-says/) hospitality company The h.wood Group and James Beard Award-winning chef Tim Hollingsworth, will debut at Caruso's Palisades Village. The opening coincides with the reopening of the village itself, a milestone in the property's restoration after the fires.
"On August 15, alongside the reopening of Palisades Village, we'll officially welcome our first guests as we open our doors to the community," said John Terzian and Brian Toll, co-founders of The h.wood Group.
The restaurant will operate seven days a week from 11 a.m. until late, with roughly 70 seats. It will serve lunch, dinner and drinks.
Alphabet marks a departure for The h.wood Group, which built its reputation on high-end nightlife and destination restaurants such as Delilah and The Nice Guy. The founders described the grill as their first true neighborhood concept.
"While people know us for destination restaurants and nightlife, we've always wanted to bring our signature hospitality to the everyday lives of a community," Terzian and Toll said. They described the restaurant as an all-day gathering spot where families, neighbors and friends can share classic dishes, whether "grabbing lunch after school drop-off or getting out for dinner."
The restaurant takes its name from the Alphabet Streets, a well-known enclave in the Palisades. The founders said they hope Alphabet becomes a neighborhood staple while also drawing visitors from across Los Angeles to support the area's return.
The fires that tore through the Palisades in January 2025 shaped much of the project. The founders, both Los Angeles natives who grew up on the Westside, said the disaster hit close to home.
"When the fires hit, both of our homes were under direct threat, and we had countless friends who lost their homes, which makes the opportunity to be part of the community's return that much more meaningful," they said.
In the weeks after the fires, the company ran a donation drive at Bootsy Bellows and partnered with the Why Not? Foundation to feed first responders on the beach in the Palisades and Malibu. "Helping wasn't optional for us, it was mandatory," the founders said.
As plans for the reopening came together, the founders said they heard from residents and families who were rebuilding. They described the response as encouraging, citing messages from people eager to see businesses return. "While the fires were definitely top of mind throughout this process, Alphabet's opening symbolizes new growth and an optimistic future," they said.
Hollingsworth, who was born in Texas and raised in Placerville, California, built his culinary foundation at The French Laundry, where he earned the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef. He has represented the United States in the Bocuse d'Or competition and appeared on television programs including "The Final Table" and "Beat Bobby Flay." His other ventures include the French-American brasserie Hundredfold and, in Washington, the restaurants The Oak Room and Bernadette's.
His menu for Alphabet reimagines the American neighborhood grill through California produce and the farmers market at Palisades Village, featuring rotisserie chicken, all-day classics, seasonal dishes and nostalgic desserts. The food is paired with crafted cocktails and a wine list.
"With Alphabet, I wanted to bring that personal philosophy to the Palisades, blending thoughtfully sourced ingredients with comforting, classic dishes that become weekly staples," Hollingsworth said. "The goal was to create the kind of place people return to again and again."
Hollingsworth said he was honored to take part in the community's recovery. "I'm honored to be part of the community's inspiring story of renewal," he said.
The restaurant's design, led by Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar of Adean Studios, aims for a warm but elevated atmosphere, with green marble countertops, gold brass accents, ambient lighting and linen-topped tables. The company said Alphabet will also host social and dining events intended to help residents connect.
Palisades Village, which originally opened in 2018, is home to more than 40 boutiques along with dining venues, the historic Bay Theater, a specialty grocer and landscaped green space. It was the first business district in California to be certified LEED Gold for environmental sustainability.
For updates, the company directed the public to the [Palisades Village website](https://palisadesvillageca.com/?ref=smdp.com) and to Alphabet's Instagram account, @alphabetgrillpalisades.
### From the ashes of the Palisades Fire, Santa Monica Helping Hub emerges as a new advocate fo the local environment
URL: https://www.smdp.com/from-the-ashes-of-the-palisades-fire-santa-monica-helping-hub-emerges-as-a-new-advocate-fo-the-local-environment/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T16:00:00.000Z
The Palisades Fire was a devastating tragedy for the community but the disaster sparked a sense of community among many residents that has grown into a full-fledged movement generating ongoing environmental activism .
Santa Monica Helping Hub began as an effort to help fire victims in 2025 and has since expanded citywide, running a farm-to-neighbor program, food rescue work, beach cleanups in partnership with the Coastal Alliance, and monthly dune walks.
Founder Stephanie Inouye never expected to run a nonprofit. A lifelong Santa Monica resident, she was involved in the surfing community while working in the film industry. When the Palisades Fire struck, Inouye rescued an elderly woman from a burning apartment, an act for which the American Red Cross later honored her as a Hometown Hero.
Soon after, she called on her network of female surfers up and down the coast to help people displaced by the fires. Santa Monica Helping Hub officially opened Jan. 11, and one social media post was enough to bring donations pouring in. For about a month, the work was nonstop: The group gathered supplies requested by the National Guard, collected donations, and distributed food, clothing and toiletries — whatever people needed — while working alongside World Central Kitchen.
“World Central Kitchen was one of the most amazing outlets I’ve ever seen,” Inouye said. “They came by, physically, and fed our volunteers.”
Santa Monica Helping Hub and World Central Kitchen ran a farmers market for about three months so fire victims could pick up a bag of fresh, organic produce each week. That model became the basis for the farm-to-neighbor program the organization still runs today.
Among those who volunteered with Inouye early on was world-class surfer Carolyn Day, founder of Growing Hope Gardens. Inouye and Day partnered on the farm-to-neighbor program, which supplies low-income residents in Santa Monica and beyond with fresh produce grown through regenerative, organic farming.
Inouye also created Saturday Serve, a food rescue program that feeds homeless residents. Food rescue involves redistributing surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away to people who need it. Through Saturday Serve, volunteers warm, plate and serve meals to unhoused people at SaMoShel, Tongva Park and to homeless veterans in West Los Angeles.
“One of the pillars \[of the surfing community\] is if you want to make change with the environment, you have to tackle poverty first, so I’m always going to be part of educating folks about the environment and about our beaches and what they mean to us,” Inouye said.
That philosophy led her to organize monthly dune walks with the Coastal Alliance beginning in June. Each walk includes a beach cleanup and an educational session on the coastline, biodiversity, climate change and the dunes, led by Coastal Alliance founder and conservation biologist Ashley Oelsen. Every dune walk also features a guest speaker with a connection to the coast — past guests have included surfboard shapers, surfers and California Coastal Commissioners.
While the dune walks are open to everyone, Inouye said she is especially passionate about introducing the beach to people who have never visited. “My main goal is I would like people who have never come to the beach to enjoy the beach, to understand it, love it and take care of it, and \[know\] how it is interconnected to them in their life,” she said.
Volunteering with Santa Monica Helping Hub isn’t the only way to get involved in fighting climate change, Inouye said. She encourages people to reduce food waste, bring reusable mugs to coffee shops instead of using disposable cups, pick up litter, avoid littering themselves, and get involved with environmental organizations.
“I care deeply about \[this work\] because I was born and raised here — these are people that I know, and I care about what’s happening on our coastline and in the ocean because we’re front line,” Inouye said. “All the surfers are front line in the ocean when it’s not doing well, when there’s spills, when there’s policy that’s going to hurt it — we feel it, breathe it, see it first. It’s full circle for me. I enjoy the work, and I want to keep helping my community as much as I can.”
To donate or volunteer, visit Santa Monica Helping Hub.
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
### Which version of Gavin Newsom will voters see if he runs for president?
URL: https://www.smdp.com/which-version-of-gavin-newsom-will-voters-see-if-he-runs-for-president/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T18:58:59.000Z
All politicians are, to some extent, chameleons who align their personas with the prevailing moods of the voting public.
That can be tricky in an era of extreme political volatility, where what’s popular one day can quickly become radioactive. [Gavin Newsom](https://calmatters.org/tag/gavin-newsom/?ref=smdp.com) is a case in point.
As the governor of California edges ever closer to a presidential campaign, he has been adjusting — or trying to adjust — his image accordingly. In the 21 months since the last presidential election, Newsom has floated several versions of himself, seeking — [or so it appears](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/gavin-newsom-trump-investigation/?ref=smdp.com) — one that can be a winner in 2028.
In the aftermath of Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump, Newsom drifted rightward, foretelling a [Democratic Party “autopsy”](https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2026/05/May-20-2026.pdf?ref=smdp.com) that it had lost connection with “the voters of Middle America and the South.”
Newsom’s repositioning was evident four months after the election when he launched his “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast with right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk as his initial guest. He [pointedly agreed with Kirk](https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/03/gavin-newsom-podcast-politics/?ref=smdp.com) that transgender women should not be allowed to compete with biological women in sports.
Newsom alluded to the Trump ad that included a video clip of Harris favoring sex change operations for prison inmates as an example of weaponizing the issue, telling Kirk, “the issue of fairness is completely legit. So I completely align with you. And we’ve got to own that. We’ve got to acknowledge it.”
Newsom’s surprising position drew sharp criticism from transgender rights advocates, but it served to move his image a few ticks to the right.
Later, [Newsom again rebuked his party](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gavin-newsom-tells-democrats-culturally-normal%5Fn%5F6931dfa1e4b0824b6df8a368?ref=smdp.com) for disregarding mainstream Americans’ concerns about immigration and inflation and being too sensitive to “woke culture,” during an appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit.
“I think there’s a broader narrative that we ought to address,” Newsom said. “We have to be more culturally normal. We have to be a little less judgmental.”
That was then and this is now.
This year has seen a power struggle between Democratic Party leaders and the party’s uber-progressive wing, after several democratic socialists secured some notable wins. Ever the chameleon, Newsom has been drifting back toward the left, apparently concerned about alienating left-leaning activists.
In May, at a conference held by the Center for American Progress, [Newsom announced his political recalculation](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/gavin-newsom-cap-economy-ai-boom-00927930?ref=smdp.com), with other potential presidential candidates [in attendance](https://www.americanprogress.org/press/event-advisory-cap-announces-initial-speakers-for-the-2026-ideas-conference/?ref=smdp.com).
“A year ago my sense was, in this country, that our path back as Democrats … was through the center,” Newsom said. “Increasingly, I’d argue, it’s through the fight. And people want fighters. People want people with conviction and clarity.”
Newsom went on to lay out an economic agenda that echoed the left wing’s denunciation of billionaires and the corporations they own.
“You cannot save democracy unless we democratize the economy,” Newsom said. “The whole system has to be reimagined.” He called for “a universal basic capital” to funnel profits from [artificial intelligence](https://calmatters.org/tag/artificial-intelligence/?ref=smdp.com) to support displaced workers.
Newsom’s recent pirouette to the left has one big flaw: During his center-left period, he denounced a ballot measure that would impose a 5% tax on the wealth of California’s billionaires.
He tried to dissuade its healthcare union-backers from pursuing it. That effort failed and the initiative qualified for the November ballot as [Proposition 40](https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-40-billionaire-tax/?ref=smdp.com). Newsom couldn’t do a 180-degree flip, so he is trying to mitigate its effect by [proposing new federal taxes on the wealthy](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/newsom-balancing-act-wealth-tax-billionaires/?ref=smdp.com).
We still may not be seeing the final version of the man Newsom wants to present during a presidential campaign. A recent [tell-all article](https://www.vanityfair.com/story/gavin-newsom-ruby-rippey-essay?ref=smdp.com) about his affair with a staffer and wife of a close aide during his time as San Francisco mayor and the recent [release of Newsom’s tax returns](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-31/newsoms-release-tax-returns?ref=smdp.com) have provided more grist for the political mill.
—----------
**by** [**Dan Walters**](https://calmatters.org/author/dan-walters/?ref=smdp.com)
### Signs point to new billboards being installed on the Promenade
URL: https://www.smdp.com/signs-point-to-new-billboards-being-installed-on-the-promenade/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T15:59:59.000Z
The first wave of digital billboards are being installed on the Promenade this month with construction crews mounting frames and conducting electrical work at two prominent intersections.
The California Coastal Commission signed off in April on development agreements clearing the way for up to 16 digital displays on the Promenade and at Santa Monica Place. That approval follows the City Council's Jan. 13 final adoption of the Digital Display District ordinance which took effect roughly 30 days later.
The council first introduced the ordinance late last year. The program authorizes displays of up to 1,000 square feet each on corner buildings along the Promenade and four building faces at Santa Monica Place.
Two operators are set to install the signs: UNITED XYZ LLC, which will operate displays at 301 Arizona Ave. and 1202 Third Street Promenade, and Trigild IVL, the court-appointed receiver for Macerich SMP assets, which will operate four displays at Santa Monica Place. BIG Outdoor, the city's existing kiosk vendor, is also described as a partner in the broader initiative.
Financially, each operator will pay the city a one-time $500,000 fee per display, plus annual payments of either 20% of gross revenue or a $500,000 minimum guarantee, whichever is greater, escalating 3% annually starting June 30, 2027\. If all 16 displays are built, the city projects $3.5 million to $7 million in annual revenue. The agreements run 30 years.
The first $5 million in revenue will go to the city's Realignment Plan. Beyond that threshold, about 10% will repay borrowing from the Housing Trust Fund, 85% will fund downtown revitalization, and up to 5% will support a new moving-image media art program. Each display must also devote 20% of its screen time — roughly 12 minutes an hour — to city and public-art content.
The program reverses a citywide ban on off-site advertising that has been in place since 1985 and waives Landmarks Commission review for six of the 12 eligible Promenade buildings that hold historic designation, a provision that drew objections from preservation advocates. Concerns were also raised about the potential dangers of distracted driving and fears the long-term installation of such visible advertising would spoil the City’s reputation.
City officials have framed the billboards as an economic lifeline for a corridor that has struggled with elevated retail vacancy since the pandemic, part of a broader Realignment Plan addressing Santa Monica's declared state of fiscal distress.
The billboard district is separate from the city's existing Wayfinder kiosk network, an operational system of about 30 two-faced digital pillars offering wayfinding, transit information, public Wi-Fi and paid advertising. That program was awarded to vendor BIG Outdoor under a 20-year franchise agreement approved by the council Dec. 13, 2022, and formally adopted the following month. The kiosk deal gives the city a 50% revenue share with a $5 million annual minimum guarantee, once all first-phase kiosks are operational, plus a $4 million signing bonus. Installation carried no cost to the city, and BIG Outdoor handles ongoing maintenance.
The two programs differ sharply in scale and controversy. The kiosks, rolled out in phases since 2024, have drawn scattered criticism over low usage and privacy concerns tied to built-in cameras, but have not faced the same opposition seen with the billboard district. The billboards, by contrast, required reversing a decades-old advertising ban and bypassing standard historic-preservation review, prompting more pushback.
City staff have acknowledged the new billboards could also cut into BIG Outdoor's kiosk advertising revenue, which underwrites the kiosk program's minimum guarantee.
### Santa Monica Place hosts wellness festival to build on World Cup buzz
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-place-hosts-wellness-festival-to-build-on-world-cup-buzz/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T15:59:59.000Z
After the 2026 USA World Cup Kickoff Celebration welcomed nearly 4,000 people to Santa Monica Place in June, the mall is hosting its newest event, Aug. 23: Wellness on the Westside.
“We wanted to keep the momentum going and continue to host events in collaboration with Spin PR Group here on the property to help attract more locals and Santa Monica community members,” said Caroline Mayhew, Santa Monica Place’s senior marketing manager. Spin PR Group is the company behind many of the Westside’s most beloved annual events, including MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street, the OFF THE HOOK Seafood Festival and the SANTA Monica Pub Crawl.
“Building on the incredible energy and sense of community from our World Cup Kickoff Celebration at Santa Monica Place, I wanted to create another event that brings people together, this time to celebrate health, wellness and self-care,” said Kim Koury, president of Spin PR Group and co-producer of Wellness on the Westside. “I’m excited to be producing this event alongside my partners Jeff Wills, owner of BOD (Body Overview Data) in Venice, and Michelle Kelly, owner of Restore Hyper Wellness. Together, we’re shining a spotlight on the outstanding wellness businesses that make the Westside such a special place while creating a fun and inspiring day where people can discover new ways to move, recover and recharge. We hope attendees leave feeling healthier, more connected and inspired to continue supporting these incredible local businesses long after the event ends.”
The event, presented by AI Wellness — a platform aimed at educating people about taking ownership of their health — will feature four hours of fitness classes, including pilates, yoga, dance, sound baths, breathwork and stretching, all included in the $40 ticket. Attendees must sign up in advance to reserve a spot in each class.
One highlight of the event will be free professional beauty portraits by Community Collage, a public art initiative founded by photographer Josh Madson that celebrates diverse cultures within local communities. The nonprofit aims to photograph 40,000 Angelenos ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, transforming the portraits into murals and installations across the city for the Games.
Complementing the fitness classes and portraits will be food and drink samples and an array of wellness activations — including light therapy, sports massages, compression therapy and a flower market — intended to promote wellness education and bring the community together. The event will also celebrate the recent opening of Club Studio, a gym now operating within the mall.
“These wellness events are important because they’re getting the education out there that we need to start this process of actually taking better care of ourselves,” said Dr. Gideon Kwok, co-founder of AI Wellness. “It just starts off with that one right question: How can I make a change?”
Kwok said he was initially drawn to Wellness on the Westside because of its ability to expose people to wellness practices they may not be familiar with, in hopes of prompting them to begin — or continue — habits that help their bodies function optimally. He said services such as red light therapy, exosome facials and pulsed electromagnetic field, or PEMF, therapy can help people see quicker results, but that wellness can begin anywhere.
“We all want to look like we’re at the finish line, but it’s the journey and the small steps that make that process really impactful,” Kwok said. “It’s the small things added up that will make those changes.”
Downtown Santa Monica and Santa Monica Place have seen increasing vacancy rates in recent years, but Mayhew said the mall is committed to turning the tide. She said it’s the perfect space to host local brands and low-cost community events, adding that the mall’s World Cup transformation highlighted its potential to become a vibrant, lively gathering place even as it continues to lack the retail draw it was once known for.
“We want to give \[locals\] exactly what they want: offer fun wellness events and offer a place to go watch the World Cup and fill that gap that the Promenade in general, not just Santa Monica Place, is lacking at this current time,” Mayhew said.
Kwok said he hopes people leave the event feeling empowered. “The biggest thing I hope is that people are getting educated on the fact that you can do something and that you can start that process of being inquisitive for your own health.”
Wellness on the Westside will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23 at Santa Monica Place, 395 Santa Monica Place.
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
### West Side Oyster Club expands ocean eatery business for local family
URL: https://www.smdp.com/west-side-oyster-club-expands-ocean-eatery-business-for-local-family/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T18:05:35.000Z
A longtime family of Santa Monica restaurateurs are hoping to find their own pearl of a business with the opening of the West Side Oyster Club in June in the former home of[ ](https://www.smdp.com/local-restaurant-scene-continues-to-churn-with-openings-and-closings/)[Blue Plate Oysterette, a beloved 16-year establishment that closed at the end of 2025](https://www.smdp.com/local-restaurant-scene-continues-to-churn-with-openings-and-closings/). The highly anticipated new restaurant comes from longtime Santa Monica residents and Albright owners Greg and Yunnie Morena.
The new seafood concept sits at the intersection of casual and luxury, offering high-quality seafood and ingredients built for takeout and fast-casual service. Menu items include lobster rolls, po'boys, fish and chips, seafood platters, caviar, chowders, salads, oysters and more. The beverage program features beer, wine and craft cocktails, including an oyster shooter — an oyster with a housemade spicy Bloody Mary mix and a choice of vodka or gin.
David Alvarez of Studio Alvarez designed the new look. Whites, blues and neutrals create a simple, clean effect both inside and out. The exterior evokes a traditional seafood house, while the interior pays homage to Santa Monica, with photos of surf and skate culture, a California flag, a life jacket, a skateboard, a "Dogtown and Z-Boys" poster and more adorning the walls.
West Side Oyster Club represents the next chapter of the Morenas' legacy. "Our family has been in Santa Monica and serving the community seafood on the Pier since 1977," Greg said. This restaurant, he said, "comes from that heritage and asking ourselves a simple question: what next?"
Yunnie's parents opened The Albright nearly 50 years ago and passed their knowledge to the Morenas when the couple took over in 2013\. With careers spanning fashion, skating, hospitality and finance, the Morenas said they're excited to apply what they've learned at The Albright to this newest venture. "The Albright on the Pier taught us that a restaurant is much more than a building — it's an experience with honest food and excellent hospitality," Greg said.
While The Albright showcases the spirit of the Santa Monica Pier, the Morenas want West Side Oyster Club to reflect the city's seaside culture. It's a "different experience, same values: honest seafood, excellent hospitality, and a deep connection to this community," Greg said.
Ingredient sourcing matters as much at West Side Oyster Club as it does at The Albright, with sustainability at its core. Having grown up in Santa Monica, the Morenas were exposed to environmental nonprofits such as Heal the Bay and Sustainable Works, which shaped their commitment to caring for the place they call home. "Sustainability is part of our DNA, thanks to Santa Monica," Greg said. That commitment shows up in reduced single-use materials, recycling, lower food waste, responsible sourcing and a seasonal menu. "At the end of the day, as we build something meant to last another 50 years, it's our responsibility to respect our ocean — the foundation of our future," Greg said.
The Morenas remain optimistic about the future of Santa Monica and their business, despite the reduced patronage, employment laws and safety concerns that Blue Plate Oysterette owner Jennifer Rush cited as factors in that restaurant's closure. The couple said they look forward to being part of the continued change they've already seen in the area. "We believe deeply in the future of Santa Monica, and WSOC is our way to double down," Greg said. "If more local businesses continue investing in Ocean Ave. and Santa Monica, our city becomes stronger, for everyone."
[West Side Oyster Club](https://www.westsideoysterclub.com/?ref=smdp.com) is located at 1355 Ocean Ave. It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
### Outcry over federal investigation of California coastline authority
URL: https://www.smdp.com/outcry-over-federal-investigation-of-california-coastline-authority/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T02:43:47.000Z
More than 300 residents and civic leaders from across the state showed up on August 10 to defend California’s coastline from a threat of federal interference during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hearing (NOAA) at the Hilton Santa Monica.
The hearing was one of three public meetings that are part of an unprecedented off-cycle review of the California Coastal Commission and other coastal management agencies, which partner with the federal government through the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).
The CZMA’s stated purpose is “to preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance, the resources of the Nation’s coastal zone for this and succeeding generations.” However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has stated the focus should primarily be on economic priorities such as spaceport infrastructure and offshore oil production, which have also been the purposes championed by President Donald J. Trump.
The more than four hours of impassioned public comment took issue with those priorities.
“This administration has a vision that is radically different from what people here in California and across the nation want for this coast,” said Alex Katz, the executive director of the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara.
Laura Deehan, the state director of Environment California in Richmond, expanded on that notion. “If there’s one thing that all Californians agree on it’s that we love our coast and our ocean,” she said. “We love our breathtaking beaches. We love our dramatic coastal bluffs with the fresh sea breezes.”
Deehan was one of many speakers who referenced the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, when more than three million gallons of crude sludge polluted 35 miles of beaches, killed thousands of animals, and resulted in President Richard M. Nixon signing the CZMA in 1972.
“A lot has changed since then,” Deehan said, “but one thing that has not changed: we still don’t want any more devastating oil spills to hurt our beaches and our marine life.”
Irene Cooke received cheers when she identified herself as representing the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara. “We’re elder women who care passionately about the world we’re leaving to our grandchildren,” Cooke said. “I must speak out vigorously against this sham of a proceeding.”
Opposition was also expressed by the business community. Grant Bixby, a real estate broker in Newport Beach and a founding member of Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast, was one of the first speakers. “The brand of California is not offshore oil and gas,” he said. “How do we know the CZMA has worked? We know it’s worked because California has the world’s fourth-largest economy.”
### California Environmental Voters endorses Brian Goldsmith for state Senate
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-environmental-voters-endorses-brian-goldsmith-for-state-senate/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T18:58:59.000Z
California Environmental Voters, the state's leading climate advocacy organization, announced its endorsement of Brian Goldsmith for state Senate in District 24.
Senate District 24 takes in some of California's most iconic natural landmarks, from the Santa Monica Mountains and coastal watersheds to the coastlines stretching from Malibu through the South Bay to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. In backing Goldsmith, the group, known as EnviroVoters, cited his policy expertise and focus on addressing immediate climate pressures while mitigating future environmental risks.
"Brian Goldsmith possesses the deep policy expertise and leadership needed to drive meaningful progress on the climate crisis," said Mary Creasman, CEO of California EnviroVoters. "Brian will be the steadfast partner we need in Sacramento to deliver real results for our frontline communities, accelerate our clean energy transition, protect California's coastlines, rebuild from devastating wildfires, hold polluters accountable and protect public health for generations to come."
Goldsmith said he was honored to earn the endorsement.
"EnviroVoters has long been at the forefront of defending our state's natural legacy and fighting for a healthy and sustainable future for every community," he said. "From safeguarding our oceans and open spaces to accelerating our transition to clean energy, we have urgent work ahead. I look forward to partnering with EnviroVoters to deliver bold climate action and to protect the beauty and biodiversity of SD 24 for generations to come."
Running for elected office for the first time, Goldsmith has earned endorsements from a broad range of officials and organizations, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, retired Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Henry Stern, Sen. Josh Becker and Pete Buttigieg. Local supporters include Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and mayors in Beverly Hills, Calabasas, El Segundo, Agoura Hills and Redondo Beach.
His campaign said he has also been endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, Climate Action California, several law enforcement organizations including the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the California Police Chiefs Association, Teamsters Joint Council 42, ILWU locals and the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, among a coalition of more than 150 leaders and organizations.
Goldsmith is running in the open race to succeed Sen. Ben Allen in 2026.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Allstate becomes Founding Partner of LA28 Games, Team USA insurance sponsor
URL: https://www.smdp.com/allstate-becomes-founding-partner-of-la28-games-team-usa-insurance-sponsor/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T18:58:59.000Z
Allstate announced Aug. 4 that it has become a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the official home and auto insurance partner of Team USA.
The insurer said the partnership extends its more than 20 years of support for college athletics to the Olympic and Paralympic stage. Allstate will also support NBCUniversal's multiplatform coverage of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
"For more than 20 years, Allstate has supported student-athletes because we believe in the power of sport to build leaders, strengthen communities and help people reach their potential," said Elizabeth Brady, Allstate executive vice president and chief marketing, customer and communications officer. "Many Olympians and Paralympians develop that character on college campuses long before representing their country."
Since 2005, Allstate's Good Hands Field Goal Nets program has generated millions of dollars for scholarships with every field goal and extra point scored, the company said. Its Good Works Team recognizes student-athletes across fall, winter and spring sports for community leadership.
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, said the support will help Team USA athletes access the resources they need to train and compete at the highest level.
"Allstate's commitment to LA28 reflects the momentum we're building toward the Games," said Reynold Hoover, CEO of LA28\. "As we welcome new partners who believe in what these Games can do for Los Angeles and the country, we're that much closer to delivering a Games this city and this country can be proud of."
Allstate said one in 10 American households relies on it to protect one of their most valuable assets. In 2025, the Allstate Foundation, employees and agents contributed nearly $70 million to more than 6,500 nonprofits across over 2,200 communities.
LA28 will bring the Games to Los Angeles in 2028, uniting more than 15,000 athletes. Los Angeles will become the third city to host three Olympic Games, following 1932 and 1984, and will host its first Paralympic Games. Organizers said the Games will be the first to allocate more quota spots to women than men and the first since 1948 to build no new permanent infrastructure.
### Fresh Finds: The Way to Your Farmer’s Heart
URL: https://www.smdp.com/fresh-finds-the-way-to-your-farmers-heart/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T21:05:20.000Z
Do you have a favorite Farmers Market vendor? Maybe it’s Tomás of Lily’s Eggs, with his ready smile and lavish compliments. Or Amanda Iwamoto from Harry’s Berries, who knows your strawberry preferences and keeps the variety you like set aside for you.
Well, the feeling is mutual.
“We have great customers,” says Iwamoto. “They have been loyal, coming to us for a long time. They tell us how something tasted last week or what they used it in.”
If a regular doesn’t show up at the Wednesday market, Iwamoto says they’ll often pop up at a different Farmers Market later in the week to get their berry fix.
Alex Weiser of Weiser Farms has his devoted regulars as well. Gary Kamisher, a local landscape contractor, travels across Los Angeles weekly to peruse their gorgeous melons.
“\[Weiser Farms\] has the most alternative and new breeds of different things,” he says, while shopping with his wife, Chaya. “like different melons you can't get anywhere else in the market. Ogen melon for instance. The owner is very sustainable, very knowledgeable.”
Kamisher comes for more than just the flavor. Since he was diagnosed with cancer, he prioritizes nutrition as part of his treatment plan and buys medicinal plants from Logan's Gardens a few stalls down.
In her 1961 book, *The Death and Life of Great American Cities*, Jane Jacobs argued that healthy urban neighborhoods depend on what we now call third spaces for social cohesion. It took the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns to remind us that those daily, low-stakes encounters in cafés, barber shops, and sports bars are just as necessary as our interactions in the first and second spaces (home and work). The casual conversations with a neighbor on a dog walk — or while buying melons at the market — tend to be easy-going, light, and brief, but therein lies their value. Most of us benefit from small doses of social oxygen that don’t require a big investment of time or emotional energy.
The farmers, who wake before dawn to bring their produce to the promenade, relish polite, educated consumers, who don’t haggle.
“Good customers are people that are generally patient, people that actually understand that every time you knock our price down, you're essentially hurting the farm,” says Charlie Samos of Tutti Frutti Farm. “And you know, when they go to Whole Foods, they would never do that, right? And…there's always rounding down anyways. So even though something is three bucks a pound, if it comes out to $3.40, they expect to pay $3.”
In addition, he points out, unlike at Whole Foods, buyers pay no sales tax at the Farmers Market — nearly a ten percent savings.
Gary Kamisher agrees.
“The price is not always the lowest. It's costing more to produce." But, he believes, **"**You get what you pay for."
“I think one of the hardest things for us is when people are comparing our products to something they get from Costco,” says Meredith Bell of Autonomy Farms. “Some people say ‘I can get ground beef at Costco for $8 a pound.’ You're like, well, it's a different quality.”
Even more than shoppers who can discern an excellent product, Bell appreciates those who give some thought to what’s behind it.
“It's also the community and the people and the employees and the animal welfare health. We raise all our animals as humanely as possible, pasture-raised, no GMOs.”
Other gold star behavior includes respecting the line and offering exact change. And as tempting as it may be, customers should think twice before swiping their own samples. It violates California food safety law and is costly to the farmer.
“Especially \[in\] a market this size,” says Imamoto, “if you're giving away 100 strawberries, it's like a whole flat. That's $128 right there giving away. So, yeah, I mean, we would love for them to be able to sample ’cause we have different kinds. It's just not cost-effective.”
If that peach you buy untested turns out mealy or sour, making friends with the vendor makes it more likely they’ll steer you to the good stuff next time, top off your bag with some bonus goodies, and even share their favorite recipe.
Try getting that at Costco.
Clockwise: Meredith Bell of Autonomy Farms, Amanda Iwamoto shows off Harry’s Berries, Alex Weiser of Weiser Farms with one of his heirloom melons.
*Santa Monica has four weekly farmers markets including the Wednesday Downtown market on Arizona Avenue between 4th and Ocean from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Saturday Downtown market on Arizona Avenue between 4th and 2nd Streets from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Pico Farmers market at 2200 Virginia Avenue from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and the Sunday Main Street market at 2640 Main Street from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.*
### Santa Monica takes a leadership role in the wellness economy
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-takes-a-leadership-role-in-the-wellness-economy/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:59:59.000Z
When Live Love Spa launched National Wellness Month in 2018, founder and CEO Lisa Michaelis felt like she was “shouting from the rooftops.” “We would tell people how smart it was to embrace a wellness lifestyle, and no one was listening,” Michaelis said. “Now the public is coming to us.”
That shift is on full display this week as more than 600 spa executives, hospitality leaders, wellness innovators, influencers and media gather in downtown Los Angeles for Live Love Spa’s annual National Wellness Month Trends Event — the largest in its history.
Attendance has more than doubled over the past three years, growing from roughly 300 attendees to 625 this year, prompting organizers to expand from two floors of the Hudson Loft to all four.
For Michaelis, the growth reflects something much bigger than an industry conference. Wellness has moved from niche conversations among experts to becoming a mainstream lifestyle, fueled by wearable technology, health-tracking apps, podcasts and a growing public interest in longevity. “I’ve been in the spa industry for 20 years,” she said. “In the beginning, we were kind of talking to ourselves. Today, wellness has become accessible to the everyday person. There are Oura Rings, iPhone health tracking apps, wellness podcasts and influencers. People are actively seeking ways to live healthier lives.”
National Wellness Month itself was born from a simple observation. “We all get so busy throughout the year that we need a reminder at the halfway point to take care of ourselves,” Michaelis said. “Especially in the wellness industry, it came down to the saying, ‘Healer, heal thyself.’”
Rather than encouraging dramatic lifestyle overhauls, the campaign promotes adopting one healthy habit throughout August. “Science tells us habits take time to change,” she said. “Choose one healthy habit that appeals to you, share it and inspire someone else to do the same.”
The message comes as the wellness economy continues evolving beyond traditional spa treatments into a broader movement encompassing hospitality, technology, preventative healthcare and community.
According to Live Love Spa’s inaugural Spa & Wellness Industry Trends Survey, longevity and healthy aging dominate the industry’s outlook, with 84% of respondents identifying it as the fastest-growing sector heading into 2027\. Women’s health, mental well-being, skincare longevity and sleep followed closely behind.
Consumers are also increasingly investing in preventative health services, including diagnostics and longevity testing, while wellness travel and recovery-focused experiences continue gaining momentum.
At home, red light therapy emerged as the clear leader among wellness technologies, significantly outpacing sleep technology and wearable devices. Despite those innovations, Michaelis believes one of the most important conversations remains largely overlooked. “Financial wellness doesn’t receive nearly enough attention,” she said. “It plays such an important role in reducing stress and improving overall wellbeing, but it’s often overlooked. At the end of the day, wellness still comes back to the basics from exercise, eating well, healthy relationships and finding ways to manage stress.”
Another major shift is redefining what self-care actually looks like. The isolation experienced during the pandemic accelerated interest in wellness technologies such as robotic massage, compression therapy and red-light treatment. Today, consumers increasingly want to experience those therapies together. “We’re seeing a clear rise in social wellness,” Michaelis said. “People realized during the pandemic how essential community and in-person connection really are.”
That trend is reshaping hotels, spas and fitness clubs. Major hospitality brands including Hilton and Montage are converting underused hotel space into community wellness areas where guests can gather while using recovery technologies together. Fitness operator Life Time has found enormous demand for group wellness education sessions combining consultations, treatments and health education, with many locations selling out immediately after announcing new events.
For Santa Monica, those shifts may present a unique opportunity as outdoor lifestyle and active community, the city is well positioned to capitalize on the growing wellness economy, according to Michaelis. “Besides being a showcase for nature and the healing power of the coastline, Santa Monica is an incredibly creative place,” she said.
She points to the emergence of restoration centers offering IV therapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, massage and red-light therapy, alongside adaptive uses for vacant retail space, including pickleball centers that combine recreation with social connection.
Luxury hospitality is also evolving. The Santa Monica Proper Hotel has expanded its community-focused wellness programming while introducing advanced longevity experiences such as its Ammortal Chamber alongside its Ayurvedic wellness offerings, blending emerging technologies with ancient healing traditions.
Michaelis believes successful wellness businesses increasingly depend on education rather than amenities alone. “You can’t simply say you’re offering a smoothie or a red-light therapy room,” she said. “You need to explain why they’re beneficial and tell that story.”
The city’s coastline, parks, outdoor recreation, luxury hotels and health-conscious culture already provide many of the elements wellness travelers seek. Combined with scientific research highlighting the benefits of outdoor activity and social recreation, Santa Monica has an opportunity to position itself as a model for healthy living. “There are so many healthy options across the Westside especially in Santa Monica,” Michaelis said. “It could become a National Wellness Month spotlight community.”
### California lets teens pre-register to vote before they’re 18. It doesn’t teach them how
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-lets-teens-pre-register-to-vote-before-theyre-18-it-doesnt-teach-them-how/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:59:59.000Z
Americans recently marked the nation’s semiquincentennial — 250 years since a band of revolutionaries staked everything on the idea that a people could govern themselves.
Anniversaries invite us to look backward. But the survival of that experiment, our democracy, has always depended on something no patriotic parade can supply: citizens prepared to take part in it.
By that measure, the next 250 years are off to a troubling start. The Sacramento Bee recently reported that 57% of California’s 18-year-olds are [not registered to vote](https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article316526002.html?ref=smdp.com), a gap driven in large part by a lack of civic education.
California allows 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register so that their registration activates automatically on their 18th birthday. Only [11% of eligible teenagers have done so.](https://www.thecivicscenter.org/blog/california-teen-voter-preregistration?ref=smdp.com)
Apathy is a convenient explanation — and [usually the wrong one](https://calmatters.org/education/2026/05/california-primary-gen-z-voters/?ref=smdp.com). Kylie Barker, a young voter from Merced, turned 18 in 2020 and [missed her first election](https://sd29.senate.ca.gov/news/reyes-bill-increase-access-voter-pre-registration-high-school-students-passes-assembly-policy?ref=smdp.com) for a reason she later described plainly: She wanted to vote but nobody had ever shown her how.
This is a solvable problem, and the Legislature has already written the solution — twice. What Sacramento owes us now is a third act: a real floor vote and a governor’s signature.
In 2024, then-Assemblymember [Eloise Gómez Reyes](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/eloise-gomez-reyes-165418?ref=smdp.com) authored [a modest measure](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202320240ab2724?ref=smdp.com) requiring schools to ensure every student receives information on how to pre-register to vote before the end of 11th grade. To deliver it, districts could partner with nonprofit organizations specializing in nonpartisan youth civic engagement.
The bill passed both chambers, but Gov. Gavin Newsom [vetoed it](https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AB-2724-Veto-Message.pdf?ref=smdp.com), writing that schools already have the ability to fulfill the bill’s requirements without a new mandate.
That reasoning gets the ledger backwards. Schools have had that ability for years — but an 11% pre-registration rate is [what a voluntary approach creates](https://calmatters.org/politics/2021/04/in-california-voter-suppression-starts-in-high-school/?ref=smdp.com).
Yes, mandates carry costs. But weigh the price of sharing registration information with 11th graders against the price of raising a generation that never learns to vote. One belongs on a budget line; the other belongs in democracy’s obituary.
Reyes, now a state senator, refused to give up. She reintroduced the measure last year as [Senate Bill 316](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb316?ref=smdp.com), the High School Voter Registration Act. It cleared the Senate, passed the Assembly’s Education Committee unanimously and its Elections Committee.
Then it died quietly in the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s suspense file, where good bills disappear without a vote or an explanation.
The timing of this failure could hardly be worse. American democracy is under strain from forces its founders would recognize and fear: Roughly 1 in 3 Americans [support authoritarianism](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/28/who-likes-authoritarianism-and-how-do-they-want-to-change-their-government/?ref=smdp.com) through a strongman or military rule, and 1 in 5 [believe it is permissible](https://prri.org/research/political-violence-in-america-public-perceptions-polarization-and-accountability/?ref=smdp.com) to use violence to achieve political objectives.
Meanwhile, [at least nine states](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-laws-roundup-may-2026?ref=smdp.com) and the [Trump administration](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/status-trumps-2025-anti-voting-executive-order?ref=smdp.com) have spent recent years erecting new barriers to the ballot.
Voting alone will not cure what ails our democracy. But a citizenry that knows how to register, how to vote and why it matters is the strongest, most basic system of immunity a republic has.
California already accepts this premise. State law requires every high school student to complete a semester of American government and civics to graduate. We teach students how a bill becomes a law. SB 316 simply asked us to teach them how a citizen becomes a voter.
The founders gave us a republic, “if you can keep it,” Benjamin Franklin reportedly warned. Keeping it is taught, generation by generation. Or it is lost.
If we want America’s 250th birthday to be a milestone rather than a memorial, the Legislature should revive SB 316, pass it and send it to the governor. This time, he should sign it.
—----------------
**by Conner Huey**
### Pacific Ballet Theatre to Honor Founder's 100th Birthday With Gala Tribute
URL: https://www.smdp.com/pacific-ballet-theatre-to-honor-founders-100th-birthday-with-gala-tribute/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:59:59.000Z
Pacific Ballet Theatre will mark the 100th birthday of its founder, former Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo soloist Andrei "Bill" Tremaine, with a special gala performance Aug. 23 at the Eli & Edythe BroadStage.
"A Ballet Russe Gala Centennial," set for 5:30 p.m., will feature the company's current dancers performing selections from ballets that Tremaine either danced as a principal or later directed.
"It's an honor to celebrate my father as a centenarian this year and looking back at his incredible body of work and legacy," said Natasha Middleton, Tremaine's daughter and the company's executive director. "His work has made a mark all over the world and especially in the Los Angeles area and we look forward to this special performance."
Tremaine's path to one of ballet's most storied companies began after his service in the Navy during World War II. Studying under his mother, ballerina Elena Wortova, and later with Bronislava Nijinsky — a former dancer and choreographer with the original Ballet Russes, and sister of the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky — Tremaine drew the attention of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo during its Los Angeles engagements. When an opening arose in New York, he said, his teacher said, "Take my student."
"That was a very different world touring with them and learning the legendary choreographer Leonide Massine," Tremaine said. "It was a glamorous world but with the strict eye of great directors always keeping it running smoothly. We were not afraid to sweat hard with back to back performances, returning to a train that night, off to another city, and we start all over again. Week after week."
Tremaine returned home to Santa Monica in 1954, after marrying his wife, Natalie, and set out to build a regional ballet presence in a city he said had few companies at the time. He founded the Santa Monica Ballet, performing often at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and later Pacific Ballet Theatre.
"First of all, No Cell Phones!" Tremaine said, recalling the era. "We looked at one another. We talked, real talking. A lot was expected of us as artists in general back then." Much as the touring Ballet Russe had done across the country, he said, his companies helped pioneer dancers who went on to open their own schools and companies throughout Santa Monica, Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.
The company, now based in Burbank, passed to Middleton, who took over in 2000; Tremaine retired completely in 2003\. Middleton said she began choreographing and directing at 15 and grew up watching her father lead his companies in the Ballet Russe tradition.
"My dancers are thrilled to be performing for him and to such different and authentic ballets. They don't dance like this anymore. Story telling," Middleton said. She noted she previously honored her father in 2007 in a program called "Men of the Ballet Russe" alongside five other former male stars. "This performance will be very similar only he is now the last of them. Keeping a three generation legacy going is very important."
The centennial's return to Santa Monica carries personal weight. Both of Middleton's parents lived and married in the city, and the BroadStage sits on ground she knew as a child.
"Ironically, my mother grew up on 10th and when I was a child, I would visit my grandparents who still lived there, and across the street was a school with swing sets," Middleton said. "It's there I would play on the swings dreaming of dancing." That lot, she said, is now the parking lot of Santa Monica College's BroadStage.
The program includes the Firebird Pas de Deux by Stravinsky, the "Nutcracker" Snow Pas de Deux, and selections from "Raymonda," "Gaité Parisienne" and the Polovtsian dances from "Prince Igor." The cast features Eduard Sargsyan, Damara Titmus, Carmen Quiñones Callahan, Brandon Brinkley and others.
A short film chronicling Tremaine's life — including footage of his Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performances — will screen that night, along with the presentation of an award recognizing his contributions to the arts in Los Angeles since 1954\. A VIP reception will follow.
Pacific Ballet Theatre, first founded by Tremaine in 1954, describes itself as the longest continuously running ballet school and professional company in Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale at[ ](https://www.pacificballettheatre.org/?ref=smdp.com)[https://www.pacificballettheatre.org/](https://www.pacificballettheatre.org/?ref=smdp.com).
### New owners bring in a new deli to revive Main Street's Santa Monica Market
URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-owners-bring-in-a-new-deli-to-revive-main-streets-santa-monica-market/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T10:00:00.000Z
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
In the summer of 2024, the more than 30-year-old Main Street convenience store formerly known as Santa Monica Farms Jr. gained new owners and a new name: Santa Monica Market. Two years later, the family-owned store launched a deli counter, carefully curating a selection of healthy, high-quality and customer-requested goods.
Owner Amarilia Pivaral and her family bought the market in a state of disrepair, requiring them to replace equipment and make numerous changes. "We saw the opportunity to work on it and bring very good stuff for the neighborhood, and little by little we started to make the changes," Pivaral said. She estimated that about 90% of the store has changed since the family acquired it two years ago.
Pivaral collaborated with chef Mark Mittleman to create a multicultural deli counter for residents, which launched in early July. Mittleman, who has more than two decades of experience in the culinary world and runs his own consulting company, Entangled Particles, crafted a menu that combines Pivaral's home country of Guatemala with his own New York heritage. Their sandwiches, salads and smoothies reflect both tradition and novelty, catering to locals and transplants alike. One example is the SMM Shuco, a Guatemalan hot dog. Mittleman put his own "Americana" spin on it with a jalapeno cheddar sausage, but the rest of the sandwich — baguette, guacamole, chimichurri, sautéed cabbage, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup — stays faithful to the original.
The menu also features classics like the I-Tal Roast Beef, based on the Chicago Italian beef sandwich; the Short Rib, inspired by the East Coast; the crowd-favorite SMM Tuna Salad Sando; and the deli's take on the viral chicken Caesar wrap. Offerings also include a breakfast menu with sandwiches, bowls and burritos; bagels and pastries; a selection of salads; and smoothies.
Ingredient sourcing was just as important for the deli as for the rest of the store. "They've really changed the offering that was here with the previous owner," Mittleman said. "We wanted to mimic that with the deli."
"We are using more high-quality ingredients — organic, simpler, clean ingredients. That makes me happy because I know we are doing something nice and something people can trust, too," Pivaral said of her products. Classic snacks like Cheetos and chips still line the shelves, but so do fresh produce, alternative milks, protein bars, local brands, seaweed snacks and anything else a customer might need. The emphasis is on healthier eating, but Pivaral said she also wants to stock what her customers request.
The Pivaral family isn't new to store ownership. They split their time between Santa Monica and a convenience store they purchased five years ago in West Hollywood. "This is the epitome of family business and the immigrant story," Mittleman said. "It's an incredible thing to see everybody working together." Regulars are familiar with Pivaral's children, who are often at the store. When Pivaral first bought the market, her youngest was on her hip as she stocked shelves. Now her children — ages 3, 10 and 17 — work the register, greet customers and otherwise help their parents at either store.
"It's very good how they can learn about business, so they have a good idea how to run a small business. And they support me," Pivaral said.
The new owners have been welcomed by their Santa Monica neighbors, many of whom have become regulars. One customer raved about the sandwiches while picking up milk and other groceries. Others heard about the deli and came in to try it. "Everyone is so friendly. I'm feeling like we are a family," Pivaral said.
Santa Monica Market is located at 2015 Main St. and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
### Santa Monica implements new state requirements for City Council meetings
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-implements-new-state-requirements-for-city-council-meetings/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T18:59:59.000Z
The city of Santa Monica has implemented updates to California's Ralph M. Brown Act under Senate Bill 707.
The legislation modernizes the state's open meeting laws to increase public participation, accessibility and transparency in local government.
Changes affecting City Council meetings include hybrid participation, with meetings now offering two-way remote access. For accessibility, the[ ](https://www.smgov.net/departments/clerk/agendas.aspx?ref=smdp.com)[council meeting agendas webpage](https://www.smgov.net/departments/clerk/agendas.aspx?ref=smdp.com) offers participation instructions in Spanish, and space will be provided during meetings for members of the public who wish to use personal interpreters or devices. Community members may also contact the City Clerk's Office to receive agendas electronically.
The city will expand community outreach to encourage participation in public meetings, including outreach to non-English-speaking communities through local partnerships.
The city said it remains committed to ensuring residents have meaningful opportunities to participate in local government decision-making.
For more information about how to participate in council meetings, visit[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/process-explainers/how-to-participate-in-a-city-council-meeting?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/process-explainers/how-to-participate-in-a-city-council-meeting](https://www.santamonica.gov/process-explainers/how-to-participate-in-a-city-council-meeting?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA28 Ticket Demand Tops 12 Million as Games Reach Two-Year Countdown
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la28-ticket-demand-tops-12-million-as-games-reach-two-year-countdown/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T18:59:59.000Z
With two years to go until the Olympic and Paralympic Games arrive in Los Angeles, LA28 has become the most in-demand ticketed event in Olympic history, organizers announced July 29\. Ticket registration has climbed to 12 million, up from 5 million reported in February.
Fans in more than 200 countries and all 50 states have registered for a chance to buy tickets to the first Summer Games on U.S. soil since 1996\. The milestone coincides with the LA28 Visa Presale, which runs July 29–31 and gives qualifying Visa cardholders early access to Drop 2 tickets.
"Twelve million people registered for a chance to buy tickets, a historic show of excitement, and it's only the beginning," said Reynold Hoover, LA28 chief executive officer.
The momentum builds on Drop 1, which placed more than 4 million tickets with fans. Los Angeles and Oklahoma City-area residents claimed nearly 75% of all tickets sold, along with 95% of tickets priced under $100 and half a million $28 tickets.
This week, LA28 and the Los Angeles Rams gifted 1,000 free tickets to 10 local organizations through the Community Ticket Program, made possible by the Rams' inaugural $5 million donation. The tickets cover Olympic Swimming and Flag Football.
Drop 2 runs Aug. 10–20\. Fans randomly selected for a time slot will be notified by email Aug. 6–7, with slots open for 48 hours. Fans may purchase up to 12 Olympic event tickets and up to 12 additional Football (Soccer) Tournament tickets, with a four-ticket-per-ceremony limit. Registered fans who do not receive a Visa Presale slot are automatically entered into the Drop 2 draw.
Paralympic tickets will go on sale in 2027, when LA28 also launches a verified ticket resale network. Organizers caution fans to wait for the official resale program before buying or selling resale tickets.
Applications are also open for the LA28 Volunteer Program presented by Delta Air Lines. Fans can sign up for the LA28 newsletter for updates on future ticket opportunities.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### 2026 Assessment Roll
URL: https://www.smdp.com/2026-assessment-roll/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T18:59:59.000Z
**By Jeff Prang**
**Los Angeles County Assessor**
Despite one of the most challenging years in recent memory, marked by the ongoing response to the devastating wildfires that swept through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities and a cooling real estate market, I’m here to tell you that the 2026 Assessment Roll when closed reached a record $2.272 trillion in total net taxable value.
The 2026 Assessment Roll increased by $96 billion, or 4.42 percent, over the previous year, extending Los Angeles County's streak of annual growth to 16 consecutive years.
This will generate more than $27 billion in property tax revenue to support vital public services, including public education, public safety, healthcare, libraries, parks, and other local government services throughout Los Angeles County.
My job as your Assessor is to establish the assessed value of all taxable property in Los Angeles County each year as required by the State Constitution. The assessed value of that property is placed on a list called the Assessment Roll and assessments are based on the value of property on January 1, 2026.
As I said when I presented the forecast to the Board of Supervisors in May, this has been a very challenging year, highlighted by the devastation of last year’s wildfires that laid to waste large sections of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. We will be feeling the effect of those wildfires for years to come.
Despite diverting significant staff resources to assist thousands of property owners affected by those wildfires, we continued implementing innovative assessment strategies supported by recent major technology upgrades. As an example, we continued to improve efficiency in enrolling new construction assessments. As a result, new construction added more than $12 billion to the 2026 assessment roll.
The inflation adjustment mandated under Proposition 13 is a significant factor contributing to the Assessment Roll. This year the California Consumer Price Index trended well beyond the full 2% allowable. This resulted in a $43 billion increase to the 2026 Assessment Roll.
While the housing market has shown signs of slowing, median home sales prices remained robust, reaching a high of $982,000\. With that being said, property transfers served as the single most significant factor contributing to this year’s Roll growth - adding $49 billion in additional value.
This growth does not mean property owners will be subject to a corresponding increase on their annual property tax bills. Most property owners will see only a 2% adjustment prescribed by Proposition 13.
Beyond determining property taxes, the Roll serves as an important economic benchmark that local governments rely upon when preparing annual budgets and planning essential public services.
The 2026 Assessment Roll includes 2,399,978 taxable real property parcels, 157,195 business property assessments, 31,938 boats, and 3,566 aircraft.
To access the Assessment Roll, go to: **https://assessor.lacounty.gov/news-information/assessmentroll**
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang has been leading the largest local public property assessment agency in the nation since 2014\. His office of about 1,400 appraisers and support staff is dedicated to creating an accurate and timely property Assessment Roll. This year, the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office conducted more than 2.5 million real estate and business assessments valued at slightly more than $2.2 trillion.
### My Small Business Fought Meta… And Won
URL: https://www.smdp.com/my-small-business-fought-meta-and-won/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T15:59:59.000Z
If you have a small business, you probably advertise on one of Meta’s platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and others). There are other ways to advertise, **like putting an ad in this newspaper**, but if you run an online store like me, you know there is nothing like Meta.
Over 40% of all human beings on Earth are on a Meta platform ([according to their 2026 Q1 report)](https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-First-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx?ref=smdp.com). 3.56 billion humans (or “users”, as Meta prefers) enjoy **completely free** entertainment and communication services. In return, Meta collects their personal information, which is used to make their platform more attractive to advertisers (and more addictive to their users).
Even if you don’t want to – you likely don’t have a choice. You need Meta. Meta doesn’t need you. That’s where this story begins.
My name is not really David. I am using a pseudonym in fear that the goliath at the center of this story further punishes my business. They could easily find out who I am, but the pseudonym makes me feel more in control. I’m the kind of person who clicks “**please** don’t sell my information”.
Earlier this year, my roommate and I started a small online business selling stickers of people’s pets. It’s a silly, low-stakes gift that people genuinely love. If you, your partner, or your child is obsessed with your dog, check out [pipsqueak.pet](https://pipsqueak.pet/?ref=smdp.com).
Over the holidays my roommate and I made a few AI-illustrated stickers of our friends' pets, and the reactions were out of proportion to the gift. My friend, a 32-year-old accountant, got emotional over a sticker of their French bulldog wearing a gold chain and oversized sunglasses.
We decided to put our time and money into starting our business because we had: A) a niche product that people loved, B) the technology to bring it to market, and C) the confidence (or naivete) that we could advertise it.
On nights and weekday mornings we built a real business — a brand, a tech stack, a production line — all around a product that was cheaper and cuter than generic pet products. We’re not the first company to make custom-pet-portrait products, but we are the best.
We knew from day one where our customers were, because everyone told us the same thing: Instagram. Facebook. That's where dog moms unload their camera roll. That's where our competitors advertised, and where the pet-obsessed spend their evenings and lunch breaks.
If you’re not a business owner or media buyer and still reading – the Meta you know and the Meta that sells ads are two very different products.
Meta’s consumer apps seem built so that anyone, even children, can use them. Meta actually got in a little trouble for that recently ([Meta settles major social media addiction lawsuit with school district](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/21/meta-social-media-addiction-kentucky-schools?ref=smdp.com)).
If you've only used Meta's consumer apps, understand that their advertising software is very different. It’s built for experienced media buyers. Meta even runs a certification program called “Blueprint”, with proctored exams… like how you'd get licensed to operate a forklift.
My partner used an AI-assisted browser tool that can click through a webpage on your behalf and fill in the forms us humans find tedious. It set up our account. And a few days later, Meta restricted our business for "automation-related activity."
Our account never saw the light of day.
We tried everything we could to make up for our blunder – we sent our LLC filing, our federal tax letter, identification, our seller's permit, screenshots of our store and real orders. We thought giving Meta more of our private information would satisfy them. They usually seem to love that.
We tried to find someone who could tell us what was going on. Someone to apologize to. We were ready to beg, if we needed to.
After 4 days of chatting and 3 hours on hold for “a live agent”, we connected with the buzzy voice of a woman named Patricia. After several identity confirmations and sympathies, she told us that there was: "no human interference,” and the policy violation was “system detected." Apparently, Patricia herself was locked out.
A machine had flagged us for using a machine, and no human was allowed to look. She escalated our case, gave us a reference number, and logged off forever. Bye, Patricia. We sent in our appeal, so here’s to hoping.
Nine days later (a surprisingly fast response), we got news on our appeal: Meta’s system reviewed its own decision, agreed with itself, and denied us.
The system is rigged, man. **Down with the System!**
The next agent we got a hold of had no file of our case, told us the account was permanently gone, and suggested we simply open a new one — which we were told by Patricia was itself a bannable offense.
The next agent was the most honest. He just told us that there was nothing to do but wait and hope.
My partner and I started to feel crazy. We couldn’t get anyone to listen (understandably, we are a small company). We couldn’t get decent information (agents were vague and lawyer-y or contradictory, or both) (don’t even get me started on “help” pages). But the most bizarre thing was we couldn’t convince them to take our money. Wasn’t taking advertisers' money their core business model?
We had 180 days before the restriction became permanent and unappealable. We had spent weeks of our limited time playing Meta’s game. We were frustrated, tired, and hadn’t improved our product, grown sales, or stretched thin moving to another platform, TikTok. Worst of all, we started to hate the thing we were sacrificing our nights and weekends to do.
This is not a David-and-Goliath story. There was no fight.
You don't step into an arena to face Meta — Meta is the arena. (They are, incidentally, [about to launch a prediction market named Arena](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/technology/meta-prediction-markets-app.html?ref=smdp.com)).
At day 155 of our ban, we were preparing to hire a lawyer to sue Meta AKA “the nuclear option”.
And then, one morning, with the lawyer nearly retained, our account came back. No email. No reason. No apology, no notice, no acknowledgment that any of it had happened. We were to thank our merciful god and shout Hallelujah!
The System works in mysterious ways, man.
We have our account back and are running ads but in the end, we don’t feel like we “won”..
There is no winning.
There is only: please sir, thank you sir, may I have another?
—-----------------
By David
### Cafe Demitasse's new bar blooms with its own herb garden
URL: https://www.smdp.com/cafe-demitasses-new-bar-blooms-with-its-own-herb-garden/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T09:59:59.000Z
Lila Victor, Special to the Daily Press
Spring's promise of new growth has taken root at Cafe Demitasse — literally. Fig and lime trees now shade the patio, mint and lavender curl from clay pots, and a bar built from the cafe's own broken castoffs anchors it all. The renewal isn't just seasonal decor; it's baked into the drinks, the design and the dozen years of sustainability work behind them.
Cafe Demitasse unveiled its new bar and herb garden in June, transforming the outdoor patio into a verdant green space alongside a new summer drink menu.
The bar features sleek butcher block wood bordered on one side by potted plants. Instead of a traditional coffee machine, two metal groupheads protrude from the wood, along with a milk steamer. A Kyoto iced coffee maker that looks pulled from a science lab, jars of herbs and two grinders round out the setup. The unconventional machinery was intentional — one goal of the project was to remove the barrier between customers and baristas.
Like many coffee shops, Cafe Demitasse rotates a seasonal menu. Unlike most, it now grows its own ingredients steps away. As part of the renovation, founder Bobak "Bobby" Roshan planted fig and lime trees along with mint, rosemary, sage, thyme and lavender, all of which make their way into drinks. The whole team helps develop the seasonal menu, with one rule: never repeat a drink.
"We just kind of play around with it and then we try to tie it into whatever we can find at the farmers market in terms of seasonality," Roshan said. "It's a playful place here, so we try to just have some fun with it and not take ourselves too seriously."
Roshan worked with designer Lisa Delena on a mural made of broken materials that lines the base of the bar. Opaque glass shards form leaves snaking across the wall, accented with pops of color from ceramics once broken in the cafe.
"My staff will tell you, for like eight years now, I'm like, 'we should build something out of broken stuff,' because so much of what we do is tied into zero waste and reusing stuff," Roshan said. He'd been saving anything broken in hopes of bringing the idea to life, and when the wood behind the bar began to deteriorate, he seized the opportunity.
The bar was installed and ready within a week. Roshan and his team hand-glued the glass pieces onto the mural, with help from a regular customer and a first-time visitor who happened to walk in during the work.
"It was this whole community feel," Roshan said. "We try to make it a space for everyone to participate in and use it as a venue for whatever." Whether it's a pop-up, a local school fundraiser or a kintsugi workshop, he said serving the community remains the focus.
Kintsugi is a Japanese philosophy and art form that finds beauty in "mistakes." The practice repairs broken pottery with lacquer mixed with precious metals, usually gold, so the cracks are highlighted rather than hidden. "It's just been always something I've found fascinating — taking something broken and mangled and then making something beautiful out of it," Roshan said.
Since opening in Santa Monica 12 years ago, Cafe Demitasse has built its identity around sustainability. The cafe is almost entirely free of single-use items — metal chopsticks stand in for stirring sticks — and uses reusable filters and biodegradable coffee bags. Its bean refill program offers customers $1 off the 12-ounce price when they bring in a refillable canister. The cafe compiled its sustainability practices into a Guide to Eliminating Single-Use Waste, published online so other cafes can adopt similar systems.
The summer menu includes the Green Dragon (matcha, smoky habanero, lemon-bergamot, a mist of jasmine and a jasmine flower garnish), the Castaway (pineapple-sage falernum from the garden, pineapple juice, tonic and espresso) and the Sour Cherry Sparkler (sour cherry syrup, black iced tea and sparkling water).
Cafe Demitasse is located at 1149 Third St. and is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
### Elderly couple dies in house fire North of Montana
URL: https://www.smdp.com/elderly-couple-dies-in-house-fire-north-of-montana/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T17:42:30.000Z
A couple in their early 90s died in an early morning house fire in the 500 block of Lincoln Blvd.
The fire was first reported shortly before 3 a.m., and firefighters arrived to find the house engulfed in flames.
Firefighters searched the structure for potential victims and during the search, crews located two people, who were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two victims had not been identified; however, KTLA reports that an elderly couple and a caretaker lived at the residence based on statements from neighbors.
The cause of the fire remained unknown Sunday, and no information about arson, foul play or a determined origin had been released.
Sunday's fire was the second fatal residential blaze in Santa Monica in recent months. On June 5, an elderly man died after a fire broke out in a second-floor unit at a two-story apartment complex in the 2600 block of 5th Street. Fire crews responding to that blaze found heavy smoke and flames coming from a rear second-floor unit; the man was pulled from the apartment and later died at a hospital.
### Negotiations for the Civic Auditorium anchor Tuesday's council meeting
URL: https://www.smdp.com/negotiations-for-the-civic-auditorium-anchor-tuesdays-council-meeting/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T10:00:07.000Z
The long delayed redevelopment of the Civic Auditorium may take a step forward Tuesday when officials consider a proposal from the organizers of this year’s upcoming beach music festival to occupy the location.
The Santa Monica City Council will consider entering into exclusive negotiations with Goldenvoice|AEG Presents over the future of the Civic Auditorium when it meets Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Staff are recommending the council authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Goldenvoice|AEG Presents to evaluate potential redevelopment and operation of the Civic Auditorium at 1855 Main St. The item would advance a process that has included a prior negotiation agreement with Revitalization Partners Group over renovation, programming and operation of the venue.
Goldenvoice is producing the upcoming Ocean Way festival and the new discussions follow an aborted effort to secure a partnership with other music industry organizations.
Also on the agenda is a staff report on oversight of the Virginia Avenue Apartment Project, a 2033-2101 Virginia Ave. development. Staff are recommending the council simply receive and file the informational report, which responds to a council request for information and includes a presentation from Community Corporation of Santa Monica along with a breakdown of the city's loan expenditures on the project through July 2026.
The council will also weigh new funding guidelines for the city's Human Services Grants Program. Staff are asking the council to approve funding guidelines for the FY 2027-31 grant cycle and authorize release of a request for proposals for the four-year funding period. Supporting materials include the city's Homelessness Strategic Plan for 2025-2030, an Aging and Disability Action Plan, and a situational analysis of the city's renter protections program.
Under public hearings, the council will consider a resolution approving the California Municipal Finance Authority's issuance of up to $80 million in revenue bonds to benefit 1318 4th Street, L.P. The bonds would help finance a 122-unit affordable apartment development at 1318 4th St. Staff say the project's environmental review was already completed as part of the city's 6th Cycle Housing Element Environmental Impact Report, and the hearing is required under the federal Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The consent calendar includes several other significant items. The council will consider a $24 million contract modification with Gillig LLC to purchase additional battery-electric buses for the Big Blue Bus fleet, bringing that agreement's total to nearly $89 million. Other consent items include a construction bid award for the second phase of the city's street lighting modernization program, a purchase order for new recycling and trash bins, a construction contract for the third phase of pier fire sprinkler replacement, approval of a parcel map subdividing a property on 18th Street, and an increase in contract authority for county lifeguard services on Santa Monica State Beach. The council will also consider ratifying a resolution affirming the city's 2025 proclamation declaring a local emergency on homelessness.
The council is scheduled to meet in closed session beforehand to discuss ongoing litigation, including dozens of cases involving the Santa Monica Police Activities League, as well as potential new litigation.
Under councilmember discussion items, the council will consider accepting resignations from Bradley Ewing on the Recreation and Parks Commission and from Hajar Muqtasid St. Claire on the Housing Authority Board, and authorizing the city clerk to publish both vacancies.
### Two arrested after Santa Monica traffic stop yields burglary tools, stolen plates
URL: https://www.smdp.com/two-arrested-after-santa-monica-traffic-stop-yields-burglary-tools-stolen-plates/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T18:58:59.000Z
Two men were arrested early Aug. 3 after a Santa Monica traffic stop turned up burglary tools, copper wiring, stolen license plates and other items, police said.
Officers on extra patrol near Cloverfield Boulevard and Pearl Street spotted a vehicle with an altered and unreadable license plate about 2:01 a.m. and initiated a stop near 25th Street and Pearl Street, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
Officers determined the driver, Walter Hernandez, 28, was driving without a valid license and observed open containers of alcohol inside the vehicle, police said. A subsequent search turned up burglary tools, about 10 feet of heavy-gauge copper wiring, drug paraphernalia, multiple vehicle key fobs and two license plates that did not belong to the vehicle. One of the plates had been reported stolen from a BMW. Three cell phones wrapped in clear tape were later found inside a backpack.
Hernandez and his passenger, Cristian Alberto Portillo, 41, were arrested on suspicion of possessing burglary tools, theft of copper wire, possession of stolen property and criminal conspiracy. Hernandez was also arrested on suspicion of offenses related to the altered license plate, driving without a license, possession of an open container and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Portillo was additionally found to have an outstanding felony warrant from Ventura County for grand theft and criminal conspiracy, police said.
The vehicle was towed, and the recovered property was booked into evidence. Detectives are continuing to investigate the origin of the copper wiring, license plates, key fobs and other items.
Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a related theft is encouraged to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Malibu urges state partners to accelerate action against PCH erosion
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-urges-state-partners-to-accelerate-action-against-pch-erosion/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T18:58:59.000Z
The city of Malibu is working with Caltrans and other state and regional partners to address worsening coastal erosion threatening Pacific Coast Highway in the Palisades Fire burn area, and it is urging faster action on permanent fixes.
While Caltrans has taken interim steps to protect the roadway, the city continues to press the agency to move quickly on permanent stabilization measures to protect public safety and critical infrastructure.
Immediately after the Palisades Fire, the city began investigating conditions along the PCH corridor, documenting active erosion, coordinating emergency protective measures and bringing together the agencies responsible for the roadway and the utilities beneath it.
"The City of Malibu and Caltrans have been working side-by-side to evaluate conditions and coordinate the next steps to protect public safety," City Manager Joe Irvin said. "While we appreciate that Caltrans has committed to important interim measures, the erosion continues to accelerate. Malibu is requesting immediate, coordinated action on a permanent stabilization strategy with a clear timeline before winter storms arrive."
Left unaddressed, the erosion will continue to remove the material supporting the roadway embankment, the city said. The onset of El Niño conditions this storm season significantly raises the likelihood of heavy rainfall, high surf and wave events that could compress months of expected erosion into a single storm cycle.
The city said it has taken several actions within its authority. It conducted joint field observations with Caltrans at all 16 red-tagged high-priority parcels posing immediate roadway risk and coordinated with Caltrans District 7, Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 29 and SoCalGas to assess utility conditions.
The city also committed staff to monitor affected parcels and reach out to every high-priority property owner, provided support through the Rebuild Center for affected owners, and briefed the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and the Governor's Office of Los Angeles Recovery on PCH conditions, including coastal erosion.
For more information, visit malibucity.org/PCHErosionResponse.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica to celebrate unveiling of Silas White Street
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-to-celebrate-unveiling-of-silas-white-street/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T18:58:59.000Z
The city of Santa Monica will host a ceremony Aug. 10 to commemorate the renaming of a portion of Vicente Terrace to Silas White Street.
The event is free and open to the public. It will take place at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, at 1846 Main St.
"I am proud of the innovative and critical work that Santa Monica is doing in the restorative justice space," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "This is about more than property. It's about truth, accountability, and taking real action to repair the legacy of racial injustice in our city."
The renaming follows action by the City Council last year to enter into a settlement agreement with the family of the late Silas White, a prominent Black entrepreneur in Santa Monica in the 1950s who envisioned opening the Ebony Beach Club for Black families to enjoy.
The settlement also established Oct. 12 as Silas White Day in Santa Monica and aligns with the city's recent establishment of a[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/05/20/santa-monica-establishes-restorative-justice-commission?ref=smdp.com)[Restorative Justice Program](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/05/20/santa-monica-establishes-restorative-justice-commission?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica seats new Restorative Justice, Housing commissions in marathon appointment session
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-seats-new-restorative-justice-housing-commissions-in-marathon-appointment-session/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T15:59:59.000Z
The City Council seated the members of two newly created and reconfigured advisory bodies and began working through a long slate of annual board appointments during a special meeting July 28, filling more than a dozen seats through a ranked-choice process that council members acknowledged was difficult and that at times bogged down.
The evening's marquee action was the first appointment of members to the city's new [Restorative Justice Commission](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/05/20/santa-monica-establishes-restorative-justice-commission?ref=smdp.com), a body established to address harms to historically underserved communities of color. The council named seven members. Karen Gunn, Lainie Zepeda, Peta Lindsay and Jaenell Cowart were appointed to four-year terms, while Gina DeBaca, Hajar Muqtasid St. Claire and Willa Wells received two-year terms.
The council then filled seven seats on the consolidated Housing & Human Services Commission. Kevin Glover, Sadie Gill and Brett Morrow won four-year terms, and Michael Terranova and Jillian Gomez took two-year terms. Two seats reserved for affordable-housing program participants went to Jack White, who filled a seat set aside for a resident who was formerly unhoused, and Lydia Garcia, appointed by acclamation to a seat reserved for a participant 62 or older.
White's appointment came with a note of levity. He attended the meeting in person even though his name did not initially appear on the clerk's electronic ballot. As staff searched the roster, Mayor Caroline Torosis remarked that he was "here in the flesh." He was ultimately voted into the affordable-housing seat, and Torosis congratulated him afterward. "You stayed here the whole time," she said.
The appointments unfolded through a QR-code ranked-choice balloting system that repeatedly lagged as council members nominated candidates, some of whom were not on the printed lists. Councilmember Ellis Raskin paused the proceedings before the first vote to reflect on the exercise. "It's incredibly hard to rank humans against other humans in this kind of way," he said, noting that the council was drawing "some really fine distinctions" among a strong field. "Ranking people is hard."
Councilmember Barry Snell, who said he had missed a Saturday candidate session but watched a recording of it, praised those who spoke, calling them "really amazing candidates." Councilmember Dan Hall reminded colleagues that they were free to rank as they chose. "You don't have to vote for everyone who was nominated," he said. "You can rank whoever you want, as long as they were nominated." Torosis repeatedly asked staff to display results on screen, saying the council wanted "to make sure that everyone feels confident that this is a transparent process."
Ahead of the vote, the Committee for Racial Justice had urged the council to select particular applicants. For the Restorative Justice Commission, the group endorsed five people, three of whom — St. Claire, Gunn and Wells — were appointed. For the Housing & Human Services Commission, the committee backed Morrow and William Kozicki; Morrow was chosen and Kozicki was not. In a separate message, St. Claire had asked the council to weigh whether Restorative Justice applicants aligned with the formal apology to the Black community that the council issued in November 2022.
From the council's annual round of appointments to standing boards and commissions, only one seat was filled that night: the council named Bradley Ewing to the [Planning Commission](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-launches-two-year-vision-plan-for-beach-and-pier/), filling a seat left by a departing commissioner. Because Ewing currently serves on the Recreation and Parks Commission, his move will create another vacancy for the council to fill.
Facing a lengthy agenda, the council voted to continue the remainder of the annual appointments — covering boards including the Airport Commission, Landmarks Commission, Architectural Review Board, Arts Commission and Recreation and Parks Commission — to its Sept. 8 meeting. Those bodies, unlike the three commissions filled that evening, already have seated members in place, so the seats did not need to be filled immediately.
Among the items held over was a closely watched Airport Commission seat that drew by far the largest volume of written public comment submitted for the meeting. More than a dozen residents wrote urging the council to reappoint incumbent Chair Diane Reynolds, praising her preparation and even-handed leadership as the city moves toward the airport's planned closure at the end of 2028\. Others pressed the council to instead choose Dave Hopkins, a pilot and flight instructor, with several writers contending that current commissioners "have no aviation knowledge" and calling that a safety liability for the city.
Torosis thanked city staff for arranging the special meeting so the council would not have to reconvene the following day. "Thanks for working so hard," she said.
### Met Her at a Bar finds its next love story on Main Street
URL: https://www.smdp.com/met-her-at-a-bar-finds-its-next-love-story-on-main-street/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T15:31:13.000Z
As Santa Monica continues its push to revitalize Main Street, a new restaurant is betting that what neighborhoods need most isn't just another place to eat, but Santa Monica's next neighborhood gathering place.
The sixth restaurant from owners Mindy and Vinny Kinne, a husband-and-wife duo whose journey blends generations of hospitality with culinary innovation. The new Main Street location is the couple's first venture in Santa Monica, bringing an all-day café concept designed specifically for the Westside. "We didn't come to Santa Monica just to open another restaurant," Vinny Kinne said. "We came here because we believe in Main Street. This is one of Southern California's great neighborhoods, and we want to be part of its next chapter. If we can create a place where locals gather, visitors discover, families celebrate, and other businesses benefit too, then we've done our job."
The story behind the Kinnes' restaurant group begins long before Los Angeles. Vinny grew up surrounded by hospitality. His family owned and operated Russo's Bar & Grill in upstate New York for more than a century, instilling a deep appreciation for neighborhood restaurants that become woven into the fabric of a community.
Mindy brought a different perspective. Before entering the restaurant industry, she spent nine years as a food scientist, combining technical expertise with a passion for creating memorable dining experiences.
Together, they launched their first café, Met Her at a Bar, in 2017 in Los Angeles' Miracle Mile neighborhood. What began as a brunch café quickly evolved into one of the city's most distinctive independent restaurant groups.
Today, the couple operates five neighboring concepts clustered around La Cienega Boulevard and Eighth Street:
Met Her at a Bar – an all-day brunch destination known for its Belgian waffles and signature Thai chicken & waffles.
Met Him at a Bar – serving homemade pasta, family recipes and authentic Neapolitan pizza crafted by a Naples-certified pizzaiolo.
Her Thai – inspired by authentic Thai street food.
The Night We Met – a Pan-Asian dining concept.
Her Little Bar – an intimate neighborhood cocktail bar.
Rather than expanding across Southern California, the couple intentionally built a walkable culinary district where guests can experience multiple concepts within a few blocks.
Now they're bringing that collaborative philosophy to Santa Monica, a culmination of all their properties with one restaurant, multiple personalities. The new Main Street location isn't simply another outpost of an existing restaurant, but a flagship concept that combines the most popular dishes and experiences from across the Kinnes' restaurant portfolio into one all-day destination.
Guests can enjoy coffee and brunch favorites in the morning before the menu transitions into handmade Italian pasta, authentic Neapolitan pizza and select Pan-Asian dishes later in the day. A robust cocktail program rounds out the experience, making the café equally suited for breakfast meetings, afternoon gatherings and evening dinners.
Perhaps its most distinctive feature is tucked behind the restaurant. A hidden "secret garden" patio features lush greenery, a fireplace and a tranquil water feature, creating an intimate outdoor space for approximately 50 to 60 guests. Even before opening, the venue has generated strong interest for private events and celebrations.
The vision is to create a restaurant that naturally evolves throughout the day, where families gather for brunch, neighbors meet for lunch, remote workers enjoy coffee, and friends linger over cocktails long after sunset.
For the Kinne's, the investment extends far beyond opening another restaurant. The Santa Monica location is expected to create approximately 100 jobs, while the menu will emphasize seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers markets whenever possible. "California has some of the best produce in the world," Vinny said. "We want to work with local farmers, use the freshest ingredients we can find, and invest in the community we're joining. Great restaurants don't exist in isolation, they become part of the neighborhood."
That philosophy aligns closely with Santa Monica's broader efforts to revitalize Main Street by attracting locally owned businesses that create both economic activity and neighborhood identity.
Rather than simply occupying a storefront, the Kinnes hope to become active participants in the community, collaborating with local organizations, supporting nearby businesses and helping restore energy to one of the city's most iconic commercial corridors.
Independent restaurants often become the heartbeat of a neighborhood by creating jobs, activating sidewalks, supporting nearby merchants, hosting celebrations and giving residents another reason to stay local.
The Kinnes believe that's exactly what Main Street deserves. "We're here for the long haul," Kinne said. "I hope years from now, people don't just remember the food, they remember the birthdays they celebrated here, the first dates, the business meetings, the family brunches. That's what restaurants are really about. They become part of people's lives."
For a couple whose hospitality roots span more than a century and whose entrepreneurial journey began with a single café in Miracle Mile, Santa Monica represents more than their sixth restaurant. It represents the next chapter in building places where community happens. If that vision takes hold, Met Her at a Bar may become more than Main Street's newest dining destination, but one of Santa Monica's newest living rooms.
### Son of Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes pleads not guilty in father's stabbing death
URL: https://www.smdp.com/son-of-grammy-nominated-singer-jubilant-sykes-pleads-not-guilty-in-fathers-stabbing-death/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T21:35:22.000Z
The son of Grammy-nominated opera singer Jubilant Sykes pleaded not guilty Thursday to murdering his father at the family's Santa Monica home last December, as newly released autopsy findings detailed the extent of injuries in the killing.
Micah Curtis Sykes, 31, was arraigned on one felony count of murder with a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon in the crime. Prosecutors also allege he inflicted great bodily injury on a victim 60 or older. He entered his not guilty plea after his arraignment had been continued multiple times since the case was filed Dec. 11.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement that the killing was "a painful reminder of how older adults remain vulnerable to violence, even from those closest to them," adding that his office's Elder Abuse Section is committed to holding accountable those who harm older victims.
According to the criminal complaint, Micah Sykes fatally attacked his 71-year-old father at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2025, at the family's home in the 1700 block of Delaware Avenue, using a dagger, garden shears and a barbell. Jubilant Sykes' wife, Cecelia, was home at the time and called emergency services after finding her son attacking his father, police said. Santa Monica Fire Department personnel pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
A Los Angeles County medical examiner's autopsy report found the singer suffered 68 stab wounds and multiple broken bones, according to the report. The autopsy showed Jubilant Sykes was stabbed in the heart, liver and lungs and was also struck with a 10-pound dumbbell during the attack. His son allegedly used garden shears in the assault, the criminal complaint states.
Micah Sykes was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident, and he has remained held without bail since his arrest. A request for comment from the public defender's office was not immediately returned.
Detectives from the Santa Monica Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division secured the scene and obtained a search warrant, and forensic specialists processed physical evidence, including a weapon recovered at the scene. Police have said the incident appears to be isolated and occurred within a private residence, with no ongoing threat to the community.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Cesar Rodriguez and Julia Cohn of the DA's Elder Abuse Section and remains under investigation by the Santa Monica Police Department. A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled for Sept. 2 in Department 34 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. If convicted as charged, Sykes faces up to life in state prison.
Jubilant Sykes grew up in Los Angeles, where he sang soprano as a child, and went on to build a career as a baritone with performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London's Barbican Centre, the Apollo Theater, the Hollywood Bowl and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. In 2010, he received a Grammy nomination for his recording of Leonard Bernstein's "Mass."
The District Attorney's Office is urging anyone concerned about the safety of an older adult to speak up. Its Elder Abuse Section handles cases involving elderly and dependent adult victims and said it seeks to use counseling, treatment and incarceration as appropriate while ensuring victims are protected and a just result is reached.
To report physical abuse, emotional abuse or neglect involving an older adult, the DA's office directs residents to contact local law enforcement or the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-877-4R SENIORS (1-877-477-3646). The office also publishes a pamphlet on how to identify and report elder abuse.
The charges against Micah Sykes are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
### Santa Monica man given life sentence for bus stabbing
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-man-given-life-sentence-for-hate-cri/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T18:09:35.000Z
A Santa Monica man was sentenced Thursday to life plus seven years in state prison with the possibility of parole for the attempted murder of a stranger during an unprovoked hate crime attack aboard a Metro bus in March 2023, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.
Gerald Pitts, 67, was convicted of stabbing Santos Tejas Gonzalez multiple times after shouting racial slurs at him and continuing the assault even after the victim fell from the bus.
"A hate crime is more than just a criminal act against one person, it tears at the fibers that hold our community together," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. "These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together."
Hochman said Pitts attacked a complete stranger because of his race or perceived race, repeatedly stabbing him and continuing the assault even after the victim fell from the bus.
"We're grateful the victim survived and relieved that he is continuing to recover," Hochman said. "This kind of violence is exactly what hate crime laws are meant to address."
Hochman called on county residents to reject such behavior.
"I urge everyone in Los Angeles County to reject this behavior whenever they see it and to stand with one another across every community," he said. "Public safety depends not only on enforcing the law but on refusing to tolerate bias-driven violence in any form. This office will not tolerate hate incidents and crimes in our communities and will respond with the full force of the law."
A jury found Pitts, born April 9, 1959, guilty of attempted murder on June 16\. Jurors also said the crime was committed willfully, deliberately and with premeditation, that Pitts personally used a knife, that he personally inflicted great bodily injury, and that the offense was committed in whole or in part because of the victim's actual or perceived nationality, race or ethnicity, making it a hate crime.
According to prosecutors, the attack occurred March 25, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m. when Gonzalez boarded a Metro bus and attempted to walk past Pitts to take a seat. Pitts immediately began shouting racial slurs at him, prosecutors said.
When Gonzalez tried to leave the bus at the next stop, at Western Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, to avoid further confrontation, Pitts stabbed him multiple times in the abdomen, arm, hand and face, prosecutors said. As the victim fell from the bus, Pitts kicked him repeatedly in the head while continuing to yell racial slurs, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Gonzalez survived the attack despite suffering life-threatening injuries, prosecutors said.
The DA's office has posted video of the attack [online](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17EmX%5Fcc9ZM&ref=smdp.com) (warning: graphic violence).
The District Attorney's Office said it has made combating hate crimes a priority through aggressive prosecution, community outreach and close collaboration with law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The office said it continues to encourage victims and witnesses to report hate crimes so perpetrators can be held accountable.
Hochman said he has also pushed back against policies that allow perpetrators of violent hate crimes to avoid standard incarceration, according to the District Attorney's Office. Earlier this year, the office successfully petitioned a California Court of Appeal to overturn a Los Angeles County trial court's decision granting mental health diversion to Job Uriah Taylor, who was charged with attempted murder, including a hate crime allegation. The appellate court agreed the defendant's case should proceed through the traditional criminal justice process, which the office said reinforces that violent hate crimes demand accountability that protects the public.
### Big Blue Bus rolls out service changes starting Aug. 9
URL: https://www.smdp.com/big-blue-bus-rolls-out-service-changes-starting-aug-9/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T18:59:00.000Z
Big Blue Bus will launch a series of service enhancements beginning Sunday, Aug. 9, that the agency says are designed to make riding easier, faster and more convenient.
Riders will benefit from expanded service hours and improved access and connectivity on several routes serving the UCLA campus, the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center and the Expo/Sepulveda Metro Rail E Line Station. The updated routes are[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/hjBNHheZuW6?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[Route 1](https://us.list-manage.com/hjBNHheZuW6?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/kvHCiyFxUoV?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[Route 2](https://us.list-manage.com/kvHCiyFxUoV?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/HIgW3eRklXA?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[Route 8](https://us.list-manage.com/HIgW3eRklXA?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/40nkkSFU0dP?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[Route 9](https://us.list-manage.com/40nkkSFU0dP?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com),[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/Fs2HRICKyqg?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[Route 17](https://us.list-manage.com/Fs2HRICKyqg?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com) and[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/mQ210SrP1Q7?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[Route 18](https://us.list-manage.com/mQ210SrP1Q7?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com).
The agency said the changes are intended to provide smoother transfers and more reliable travel throughout the area, reducing wait times for riders.
The enhancements are part of Big Blue Bus's ongoing[ ](https://www.bigbluebus.com/Rider-Info/Brighter-Blue.aspx?ref=smdp.com)[Brighter Blue](https://www.bigbluebus.com/Rider-Info/Brighter-Blue.aspx?ref=smdp.com) service improvement plan, which focuses on making public transit a more appealing alternative to driving and supports Santa Monica's commitment to a cleaner, greener future.
Riders can use the agency's[ ](https://www.bigbluebus.com/planner?ref=smdp.com)[trip planner](https://www.bigbluebus.com/planner?ref=smdp.com) or download the[ ](https://www.bigbluebus.com/Rider-Info/Track-Your-Ride-in-Real-Time!.aspx?ref=smdp.com)[Transit app](https://www.bigbluebus.com/Rider-Info/Track-Your-Ride-in-Real-Time!.aspx?ref=smdp.com) to plan trips and view the most up-to-date travel information. The customer service team is available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (310) 451-5444.
To learn more about the upcoming service change, visit[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/5OoMyAAY%5FW0?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com)[bigbluebus.com/servicechange](https://us.list-manage.com/5OoMyAAY%5FW0?e=a0db37eea4&c2id=5e8562874d015bef8498e77eadede6f4&ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Pacific Park offers free $100 game card with annual pass purchase
URL: https://www.smdp.com/pacific-park-offers-free-100-game-card-with-annual-pass-purchase/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T18:59:00.000Z
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier is marking the end of summer with a promotion that rewards new annual pass holders with a free $100 Midway Game Play Card.
From Aug. 6 through Aug. 21, guests who buy a new annual pass will receive the complimentary card, adding to a year of unlimited rides and passholder benefits.
"There's no better time to become a Pacific Park Annual Pass holder," said Steve Garcia, director of sales and marketing at Pacific Park. "Guests receive unlimited rides for an entire year, valuable discounts on food and merchandise, and during this special promotion, an additional $100 in complimentary midway game play to enjoy with family and friends."
The park offers two options. The Annual Premium Pass, $199, includes unlimited rides any day for one year after redemption and 20% off food and retail. The Annual Weekday Pass, $149, includes unlimited rides Monday through Friday for one year after redemption and the same discount.
Purchasers of either pass during the promotion will receive one complimentary $100 Midway Game Play Card for use at the park's collection of games overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The promotion runs Aug. 6 through Aug. 21\. Passes may be purchased online or at the Pacific Park Ticket Booth. Additional terms and conditions may apply.
Pacific Park, described as Los Angeles' only admission-free amusement park, offers 12 rides, 14 midway games, five food offerings at Snackville and seaside retail shopping. Prices and operating hours are subject to change.
For more information or to purchase a pass, visit[ ](http://pacpark.com/?ref=smdp.com)[pacpark.com](http://pacpark.com/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### ICE releases identity of man arrested outside SMPD headquarters
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ice-releases-identify-of-man-arrested-outside-smpd-headquarters/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T18:06:35.000Z
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a statement on social media this week identifying a man recently arrested in Santa Monica and emphasizing the lack of cooperation between local agencies and the federal government.
The agency said local officials refused to honor a detainer placed against Juan Manuel Saravia, a Salvadoran national ICE described as a twice-convicted burglar.
“Instead of holding the Salvadoran criminal illegal alien for ICE, Santa Monica police released him back into the community. So, ICE LA officers targeted him for arrest to protect Americans and to follow through on his final order of removal,” said a post on the agency’s Facebook account.
According to ICE, officers located Saravia in a public area near police headquarters on July 23\. The agency said officers were wearing clearly marked body armor when they approached him. Saravia immediately fled, but the pursuit was brief, ICE said. Although he resisted, officers apprehended him without incident, according to the agency.
Saravia will remain in ICE custody pending a removal flight to El Salvador, the agency said.
At the time of the arrest, SMPD said officers had arrested an adult male that morning on suspicion of vehicle burglary and possession of burglary tools, cited him and released him from SMPD custody.
The arrest reflects an ongoing tension between federal immigration authorities and the Santa Monica Police Department over the city's approach to immigration enforcement.
SMPD has reiterated that it does not honor civil immigration detainers or participate in federal immigration enforcement operations. The department has said its policy is consistent with California's Senate Bill 54, known as the California Values Act, and with Title 8 of the U.S. Code.
"Our responsibility is to protect public safety and enforce criminal laws within the City of Santa Monica," Police Chief Darrick Jacob said in a past statement about working with federal authorities. "Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of designated federal agencies and is not a function of this department."
Jacob has said SMPD does not conduct immigration sweeps, raids or detentions based solely on a person's immigration status, and does not independently enforce federal immigration law.
"Public safety depends on trust between the community and law enforcement," Jacob has said. "Fear of immigration consequences should never prevent someone from calling for help or cooperating with the Santa Monica Police Department."
At the same time, Jacob has said the department continues to enforce criminal laws regardless of a person's immigration status. "Accountability for criminal behavior is essential to public safety, and no one should interpret our policies as tolerance for crime," he has said.
SMPD said the incident this month did not change its policy. The department said immigration status does not affect a person's ability to report a crime, request assistance or cooperate with police as a victim or witness.
### Around Town: Oceanfront Arts Fest, Free Tattoos & Jazz Fest
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-oceanfront-arts-fest-free-tattoos-jazz-fest/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T15:59:59.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town covers a car free Ocean Ave. Art Festival, citywide jazz festivals, beach house picnics, dessert pizza, and much more!
**SMPL at the Beach:** Southern California's only beachside pop-up library is heading back to the Beach House for a day of bookish fun in the sun! Sign out books from our beach reads collection (no library card required), make nautical crafts, play games, or kick back, relax and read in our Surfside Lounge. Seaside Storytime at 10:15 a.m., followed by Nautical Crafts, and an interactive musical performance from Sweet Potato Music at 11:30 a.m. For all ages. **Friday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 PCH** [https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4f4chrrsrckhn636b3cj4naqxy/202608071000](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4f4chrrsrckhn636b3cj4naqxy/202608071000?ref=smdp.com)
**FX's 'The Shards' Present: Sunset Sessions at Penmar:** From Executive Producer Ryan Murphy, this seductive new drama is set in 1980s Los Angeles and follows a group of glamorous high school seniors drawn into a life of wealth, beauty, parties and excess. Camber guest list will receive free first drink tickets, and an exclusive blanket (all while supplies last!). **Friday, Aug 7, 5:30 p.m.** [tickets.thepenmar.com/e/sunset-sessions-date-4-5-11-8](http://tickets.thepenmar.com/e/sunset-sessions-date-4-5-11-8?ref=smdp.com)
**Free Bean Tattoos:** 🫘Yes you read that correctly! If you’re a lover of legumes, Heyday (the company making beans cool again) is offering free tattoos of your favorite bean over the weekend. **1306 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice** [instagram.com/p/DbWIShuBnsl](http://instagram.com/p/DbWIShuBnsl?ref=smdp.com)
**Santa Monica Summer Craft Showcase:** This free local art and design pop-up event features handmade goods and creative designs. **Friday - Sunday, Aug. 7 - 9**, **9 a.m. - 6 p.m.** **at the Santa Monica Pier** [eventbrite.com/e/santa-monica-summer-craft-showcase-local-art-design-pop-up-tickets-1993264707397](http://eventbrite.com/e/santa-monica-summer-craft-showcase-local-art-design-pop-up-tickets-1993264707397?ref=smdp.com)
**SMC Planetarium's August shows explore Mars, telescopes and eclipses:** It will present live-hosted shows on Friday evenings in August, along with a Sunday Family Matinée on Aug. 16, featuring programs on the Mars rover Curiosity, the Great Observatories, eclipses and moon phases, and the sun. **1900 Pico Blvd.** [smc.edu/planetarium](http://smc.edu/planetarium?ref=smdp.com)
**Sunset Swim at the Annenberg Beach House:** Spend your evening poolside at the historic Annenberg Community Beach House, home to the iconic 1920s Marion Davies estate built by media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Sunset Swim invites adults to enjoy an evening of swimming, relaxing, and connecting by the sea at our historic and heated pool. Float under the evening sky, unwind with friends old and new, and enjoy complimentary s’mores and pool floaties while taking in the ocean air and sunset views. **Friday, Aug. 7, 415 PCH** (also Aug. 21) [santamonica.gov/events/49c3xhnjw5g4v5918cz3g4735y/202607101800](http://santamonica.gov/events/49c3xhnjw5g4v5918cz3g4735y/202607101800?ref=smdp.com)
**Santa Monica's New Oceanfront Arts Festival:** Ocean Ave. will be car free as it transforms into a vibrant outdoor gallery featuring over 100 California visual artists, live music, an oceanfront wine garden, interactive art experiences, and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. **Saturday, Aug. 8, 1 1 a.m. - 6 p.m., Ocean Ave. between California & Montana Ave.** [art-on-ocean.com/santamonica](http://art-on-ocean.com/santamonica?ref=smdp.com)
**New Outdoor Music & Movie Series Saturdays at Tongva Park:** Spend your Saturday nights under the stars at TONGVA TWILIGHT: Sounds & Cinema, a free outdoor series blending live music, iconic films, and summer vibes in Tongva Park. Grab your friends, pack a picnic and enjoy complimentary popcorn on movie nights while supplies last. The series kicks off with all-star jazz and ska big band Western Standard Time Orchestra on Aug 8\. **Saturdays, Aug. 8 - Sept. 12, 7 - 10 p.m., 1615 Ocean Ave.**
**A Sofar Show with a Creative Twist: 🎶** Live music from some of LA's best and brightest, with craft breaks in between. Get creative, hang with friends, or chat with the artists. The exact location of this intimate, secret concert (where you can picnic outside) will be revealed after you grab your tickets. **Saturday, Aug. 8** [https://www.sofarsounds.com/events/66006](https://www.sofarsounds.com/events/66006?ref=smdp.com)
**Wilmont Movies in the Park:** The first of 3 monthly free movie screenings is Paddington 2 in Reed Park featuring live music, picnicking, free popcorn for the movie (also Sept. 12 and Oct. 10). **Saturday, Aug. 8, 6 p.m., 1133 7th St.** [wilmont.org](http://wilmont.org/?ref=smdp.com)
**Free Venice Street Fair:** With more than 150 local artists and makers, the fair will close 3rd Ave between Rose Ave and Sunset Ave.. **Sunday, Aug. 9, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.** [instagram.com/theartistfair](http://instagram.com/theartistfair?ref=smdp.com)
**The Surfrider Malibu launches 'Sunday Sessions' summer concert series with Aviator Nation Dreamland, Malibu Pier:** General admission is free and open to all ages, with access to the Malibu Pier Stage, Dreamland Stage and Dreamland Patio. Guests 21 and older can buy VIP passes for exclusive access to The Surfrider Roof Deck and the Lola Blankets Lounge on Malibu Pier. **Sunday, Aug. 9, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.** [tixr.com/groups/dreamland/events/sunday-sessions-aug-9-196029](https://www.tixr.com/groups/dreamland/events/sunday-sessions-aug-9-196029?ref=smdp.com)
**Annenberg Beach House Sunset Picnic - Route 66 Edition:** Bring your own picnic and enjoy a relaxed night by the ocean. Come with friends, family, or on your own and join a communal table. There's live music, ocean views, complimentary s’mores (while supplies last) & board games. **Thursday, Aug. 13, 5 - 8 p.m., 415 PCH** [eventbrite.com/e/sunset-picnic-tickets-1989064540585](http://eventbrite.com/e/sunset-picnic-tickets-1989064540585?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com);
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**The Sunday Table Curry Club:** This is a monthly Indian family style dinner on Chelsea's patio, held the second Sunday of each month. Gather around a communal table under the string lights for three courses of shared plates - rotating menu from our families' recipes. **Sunday, Aug 9, 6:30 p.m., 2460 Wilshire Blvd.** [https://resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/sunday-table-curry-club-2026-08-09](https://resy.com/cities/santa-monica-ca/venues/chelsea/events/sunday-table-curry-club-2026-08-09?ref=smdp.com)
**Andrew's Cheese Shop's "Premium Pours and Grilled Cheese Night":** They're bringing out the good stuff. The bottles you don’t usually see on shelves, all in one place. We’ve gathered a lineup of small-batch producers for our premium beverage and grilled cheese pairing event back by popular demand, featuring 4 courses of expertly paired sandwiches, rare beers, sparkling wines, and a show stopping Basque cheesecake finale. **Friday, Aug. 14, 7 p.m., 728 Montana Ave.** [eventbrite.com/e/premium-pours-and-grilled-cheese-night-tickets-1996302677046](http://eventbrite.com/e/premium-pours-and-grilled-cheese-night-tickets-1996302677046?ref=smdp.com)
**Not No Bar on Main St. Featured on The Infatuation's "Most Fun Dinner Spots In LA" List: “**A night at Not Bar Bar is frenetic and a bit lawless. Walk into this pizzeria-cocktail bar from the Dudley Market people in Santa Monica and you’ll find dates smooshed up against the bar and groups packed into booths. On Friday and Saturday nights, you’ll probably have to wait in line for a little bit while DJs spin throwback Euro disco over the hi-fi. A spacious table is never a guarantee, but the reward is excellent tiki-inspired cocktails and bubbly-crusted pizza that goes toe-to-toe with the best on the Westside.” [https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-most-fun-dinner-spots-in-la](https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-most-fun-dinner-spots-in-la?ref=smdp.com)
**Tartine Bakery List as #1 Croissant in LA:** This list crowns both their frangiapane and plain croissants as best in show. [instagram.com/p/DbWExQ0iRsb](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbWExQ0iRsb?ref=smdp.com)
**Prince St. Pizza Debuts Black Currant Apple Pie Dessert Pizza:** 🍕🍇Throughout August, the Black Currant Big Apple Pie Pizza pairs the familiar comfort of apple pie with a black currant drizzle and McCormick Black Currant Finishing Sugar. **326 Lincoln Blvd, Venice** [princestreetpizza.com](http://princestreetpizza.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield:** **The LA Jazz Festival** will spread across the city for 17 days in August, mixing dozens of free neighborhood concerts with a two-night beachfront finale. The festival spans free "Jazz in the Park" concerts, restaurant pop-ups called "Jazz After Dark," a Caribbean Street Carnival in Venice and a closing "Jazz on the Beach" weekend headlined by John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton and Raphael Saadiq. Terrace Martin was among the newest additions to the beach lineup. **Aug. 7 - 23** [lajazzfestival.com](http://lajazzfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [Dine LA Restaurant Week](https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela?ref=smdp.com) (8/14-28); Main St. Farmers Market in the Street Event (8/23); [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Off the Hook Seafood Festival](https://offthehookseafoodfest.com/?ref=smdp.com) (10/11); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Oceanfront Arts Fest, Free Tattoos & Jazz Fest**
### Santa Monica Council advances 'cottage court' plan to house city's workforce
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-advances-cottage-court-plan-to-house-citys-workforce/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T16:33:05.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday directed staff to fold a Planning Commission blueprint for small-scale "missing middle" housing into the city's next housing plan and to weigh backing a state bill that supporters say could cut construction costs, advancing an effort to build homes for the teachers, nurses and firefighters who cannot afford to live in the city they serve.
The proposal, called the [Missing Middle Housing Realignment Plan](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-does-not-have-a-zoning-problem/), centers on the cottage court — a cluster of six or seven detached homes of about 850 square feet arranged around a shared courtyard. Planning Commissioner Shawn Landres, who presented the plan on the commission's behalf, said the form itself, if built at the right size and density, can deliver homes at prices working households can reach without subsidizing every unit.
"Santa Monica can build homes for its own workforce on the open market if we let the building form do the work," Landres told the council.
The plan targets households earning roughly 120% to 200% of area median income — people Landres described as earning "too much for subsidized housing but too little to buy here." A firefighter and teacher together making $162,000, a police officer with a working spouse, and a nurse raising children all fall in that band, he said, yet none qualify for subsidized [affordable housing](https://housing.lacity.gov/housing/affordable-housing?ref=smdp.com) while the median home now sells for well over $1 million. About 90% of the people who work in Santa Monica live somewhere else, he added.
Under the commission's design, at least one cottage in every court would be permanently price-restricted at 200% of area median income, while the smaller size of the remaining units would hold down their market prices. The commission, which voted unanimously to send the plan forward, recommends allowing the form on single-family and small multifamily parcels, in the city's Moderate Income Housing Overlay, and on so-called community assembly parcels, where congregations may build on their land.
Landres estimated the program could yield roughly 300 cottages, depending on choices by homeowners, families consolidating adjacent lots and congregations. He pressed the council on a package of eight policy changes, singling out two: unbundling the city's transportation impact fee so that non-drivers no longer subsidize vehicle costs, and a Portland-modeled "ratcheted" density trade that grants more building capacity only as projects add more units, discouraging what he called "mansionization" and pricey townhomes selling for $2.1 million or more.
He was blunt about why the city's existing congregation-development program has stalled. "Our community assembly pathway has built zero units," Landres said, arguing that community land trusts and nonprofit development partners, paired with a revised affordability mix, could finally make such projects "pencil."
Much of the discussion touched on cost and equity. Councilmember Barry Snell noted the analysis assumed construction of $380 to $455 per square foot. Landres cited state legislation, Assembly Bill 1070, that would study applying the simpler California Residential Code to small residential buildings — a change he said has saved about 10% on hard costs in other states without a documented safety incident. Responding to a question from Snell about racial disparities, Landres tied the plan to the city's history of displacement, particularly of its African American community.
"We can't just write paper rules. We can't just upzone on paper," he said. "It's one thing to say you're sorry. It's another thing to actually offer people a pathway to a solution to make things right."
Because the item was a commission report, the [council](https://www.smdp.com/city-pursues-homeless-services-at-palm-motel-while-voting-to-delay-closure-of-downtown-shelter/) could not formally adopt it. Instead, Mayor Caroline Torosis moved to have staff incorporate the analysis into housing element preparation and to have the city's intergovernmental affairs team return with a recommendation on whether to take a position on AB 1070\. The motion was seconded and passed without dissent.
The plan drew written support from residents ahead of the meeting. "We need incentives for builders to create homes that people who live and work in Santa Monica can afford," wrote Ethan Goldstine, a resident of more than 36 years.
The vote came as Landres closes out 11 years on the Planning Commission. Councilmember Ellis Raskin called the plan a fitting capstone, praising Landres for helping build "a more just and equitable city."
### Author Nina Fresco to discuss Santa Monica Airport history at book talk
URL: https://www.smdp.com/author-nina-fresco-to-discuss-santa-monica-airport-history-at-book-talk/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T18:58:59.000Z
Proteus Air Services will host a book talk and signing with author Nina Fresco on Saturday, Aug. 8, to celebrate the release of her new book, "First Around the World: The History of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport."
Fresco will read excerpts from the book, and copies will be available for purchase. The event will take place at Proteus, 2501 Airport Ave., Santa Monica.
The book traces the origins of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport to the 1920s, when aviation was new and rapidly expanding and Santa Monica did not want to be left behind. When the city was offered a strip of dirt near Ocean Park Boulevard to serve as the Santa Monica Municipal Air Field in 1921, it seized the opportunity and made history.
"Author Nina Fresco brings the rich history of Santa Monica Airport to life in this compelling look at aviation in Southern California and its dramatic impact on the City of Santa Monica in the 20th Century," said Mike Machat, curator of the Santa Monica Museum of Flying.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica to present free 'Tongva Twilight' summer music and film series
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-to-present-free-tongva-twilight-summer-music-and-film-series/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T02:13:49.000Z
The City of Santa Monica will present "Tongva Twilight: Sounds & Cinema," a free outdoor series of live music and films every Saturday evening from Aug. 8 through Sept. 12 at Tongva Park.
The six-week series, produced by the Recreation & Arts Department in partnership with concert producer[ ](https://t6eyaadab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J-2fwxRIFAJdTsEO7QVB9NdC%5FjgSaXdJPnv3es5dYE2F4BzLyyKJ3sjlweM6gHLA2oKPmObsZRzkJpmGVTS3Mq0I26%5FvZoDweTOPldfckiLkdEf0n-9oud34LRKYpnfnIHxHHt1M3g1bUz91LatCIQ==&c=AI-1s-aoKCm1kedHCgtiGK-MxR9WnnnipDX1oSVHjkTglWzvGrAJbg==&ch=0PqqT5zC7wBYeLMqGOKLbILUBPNvTfhM9LY3tiaXFM8k30ZG3Fy1gQ==&ref=smdp.com)[Rum & Humble](https://t6eyaadab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J-2fwxRIFAJdTsEO7QVB9NdC%5FjgSaXdJPnv3es5dYE2F4BzLyyKJ3sjlweM6gHLA2oKPmObsZRzkJpmGVTS3Mq0I26%5FvZoDweTOPldfckiLkdEf0n-9oud34LRKYpnfnIHxHHt1M3g1bUz91LatCIQ==&c=AI-1s-aoKCm1kedHCgtiGK-MxR9WnnnipDX1oSVHjkTglWzvGrAJbg==&ch=0PqqT5zC7wBYeLMqGOKLbILUBPNvTfhM9LY3tiaXFM8k30ZG3Fy1gQ==&ref=smdp.com), begins at 7 p.m. on the park's lawn. Organizers encourage guests to pack a picnic and bring a blanket or low-back chair. Admission is free.
The series builds on the inaugural Santa Monica International Jazz Festival at Tongva Park in May and the FIFA World Cup celebrations across the city in June and July.
The lineup opens Aug. 8 with all-star ska jazz ensemble Western Standard Time, followed by New Orleans funk band The Rumble on Aug. 15\. Salsa orchestra Son Mayor performs Aug. 22, with a complimentary salsa lesson before the show. The Windbreakers bring yacht rock hits Sept. 5\. Additional performances and film screenings will round out the series, with the full schedule to be announced on the City of Santa Monica's[ ](https://t6eyaadab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J-2fwxRIFAJdTsEO7QVB9NdC%5FjgSaXdJPnv3es5dYE2F4BzLyyKJ3hUmwqjN8l3RPpPZShY29EcMNFpnKjSrLca87Bn-1InFlusPeyvpUKjsNZ8Gr7VJEHB-Z9%5F0XKaUxASEj%5FzyKqijbJFDK8Nulg==&c=AI-1s-aoKCm1kedHCgtiGK-MxR9WnnnipDX1oSVHjkTglWzvGrAJbg==&ch=0PqqT5zC7wBYeLMqGOKLbILUBPNvTfhM9LY3tiaXFM8k30ZG3Fy1gQ==&ref=smdp.com)[website](https://t6eyaadab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J-2fwxRIFAJdTsEO7QVB9NdC%5FjgSaXdJPnv3es5dYE2F4BzLyyKJ3hUmwqjN8l3RPpPZShY29EcMNFpnKjSrLca87Bn-1InFlusPeyvpUKjsNZ8Gr7VJEHB-Z9%5F0XKaUxASEj%5FzyKqijbJFDK8Nulg==&c=AI-1s-aoKCm1kedHCgtiGK-MxR9WnnnipDX1oSVHjkTglWzvGrAJbg==&ch=0PqqT5zC7wBYeLMqGOKLbILUBPNvTfhM9LY3tiaXFM8k30ZG3Fy1gQ==&ref=smdp.com).
"The new series reflects the City's continued commitment to activating Santa Monica's parks with free arts and cultural programming that brings neighbors together while celebrating the City's vibrant creative community," Mayor Caroline Torosis said.
The series' title nods to the city's much-loved Twilight Concerts of the past.
"Once again, we can gather in the cooling breeze under the stars and within earshot of the waves to enjoy specially curated concerts and films," said Martin Fleischmann, producer of Tongva Twilight and founder of Rum & Humble. "So grab your friends, pack a picnic, and join us."
Tongva Park spans 6.2 acres between Ocean Avenue and Main Street, just south of Colorado Avenue. The award-winning park features rolling hills, Mediterranean gardens, more than 100 plant species, a splash pad, playground, amphitheater and ocean overlooks. Located at 1615 Ocean Ave., it is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking is available at the Santa Monica Civic Center Parking Structure and at metered spots nearby.
For more information, visit[ ](https://t6eyaadab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J-2fwxRIFAJdTsEO7QVB9NdC%5FjgSaXdJPnv3es5dYE2F4BzLyyKJ3sjlweM6gHLAYPcXWt9jsVEDIkpcmCT5IRdhNAXpuO5Ie9WMhtKtYQIKVmkhyG3xeg1aX7wbrvdVBQqivhMtOU1SnWnWviJDzb6EQ2MPnzERcHpsbmcX2NbGtXz%5F81qegmt5MEce2W-Y&c=AI-1s-aoKCm1kedHCgtiGK-MxR9WnnnipDX1oSVHjkTglWzvGrAJbg==&ch=0PqqT5zC7wBYeLMqGOKLbILUBPNvTfhM9LY3tiaXFM8k30ZG3Fy1gQ==&ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov/places/parks/tongva-park](https://t6eyaadab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J-2fwxRIFAJdTsEO7QVB9NdC%5FjgSaXdJPnv3es5dYE2F4BzLyyKJ3sjlweM6gHLAYPcXWt9jsVEDIkpcmCT5IRdhNAXpuO5Ie9WMhtKtYQIKVmkhyG3xeg1aX7wbrvdVBQqivhMtOU1SnWnWviJDzb6EQ2MPnzERcHpsbmcX2NbGtXz%5F81qegmt5MEce2W-Y&c=AI-1s-aoKCm1kedHCgtiGK-MxR9WnnnipDX1oSVHjkTglWzvGrAJbg==&ch=0PqqT5zC7wBYeLMqGOKLbILUBPNvTfhM9LY3tiaXFM8k30ZG3Fy1gQ==&ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### California nearly achieved universal healthcare. Now, millions are losing coverage
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-nearly-achieved-universal-healthcare-now-millions-are-losing-coverage/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:00:00.000Z
Two years ago, California hit a milestone decades in the making: Nearly every person in the state qualified for health insurance, regardless of immigration status and income, pushing the state’s insured rate to a record 95%. Now that progress is unravelling.
Facing budget shortfalls and new federal restrictions, state leaders have begun rolling back the coverage system they built. Analysis at [the UC Berkeley Labor Center and UCLA Center for Health Policy Research](https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Over-2-million-more-Californians-projected-to-lack-health-insurance-by-2030-1.pdf?ref=smdp.com) project California’s uninsured rate could nearly double, to almost 15%, by 2030.
“I knew it was going to be bad, but seeing that doubling was shocking to me,” said Miranda Dietz, director of the labor center’s healthcare program.
An estimated 2.2 million people could lose insurance over the next four years from combined state and federal cuts, the researchers found. The losses will fall hardest on undocumented immigrants and low-income Californians, with the uninsured rate more than doubling among Black and Asian Californians. The southern part of the state will bear the brunt, driven by its larger share of low-income and immigrant residents.
Many Californians remember how difficult it was to get healthcare before the state expanded and improved insurance options.
In 2008, Kandi Hill had just given birth to her third child. When she started throwing up and experiencing irregular menstrual cycles with heavy bleeding she struggled to find a doctor who would run any tests other than an STD panel. In a matter of months, she died from stage four cervical cancer. She was 31.
Cervical cancer has a [91% five-year survival rate](https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/survival?ref=smdp.com) if caught and treated early, according to the National Cancer Institute, but back then the Medi-Cal system was bare bones, and doctors didn’t seem to take poor Black patients seriously, said her husband, Ramonte Means.
Means was left to raise two small children and an infant alone. He has been the sole provider for his family ever since, often working part-time and frequently without insurance, stitching together multiple jobs — janitorial work, customer service, job coaching — to make ends meet. Usually, Means said, his employers won’t give him full-time hours so that they don’t have to provide benefits. With multiple part-time jobs, he tries to keep his income low enough to qualify for Medi-Cal and ensure his kids stay covered too. He’d rather get insurance through an employer, but he can’t afford a plan out-of-pocket.
“None of us want anything for free. I work two jobs. My kids go to school,” Means said. “We’re just asking for some dignity.”
Today’s Medi-Cal isn’t perfect, Means says, but it’s much better than when his wife died — patients have more benefits and can see specialists.
“I truly believe if all this happened now, she’d have been fine,” Means said. “The system failed my kids more than anything — failed the whole family.”
## **Millions gain coverage**
When the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, California quickly expanded its Medicaid program. Previously, the program was reserved for women and children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Low-income adults were excluded unless they had dependent children. The law allowed California to open enrollment to childless adults and raised the income limit to 138% of the federal poverty level — about $22,000 for an individual today.
More than 5 million Californians gained coverage, including Means, who had occasionally earned too much money before the change.
“So 138% poverty is not a lot of money in terms of increasing income, but when you talk about how many people actually become eligible it has a significant impact,” said Nadereh Pourat, associate director at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
An additional 1.7 million middle-income Californians bought insurance through the commercial Affordable Care Act marketplace known as Covered California.
“That’s a huge policy change,” said Rachel Linn Gish, spokesperson for Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group. “Millions and millions and millions of Californians covered in 10 years. No other state can say that.”
Still, one major group remained uninsured: undocumented immigrants. They account for about 2.3 million residents, according to the [Public Policy Institute of California](https://www.ppic.org/publication/immigrants-in-california/?ref=smdp.com).
## **Newsom: The healthcare governor**
Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigned on a promise to bring single-payer healthcare to the state. He pivoted to expanding access within the existing system — transforming Medi-Cal with new benefits and a focus on high-quality primary care.
The Democratic governor’s administration also launched the state’s second-largest coverage expansion, phasing in Medi-Cal eligibility for low-income undocumented adults until all adults and children qualified in 2024.
“We’re making sure that universal access to healthcare coverage becomes a reality here in California,” Newsom said in 2022 when the state allowed undocumented seniors to enroll in Medi-Cal.
At its peak, the state-funded expansion covered 1.4 million adults and 217,000 children and cost more than $10 billion a year.
Republican lawmakers have sharply criticized that price tag, and increasingly, so have moderate Democrats.
“We need to have cost containment,” said Sen. [Catherine Blakespear](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/catherine-blakespear-21275?ref=smdp.com), a Democrat from Encinitas, [when the state passed last year’s budget](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/259500?ref=smdp.com#t=810&f=b33a3219ddacef3983adc2d54ecfde7b).
Total Medi-Cal spending has more than doubled since Newsom took office in 2019, growing from about $96 billion to $217 billion this year. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office attributes most of that growth to [higher spending per recipient](https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5146?ref=smdp.com) — added benefits, higher drug prices and some demographic changes — rather than enrollment alone. People are seeing doctors more, and each visit is more expensive.
## **Medi-Cal cuts loom**
Orlando and Lourdes are immigrants from El Salvador. CalMatters is using only their middle names because they fear being identified by immigration officials. Orlando has lived in Los Angeles for more than 20 years and works in construction with a work permit. Lourdes manages a store and is undocumented.
Recent federal immigration raids have already upended their lives. They’ve had to counsel their 6-year-old daughter that there are “good police” and “bad police.” Now Lourdes, who needs radiation therapy for cancer, worries about losing her Medi-Cal insurance.
To slow Medi-Cal’s growth, the state froze enrollment for undocumented adults starting in January; roughly 86,000 fewer undocumented immigrants are covered.
Starting next summer, immigrants without legal status will lose dental benefits and face new monthly premiums. These and cuts to coverage for some legal immigrants are expected to push about 800,000 people off insurance, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
“We pay taxes every year. We deserve to have health insurance,” Orlando said.
Services have also been curtailed more broadly. Last year, the [state dropped coverage of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic](https://calmatters.org/health/2025/05/medi-cal-coverage-weight-loss-drugs-newsom-california/?ref=smdp.com) for people who are simply overweight, keeping them only for more serious diagnoses like diabetes. This year, lawmakers scaled back wraparound services, including case management and medical meal-delivery services for low-income patients. They also reinstated a wealth test that caps how much savings an enrollee can have, regardless of their income, which advocates say punishes people for building a financial cushion.
The cuts have stirred outcry from lawmakers on the left, some of whom want the state to raise revenue through corporate taxes or other means rather than shrink Medi-Cal.
Sen. [Lena Gonzalez](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lena-gonzalez-165452?ref=smdp.com), a Democrat from Long Beach and chair of the Latino Caucus, said she pressed Newsom and his team twice to save benefits for undocumented people.
“I said this is legacy work for you, and I don’t want you to ever forget that,” Gonzalez said. “For this to happen was just really surprising.”
Linn Gish credited Newsom with supporting healthcare access “from day one” but called the recent rollbacks disappointing: “We hoped he would be a champion until the end.”
Newsom’s office declined an interview request. In a statement, the Department of Health Care Services emphasized that the Legislature voted to approve the budget that included the cuts and said Newsom remains committed to “responsibly” supporting universal coverage.
“Gov. Newsom has consistently highlighted California’s coverage gains as central to his broader commitment to universal healthcare coverage and a more inclusive safety net,” the statement said.
## **Federal challenges**
Many Democrats, Newsom chief among them, blame President Donald Trump, whose One Big Beautiful Bill tax reform law rewrote Medi-Cal rules and cut federal funding to California. The law also let enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire, contributing to a 140,000-person drop in Covered California enrollment. State officials estimate the Medi-Cal program could lose more than $30 billion annually once federal changes fully take effect in 2027.
The biggest change: Many adults must now prove they’re working or volunteering at least 80 hours each month. Research has shown [most low-income adults already meet requirements](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7497731/?ref=smdp.com) but lose coverage anyway because of [bureaucratic errors](https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/the-problem-with-medicaid-unwinding/?ref=smdp.com).
“All it takes is one piece of lost mail and all of a sudden you lose coverage … and things can snowball,” said Dylan Roby, a health policy researcher and professor at UC Irvine.
Combined with shorter eligibility periods, the state estimates this will cause [1.3 million people to lose insurance](https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/DHCS-FY-2026-27-Budget-Act-Highlights.pdf?ref=smdp.com) in the next four years.
Those losses won’t be spread evenly. Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California could see the steepest declines, according to the Labor Center, which also projects that Latino Californians will lose coverage faster than other groups.
Linnea Koopmans, CEO of Local Health Plans of California, which represents Medi-Cal insurers, said the combined cuts will create a two-tiered system of haves and have-nots. “There’s a lot at stake and a lot to be lost,” Koopmans said.
But some Republican lawmakers counter that blaming Washington, D.C. is disingenuous. California has run deficits for four straight years, predating most federal restrictions, which haven’t even taken effect yet.
Sen. [Roger Niello](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/roger-niello-165442?ref=smdp.com), a Republican from Roseville and vice chair of the budget committee, put the current impact of federal healthcare restrictions at $3 billion out of a $351 billion state budget.
“It’s difficult (to argue) that the woes are being caused by the federal government,” Niello said, calling the state’s spending problem structural. Revenues have grown, but spending has grown faster.
The current budget leaves the toughest healthcare decisions to the next governor.
“Gov. Newsom says he solved the deficit for the next governor. He hasn’t,” Niello said**.**
**—--------**
Kristen Hwang is a health reporter for CalMatters covering health care access, abortion and reproductive health, workforce issues, drug costs and emerging public health matters.
### California voters have approved billions of dollars in bonds. Why don’t we track results?
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-voters-have-approved-billions-of-dollars-in-bonds-why-dont-we-track-results/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:00:00.000Z
Californians have consistently invested in new government programs. Over the past quarter century, voters have approved tens of billions of dollars in state bonds to [build schools](https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/11/california-election-result-prop-2/?ref=smdp.com), improve water systems, [address climate risks](https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/?ref=smdp.com), expand housing opportunities and strengthen public infrastructure. Those investments shape daily life across our state.
Yet years after the votes are counted and projects are underway, it can be surprisingly difficult to answer a simple question: Did we get the results we were promised?
California has long tracked how bond dollars are spent, to guard against waste and fraud. We have yet to consistently measure whether those investments achieved the outcomes voters expected.
That distinction matters. Since 2000, the state has issued $196 billion in general obligation bonds and now has $81.8 billion bonds outstanding. This fiscal year alone the state will spend nearly $8.6 billion servicing bond debt.
These investments support priorities Californians overwhelmingly value, allowing the state to finance projects that benefit generations of residents while spreading costs over time.
As these investments grow, so should our commitment to tallying their impact.
Did a bond-funded program improve wildfire resilience? How many families benefited from new housing investments, and did the investments increase affordability? Did infrastructure projects deliver the benefits promised?
These are questions investors ask. The government and voters should ask them, too.
Across the private and nonprofit sectors, measuring outcomeshas become standard practice. Organizations report how much they spent and demonstrate what those investments accomplished.
Public sector spending should meet that same standard — not to assign blame, but to improve future decisions.
While California already requires agencies to report on bond expenditures, [compliance is inconsistent](https://calmatters.org/politics/capitol/2024/02/california-laws-are-they-working/?ref=smdp.com) and the reports often emphasize dollars spent rather than results achieved. That leaves legislators, taxpayers and future voters without a clear picture of what worked, what didn’t and what can be improved.
As a measured next step, [Assembly Bill 1754](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1754?ref=smdp.com), authored by Assemblymember [Blanca Pacheco](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/blanca-pacheco-165430?ref=smdp.com), would require statewide bond measures to define clear objectives, establish meaningful ways to measure progress, and collect data to evaluate success and publicly report — in a simple-to-read format — whether those outcomes are being achieved. Think of it as a one-page report card.
The cost of reporting would be covered through bond administration rather than the state’s general fund.
It’s been suggested that this new requirement may slow project funding or create unnecessary paperwork. However, defining a project’s evaluation criteria would logically flow from the objectives proposed for issuing the bonds. The expected reporting is brief: a sentence or a single number per project, part of a one or two-page summary.
Accountability and efficiency are not competing values. In fact, better outcome reporting can help policymakers identify successful investments, improve future bond programs and build stronger public confidence in how taxpayer dollars are used.
That confidence matters. California will continue asking voters to invest in schools, [housing](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/2026-housing-agenda/?ref=smdp.com), transportation, water infrastructure and climate resilience. Those investments deserve broad public confidence.
The strongest argument for future bond measures isn’t simply that California has important needs — it’s that the government can demonstrate previous investments achieved meaningful results.
Evidence builds trust. Trust strengthens confidence in public institutions. And confidence makes it possible to continue investing in California’s future.
—----------------------
**by Cathy Cockrum Dean**
### Homelessness on L.A. Metro System Falls 57% Since 2024, Agency Says
URL: https://www.smdp.com/homelessness-on-l-a-metro-system-falls-57-since-2024-agency-says/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:29:43.000Z
The number of people experiencing homelessness on the Los Angeles Metro transit system has dropped 57% since 2024, transit officials announced Monday, marking a second consecutive year of steep declines that the agency credits to a public safety approach pairing outreach services with law enforcement.
The 2026 point-in-time count found 31% fewer unhoused people on the system than a year earlier. This year's tally estimated 395 to 517 people experiencing [homelessness](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-reports-double-digit-decline-in-homelessness/) on Metro, down from 631 to 684 in 2025 and 1,041 to 1,092 in 2024\. Because the count is not an exact census, results are reported as a range to account for statistical margins of error.
Metro attributes the progress to what it calls an integrated public safety model, which combines care-based services with coordinated law enforcement and security. In January, the agency's Department of Public Safety launched a Care-Based Services Division that brought Metro Ambassadors, the Homeless Outreach Management and Engagement program, and Community Intervention Specialists together under one umbrella.
"This continued decline reflects the dedication of Metro employees and our many partners who work every day to address homelessness with compassion, accountability and coordination," Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said. "These results show that our model is making a real difference — for people experiencing homelessness and for the tens of thousands of customers who rely on Metro every day."
Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tied the gains to policies adopted during her tenure. "During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, many more unhoused people began to populate our Metro system," Bass said. "We combined compassionate outreach with enhanced public safety strategies to get people housed with the services they need. These results prove that our approach is working and these efforts must continue."
The agency said its results depend on collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services & Housing, the city and county of Los Angeles, and community-based organizations that provide outreach, interim housing and permanent housing placement. In fiscal year 2026, Metro's outreach teams connected 354 individuals to permanent housing.
The transit count was conducted Jan. 20 as part of the broader Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count led by the [Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&pf=1&ai=DChsSEwjMuIjSnYeWAxUjqGgJHd0uDVMYACICCAEQABoCd2Y&co=1&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm8bTBhDWARIsAC9Hi8kP7cyVPS2oS-uwn1U%5FSo5oR%5FnWCXzu8Qr8mD%5Fp-Iw5JOqtXILwVLwaAinTEALw%5FwcB&cid=CAASWuRoVI01XkHVJUf21LRF6oSzv96v6xl1ThrxWpDwBx-7MTKHYil1qYy8RU0XzZDLj-BnpGAMt%5FId5VI5UVQ4RVFV-WpGly2JqrMBuSK0q6DvxWx24aaUTffLrw&cce=2&category=acrcp%5Fv1%5F32&sig=AOD64%5F2iA%5FerSXozOsRJ2oOWVl6c%5FqqaEw&q&nis=4&adurl=https://ushs.org/?gad%5Fsource%3D1%26gad%5Fcampaignid%3D10397587899%26gbraid%3D0AAAAADuaWxf0GbuR2sWW2PWc8LUdK2jHz%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjwm8bTBhDWARIsAC9Hi8kP7cyVPS2oS-uwn1U%5FSo5oR%5FnWCXzu8Qr8mD%5Fp-Iw5JOqtXILwVLwaAinTEALw%5FwcB&ved=2ahUKEwjwxP%5FRnYeWAxVMU6QEHQ4jK7IQ0Qx6BAgJEAE&ref=smdp.com). Sixty-two volunteers, including outreach workers, Metro employees and riders, surveyed the rail and busway system in a single evening, focusing on stations, rights-of-way and parking lots. The methodology matches the countywide effort and aligns with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards, though the Metro-specific figures were not included in LAHSA's published regional total.
Metro carries nearly 1 million boardings daily across a fleet of 2,200 buses and six rail lines. The agency said its April 2026 customer satisfaction survey found approval had risen to 87%.
The transit improvements run counter to the broader regional picture. LAHSA's 2026 count found homelessness across the county rose 1.2%, to an estimated 73,040 people, and climbed 3.4% within the city of Los Angeles, to about 45,194 — reversing two consecutive years of declines. Unsheltered homelessness in the city jumped 7.9%.
LAHSA attributed the regional increase largely to a funding-driven pause in a flexible rental assistance program, which slowed movement through the rehousing system. Interim chief executive Gita O'Neill said access to permanent housing remains the decisive factor. "When our unhoused neighbors lost access to rental subsidies, the system slowed, there was less upward movement in interim housing, and progress stalled," she said.
Bass offered a different emphasis on the regional reversal, attributing it to federal policy under the Trump administration and to what she described as a 50% cut in state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funding, from $1 billion to $500 million, which she said cost the city of Los Angeles $70 million.
LAHSA also cited economic pressure, noting that a Los Angeles County household must earn $110,000 a year to afford the average rent of $2,745 a month, and that the region lacks more than 473,000 affordable homes it needs.
The counting methodology has faced scrutiny. A RAND Corporation study published in 2025 found LAHSA's volunteer-led count has significantly undercounted the region's unsheltered population in recent years, and a HUD-mandated review of the 2025 count identified duplication and utilization errors that prompted revisions. LAHSA has also weathered a forensic audit, the loss of roughly $350 million in annual county funding and the resignation of its former chief executive over the past year.
Officials describe the point-in-time count as a directional indicator rather than a census, cautioning that year-over-year changes should be read alongside other local data.
### Third Annual Marina del Rey Career Day Brings Career Possibilities to Life for Local Students
URL: https://www.smdp.com/third-annual-marina-del-rey-career-day-brings-career-possibilities-to-life-for-local-students/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T09:59:59.000Z
More than 40 local students got a firsthand look at careers in the maritime, public safety, tourism and hospitality industries during the third annual Marina del Rey Career Day, hosted by the Marina del Rey Tourism Board in partnership with the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.
The event connected students from local Boys & Girls Clubs with industry professionals through guided tours, hands-on activities and interactive presentations highlighting career paths available throughout Marina del Rey.
Students toured the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Marina del Rey Station, City Cruises, FantaSea Yachts, Hilton Garden Inn and The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, meeting with professionals in tourism, hospitality, maritime operations and public safety. Along the way, they learned about the training and skills required for jobs including sheriff's deputy, executive chef, hotel manager and boat captain.
"We're proud to introduce local students to the rewarding careers that Marina del Rey tourism and hospitality industries have to offer," Janet Zaldua, CEO of the Marina del Rey Tourism Board, said in a statement. "With our partners at the Office of Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and local Boys & Girls Clubs, Career Day has sparked curiosity and helped local students envision the opportunities available in their backyard."
Mitchell said the event gives students a look at career paths within Los Angeles County departments and the industries that support the marina.
"It's important for students to see the opportunities available within our Los Angeles County departments and the industries that help Marina del Rey thrive," Mitchell said. "This event is about investing in the next generation and supporting the workforce and businesses that make this world-class marina a welcoming destination for residents and visitors alike."
The day concluded with a recognition ceremony at the Hilton Garden Inn, where students received completion certificates presented by Mitchell's office. A raffle rewarded participants for their engagement in the day's activities.
Angel Silva, director of teen programming at the Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside, said the event exposes students to possibilities they might not have otherwise considered.
"The teens love Marina del Rey Career Day, which offers an invaluable opportunity to learn about career paths directly from professionals in the field," Silva said. "It opens their eyes to possibilities that they didn't even know existed, feeding their curiosity and encouraging them to confidently pursue new paths."
The Marina del Rey Tourism Board said the annual event reflects its commitment to introducing local youth to career opportunities while supporting the workforce behind the marina's tourism and hospitality industry.
### Santa Monica Place Offers Line Dancing, Movie Nights and More in August
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-place-offers-line-dancing-movie-nights-and-more-in-august/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T19:00:00.000Z
Santa Monica Place invites locals and visitors to enjoy the final weeks of summer with a full calendar of entertainment, dining and family-friendly experiences throughout August at the open-air destination steps from the beach.
Western Wednesday returns each week with complimentary line-dancing lessons led by professional instructors, along with giveaways while supplies last. The series runs Aug. 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Center Plaza, with pre-dance happy-hour offerings at participating restaurants.
The Makers Hive Marketplace returns Aug. 9 from noon to 5 p.m., featuring local makers, artists and small businesses. Sounds of Santa Monica brings free live music and DJ sets to Center Plaza on Aug. 14, 15 and 16.
The Gourmandise School hosts several hands-on classes, including a sourdough starter class and coffee tasting Aug. 16, a cake decorating workshop Aug. 23 and a farmers market tour and class Aug. 29.
Wellness on the Westside, presented by AI Wellness, offers a full day of movement, recovery and self-care on Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features yoga, Pilates and fitness classes, recovery experiences, a wellness marketplace and expert talks. Early bird tickets start at $30 and are available at WellnessOnTheWestside.eventbrite.com.
Cayton Children's Museum continues its Summer Friday Movie Nights every Friday through Aug. 28, pairing an after-hours museum experience with family films. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and movies begin at 6 p.m. The lineup includes "Ratatouille" on Aug. 7, "Hook" on Aug. 14, "Coco" on Aug. 21 and "Matilda" on Aug. 28\. Tickets are available through Cayton Children's Museum.
LouLou Restaurant Rooftop & Lounge offers weekly dining and entertainment, including weekday lunch specials, Jazz A Go Go on Wednesday evenings, Saturday Rosé Brunch and its Pardon My French! Sunday brunch. Some experiences are limited to guests 21 and older.
Events take place at Santa Monica Place, 395 Santa Monica Place, with several held in Center Plaza on Level 1\. For the latest event information, visit SantaMonicaPlace.com/events.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Five SMC Students Selected for Competitive Space Camp Scholarship
URL: https://www.smdp.com/five-smc-students-selected-for-competitive-space-camp-scholarship/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T18:59:59.000Z
Five Santa Monica College students were selected to receive competitive Space Camp scholarships from the Proctor Foundation for Art and Science, chosen through a national application process from a pool representing community colleges across the country.
The recipients — Nafiseh Pirmoradi, Angel Gonzalez, Stephanie Hernandez Hernandez, Julissan Gonzalez and Aria Hightower — attended the all-expenses-paid program July 10-12 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. They took part in simulations, team-based missions and training designed to mirror real aerospace challenges.
The scholarship recognizes students showing strong potential in STEAM fields — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — and a commitment to advancing inclusive participation in space-related careers. It covers travel, lodging, meals and educational programming.
"We believe access to transformative experiences like Space Camp can ignite curiosity, build confidence, and open pathways into careers in space and STEAM," said Dr. Sian Proctor, the astronaut, artist and educator who founded the foundation.
Pirmoradi said piloting during simulations was her highlight, describing it as "a distant dream turned into reality." She said her background bridging art, mathematics and architecture helped her approach technical tasks with both creativity and precision. Taking three tries to launch a rocket, she added, taught her "there is no such thing as failure, only opportunities to try again."
Hightower, a formerly homeschooled freshman taking her first airplane flight and first trip out of state, said the experience sparked a fascination with biology and its connections to space. She encouraged African American and homeschooled students to pursue STEAM careers, saying "life is vast and ready for you to reach for the stars."
Hernandez Hernandez, visiting Alabama for the first time, said the trip gave her "added confidence that it's okay to fail, but to keep pushing forward."
Gonzalez-Villeda, a native of South Los Angeles, said connecting with peers in different disciplines was refreshing and reinforced the importance of mentorship and scholarships for underrepresented students.
Julissan Gonzalez said meeting peers and STEM professionals was her favorite part. "From watching Endeavour fly overhead at seven to becoming a Space Camp alumna, I'll never stop pursuing my dreams," she said.
SMC offers study in numerous STEM fields, and its students have interned at institutions including NASA-JPL, NOAA, UCLA and UC Berkeley. To learn more, visit smc.edu/STEM.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Keep an eye on these 5 deals as California lawmakers close out the legislative session
URL: https://www.smdp.com/keep-an-eye-on-these-5-deals-as-california-lawmakers-close-out-the-legislative-session/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T18:59:59.000Z
Lawmakers have returned to Sacramento ready to hammer out — and potentially spike — several legislative deals before they adjourn for the year on Aug. 31 and hit the campaign trail.
Think of this year’s end-of-session as a bonus episode to last year’s saga over climate and energy policy. Much of the unresolved business has roots in the deal that renewed the state’s carbon market. But new topics have entered the plot too, and Senate President Pro Tem [Monique Limón](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069?ref=smdp.com) will bring a different dynamic to negotiations among the “Big Three.”
As usual, much of the negotiating will take place at the leadership level behind closed doors. Here are five deals we’re watching this month.
## **Climate fund a centerpiece to budget talks**
How to spend the state’s main climate fund will be a primary sticking point this month after Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats failed to reach an agreement in time for the [June budget](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab111?ref=smdp.com).
Now, they have less than a month to settle their differences. Assembly Budget Committee Chair [Jesse Gabriel](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jesse-gabriel-160858?ref=smdp.com), an Encino Democrat, told reporters in June that the climate budget would be “at the top of the list” for negotiations during the summer recess.
Newsom and lawmakers last fall reauthorized the state’s carbon market, which charges companies to pollute and deposits the dollars in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for climate programs. The deal also set the order in which projects would receive funding.
But that revenue source, which was estimated to generate $4 billion a year, could shrink by half under new climate rules the Newsom administration adopted this year, endangering funding for various legislative priorities and [angering Senate Democrats](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/newsom-climate-rules-budget-fight-senate-democrats/?ref=smdp.com), who in turn threatened to block Newsom’s funding proposals and presented alternative spending plans in June.
Legislative leaders agreed to use [$115 million](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-gavin-newsom-final-budget-deal/?ref=smdp.com) of the fund for Newsom-backed electric vehicle incentives and another $1.25 billion to backfill the state fire department’s budget. But still at stake is funding for the controversial high-speed rail project, which was set to receive $1 billion a year until 2045\. Projects such as safe drinking water, affordable housing and transit are also at risk of losing funding.
Separately, top leaders put off negotiations over Proposition 4, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects. Last year, state lawmakers [fought](https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/11/california-budget-earmarks-2025/?ref=smdp.com) to secure a piece of the fund for pet projects, some tangentially related to environmental protection, in their own districts in a secretive process that even many lawmakers bemoaned.
## **Tech-backed California Forever seeks a deal**
California Forever, the tech billionaires-backed group seeking to develop swaths of Solano County farmland, [is hoping to get a carve-out](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-forever-solano-shipyard-deal/?ref=smdp.com) on environmental rules for the development.
For months, the group and its labor union allies told state lawmakers the relief was necessary to help California land a deal with Saronics Technologies Inc., a Texas-based shipbuilder they said was eyeing California for its next shipyard. The group wanted the state to streamline environmental reviews and override county restrictions for the development, but no legislation materialized as opponents accused the group of bypassing local resistance and sidestepping environmental regulations.
The shipbuilder announced last month that it would build in Texas, a decision California Forever blamed on state lawmakers. “We were passed over because … our approval process cannot accommodate the required speed without special legislation, which was not passed in time,” [the group said in a statement](https://californiaforever.com/statement-from-labor-and-business-coalition-on-saronic-shipyard-going-to-texas/?ref=smdp.com).
“California and Solano County must not miss the next opportunity,” it continued.
California Forever has spent $455,000 since last year lobbying state lawmakers and the governor’s office, according to its lobbying report released Friday.
The proposed development appears to have Newsom’s blessing. The governor’s office called a meeting Thursday to discuss the project with a couple of Solano County supervisors, California Forever representatives and Assemblymember [Lori Wilson](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lori-wilson-165454?ref=smdp.com) and Sen. [Christopher Cabaldon](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/christopher-cabaldon-5699?ref=smdp.com), who represent the region.
Dee Dee Myers, who heads the governor’s office of business and economic development that’s been pushing for the development, was also present. In a memo last month, her office called the region a “world-class industrial site” and touted the importance of building a shipyard and an advanced manufacturing hub in the area.
“California is better positioned to attract billions of dollars in investment, tens of thousands of new good-paying jobs and a more resilient supply chain than it has been in decades,” the memo said. “And no project represents this opportunity more clearly than the proposed Solano Shipyard and Solano Foundry.”
## **Will Newsom’s wildfire plan benefit utilities?**
Newsom is also [proposing legislation](https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/wildfire-liability-battle/?ref=smdp.com) to address growing wildfire risks in California but is not giving specifics.
Consumer advocates, wildfire survivors and insurers say he’s trying to reduce utilities’ liability for causing wildfires, shift wildfire recovery costs to insurance policyholders and make it harder for fire victims to get compensation or legal representation — claims Newsom’s office declined to address.
Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez said discussions about potential legislation followed a [California Earthquake Authority study](https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sites/wildfire/files/documents/2026/sb254-natcatresiliencyreport-locked-4-7-26.pdf?ref=smdp.com) in April that examined ways to better prepare California for natural disasters. The study was required by a [last-minute deal](https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/09/newsom-climate-energy-overhaul-laws/?ref=smdp.com) Newsom and state lawmakers struck last year, which required utility companies to pay into the state’s wildfire fund while allowing them to shift certain costs onto customers.
Wildfire Survivors First, a utilities-funded coalition despite its name, is lobbying state leaders to adopt several proposals listed in the study, arguing they would reduce wildfire risks and make property insurance more affordable.
Most legislative leaders were tight-lipped about the potential package. Sen. [Ben Allen](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/benjamin-allen-70?ref=smdp.com), a Los Angeles Democrat running for state insurance commissioner, said he would “carefully review” any legislation and urged against proposals to “simply shift around the costs consumers pay.” Democratic Sen. [Sasha Renée Pérez](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/sasha-renee-perez-187431?ref=smdp.com), who represents Eaton Fire survivors, said she would oppose last-minute deals to cap compensation for fire victims.
## **Business and labor clash over antitrust proposal**
Lawmakers will determine the fate of a controversial bill that would give Californians the ability to [sue large companies in state court](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/california-monopoly-law-compete-act/?ref=smdp.com) for using monopolistic practices to stifle competition.
The bill, known as the COMPETE Act, has infuriated the business community and set the California Chamber of Commerce on a warpath. The powerful industry group has called [Assembly Bill 1776](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260ab1776?ref=smdp.com) “the largest expansion of antitrust law in world history” and warns its members that the legislation would “leave every business of every size in California vulnerable to massive legal liability.”
Business advocates also argue that the bill gives predatory law firms a new way to shake down California businesses by opening the floodgates for what’s known as “private right of action” lawsuits. For years, business owners have complained about California laws that allow activists and a cottage industry of lawyers to bombard them with cash demands and lawsuits over [disability access](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/california-ada-lawsuits-competing-bills/?ref=smdp.com), [product warning labels](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-07-23/prop-65-product-warnings?ref=smdp.com), [labor complaints](https://calchamberalert.com/2026/02/13/business-coalition-applauds-key-provisions-of-new-paga-regulations/?ref=smdp.com) and [consumer privacy](https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2026/06/cipa-is-still-a-mess?ref=smdp.com).
The legislation, authored by Assembly Majority Leader [Cecilia Aguiar-Curry](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/cecilia-aguiar-curry-101332?ref=smdp.com), a Davis Democrat, has support from labor-friendly progressive lawmakers, but also some who have more moderate records such as Assemblymember [Jasmeet Bains](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jasmeet-bains-165424?ref=smdp.com) and Senator [Melissa Hurtado](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/melissa-hurtado-165039?ref=smdp.com), both Central Valley Democratic lawmakers.
Several of the state’s most powerful unions have lined up as co-sponsors, including the California Federation of Labor Unions, SEIU California and the United Food and Commercial Workers.
The bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate appropriations committee on Aug. 10.
## **Counties seek reprieve from costly assault claims**
Los Angeles County is leading a behind-the-scenes effort to limit lawsuits from Californians who allege they were abused as children by public employees while in county or school district custody.
The effort comes in response to [a deluge of lawsuits](https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/sex-abuse-california-2/?ref=smdp.com) that followed [a 2019 law](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=201920200AB218&ref=smdp.com) that dramatically expanded the time people have to sue for the alleged abuse. Survivors now have until they turn 40 to file claims, rather than the previous cutoff of age 26 or within five years of becoming aware of trauma caused by the alleged abuse. The resulting litigation and settlements have cost counties and school districts billions of dollars.
Last April, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $4 billion settlement with 6,800 people who claimed they suffered abuse while in county juvenile detention facilities. Some of those cases dated back more than 65 years.
Lawmakers attempted to broker a compromise, [Senate Bill 577](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca%5F202520260sb577?ref=smdp.com), at the end of last session that would satisfy survivors and roll back the scope of the law to provide some financial reprieve to cash-strapped counties and school districts. But that effort, led by Sen. [John Laird](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/john-laird-3108?ref=smdp.com), a Democrat from Santa Cruz, couldn’t gain traction, and Laird eventually shelved the issue.
Now, public employee unions are pushing for a reprieve again, largely to avoid potential pay concessions from their financially burdened public employers. Negotiations will likely take place at the Democratic leadership level between Limón and Assembly Speaker [Robert Rivas](https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041?ref=smdp.com).
—---------------------------------
**by** [**Yue Stella Yu**](https://calmatters.org/author/yue-yu/?ref=smdp.com) **and** [**Maya C. Miller**](https://calmatters.org/author/maya-miller/?ref=smdp.com)
### Existential Change is Coming to Santa Monica's Built Environment
URL: https://www.smdp.com/existential-change-is-coming-to-santa-monicas-built-environment/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T16:55:53.000Z
Following years of NIMBY driven project rejection at the local level, the development industry, academics and millennials, who’ve increasingly been shut out of the state’s housing market by rising rents and prices, teamed with Sacramento legislators to advance a series of laws accelerating the supply of housing in California’s cities.
These laws circumvent local control, and permit developers double the housing density otherwise allowed under the current zoning ordinance provided they agree to include specified percentages of deed restricted affordable housing in their housing mix. If these developments comply with state law, project approvals are granted by City staff, without public hearings that were historically required at the Planning Commission or City Council.
As a result, developers are submitting project applications for 6 – 8 story building heights along neighborhood commercial boulevards like Pico and Ocean Park, and state and municipal law currently grants them the right to build up to 10 dwelling units on a single family lot (depending on the lot’s size), and possibly even more if the City elects to introduce ADUs into the mix.
The profile of our built environment will radically change over the next decade, and traffic congestion, and the demand for on-street parking and resources like water and electricity, will dramatically increase.
[The Neighborhood Taskforce](http://theneighborhoodtaskforce.org/?ref=smdp.com), a community based non-profit, organized late last year in response to these developments. We embrace the need for increased housing supply, look forward to increasing height and density in our downtown, and welcome vibrant new development along our neighborhood commercial boulevards. The only constant in life is change, and we welcome it. However, such change needs to be thoughtfully implemented, and that is not currently the case here in Santa Monica
First, the City is not requiring developers to deliver the breadth and depth of affordability called for by California’s density bonus law. While Santa Monica is on pace to meet or exceed its targets for market rate housing, it is woefully underdelivering on its deed restricted affordable housing goals. We need affordable housing priced below market in perpetuity for qualifying lower income people who work here, so they and their families can choose to live in Santa Monica, thereby reducing the many long commutes they must make from less costly environs to their workplace, and the traffic congestion that follows.
Second, City planning staff has signalled its willingness to grant excessively generous waivers from the zoning code’s building height limits, when, in fact, developers can reduce their storied height by moving above grade parking to subterranean garages. State law explicitly allows for height waivers only when developers would otherwise be physically unable to do so. The sometimes higher costs of subterranean parking do not justify waivers under state law; developers can account for those costs up front, and accordingly reduce the residual purchase price they offer underlying owners of properties they intend to develop. As it stands, land sellers are realizing substantially increased profits, thanks to the doubling of the residential unit count previously allowed on their properties. The City shouldn’t effectively subsidize them at the expense of our community’s urban streetscape and quality of life.
Third, our City Council recently adopted a thoughtfully crafted Realignment Plan which proposes, among other things, to focus housing development downtown, and concurrently explore ways to ensure future housing development along our boulevards remains compatible with our existing lower density residential neighborhoods. Encouragingly, last month City planning staff submitted a draft Resolution of Intent to the Planning Commission to do just that. However, the Commissioners rejected staff’s proposal the very same night, instructing them to resubmit a one sided alternative which simply called for intensified development of the downtown. Why can’t we implement the tradeoff the adopted Realignment Plan and city planning staff suggested, and achieve a win-win?
It makes sense to redistribute some housing density away from our outlying neighborhood commercial boulevards to the city’s urban core. Newly built apartments located there will facilitate residents’ ease of pedestrian access to higher concentrations of employment, commerce and the Expo line. This will help reduce automobile traffic citywide, and contribute to the revitalization of downtown Santa Monica as our city center.
As recent state laws have stripped neighborhood constituencies of their voice at most public hearings, we must develop new pathways to constructively engage City staff, appointeds and electeds to thoughtfully interpret and implement state laws with rigor and the community’s best interests in mind. We believe if all parties genuinely listen to and work with each other in good faith, we can deliver win-wins for developers, the City and our neighborhoods. If that effort fails, we must organize for change.
Loren Bloch
Loren is the president of [The Neighborhood Taskforce](http://theneighborhoodtaskforce.org/?ref=smdp.com), and was a Santa Monica Housing Commissioner for seven years.
### Snap Inc. reports 19% revenue growth, narrower loss in second quarter
URL: https://www.smdp.com/snap-inc-reports-19-revenue-growth-narrower-loss-in-second-quarter/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T15:59:59.000Z
Snap Inc. reported second-quarter revenue of $1.6 billion Monday, a 19% increase from a year earlier, as the Snapchat parent company posted a narrower net loss and its highest free cash flow performance to date for a second quarter.
The Santa Monica-based technology company said revenue for the three months ended June 30 totaled $1,598,993,000, up from $1,344,930,000 in the same period last year, according to a news release. Revenue for the first six months of 2026 reached $3.13 billion, a 15% increase from $2.71 billion during the same period in 2025.
Snap posted a net loss of $163,960,000 for the quarter, or 10 cents per diluted share, an improvement from a net loss of $262,570,000, or 16 cents per diluted share, a year earlier. Operating loss also narrowed to $170,721,000 from $259,676,000.
Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure the company uses to gauge underlying business performance, rose to $249,615,000 from $41,270,000 in the prior-year quarter, a 505% increase. The company said its results included $128.5 million in restructuring charges that were excluded from the adjusted figure.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $176,214,000 for the quarter, compared with $88,494,000 a year earlier. Free cash flow, defined as operating cash flow minus spending on property and equipment, was $120,538,000, up from $23,793,000 in the same quarter last year.
"Q2 reflects the progress we are making to strengthen our core business and build a more durable financial foundation for Snap," co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said in the release. Spiegel said the company grew revenue by 19%, expanded margins and generated positive free cash flow while improving advertising performance and growing its direct revenue business. He said Snap remains focused on serving its 971 million monthly active users, delivering value for advertisers and investing with discipline to increase free cash flow per share over time.
The company reported 493 million average daily active users for the quarter, a 5% increase year-over-year, and 971 million average monthly active users, up 4%. Average revenue per user was $3.25, a 13% increase from a year earlier.
By region, North America generated $942,883,000 in revenue, up 15% from a year ago. Europe revenue rose 33% to $353,806,000, while revenue from the rest of the world grew 17% to $302,304,000, according to the release.
Common shares outstanding totaled 1,682,281,000 as of June 30, essentially flat compared with the same date in 2025\. The company had 4,723 full-time employees as of quarter's end, a 9% decrease from a year earlier.
Snap's balance sheet showed total assets of $7.47 billion as of June 30, down from $7.68 billion at the end of 2025\. Cash and cash equivalents stood at $958,848,000, compared with $1,030,435,000 at the end of last year. Total stockholders' equity was $1,927,088,000, down from $2,281,495,000 six months earlier.
During the quarter, the company repurchased $250,465,000 of Class A non-voting common stock, according to the cash flow statement in the release.
Snap did not issue specific financial guidance for the third quarter of 2026 in the release, saying it would discuss its outlook during an earnings call and investor letter. The company hosted a conference call Monday at 2 p.m. Pacific time to discuss the results, with an audio webcast made available on its investor relations website.
Snap Inc., headquartered in Santa Monica, operates the Snapchat visual messaging app along with Specs Inc., a subsidiary focused on computing hardware, in addition to Bitmoji, Saturn and other digital services, according to the release.
### Lights. Camera. Community as SMPD host National Night Out 2026 at City Hall
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lightsanta-monica-police-to-host-national-night-out-2026-at-city-hall/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T10:00:42.000Z
The Santa Monica Police Department will host National Night Out 2026 on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main St., offering residents a free evening of community-building activities with law enforcement and city staff.
This year's event, themed "Lights. Camera. Community.," will transform the City Hall campus into an interactive gathering featuring police vehicle displays, children's activities, community resource booths, entertainment, food and giveaways, according to the department.
Attendees will have the chance to meet Santa Monica police officers and staff, view specialized police equipment and programs, and learn about crime prevention and emergency preparedness resources while connecting with organizations that serve the community.
This year's event includes free Habit burgers for the first 1,000 residents, along with ice cream, face painting, photo booths and police vehicle displays. Free parking will be available in the Civic Center Parking Structure.
The event marks the first National Night Out under Chief Darrick Jacob, who was sworn in Jan. 14, becoming the first internal chief to lead the department in more than 40 years.
Santa Monica police have hosted National Night Out since at least 2012, when then-Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks led the event at the Civic Center. In 2016, the department shifted to a decentralized format with four separate park events organized by police beat before later returning to the City Hall and Main Street format.
National Night Out began nationally in August 1984 as a symbolic "lights on" campaign in which neighbors turned on porch lights and sat outside together. The event was founded by Matt Peskin, a community-watch volunteer from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, who had established the nonprofit National Association of Town Watch in 1981.
According to the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the inaugural event launched with a $15,000 grant and drew 2.5 million participants across 400 communities in 23 states, including Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, New York and Philadelphia.
The event's stated goals are crime prevention, stronger police-community relations and neighborhood camaraderie. Over four decades, it has evolved from simple porch vigils into block parties, cookouts, parades, festivals, safety demonstrations and first-responder visits nationwide. Peskin now serves as the National Association of Town Watch's executive director.
### Santa Monica council backs pier boxing fundraiser despite lone dissent
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-backs-pier-boxing-fundraiser-despite-lone-dissent/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T18:29:01.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council voted 6-1 on July 28 to waive up to $16,950 in city fees and to commit $12,500 in council discretionary funds for the Butterfly Brawl, a charity boxing event returning to the Santa Monica Pier next month.
The lone opponent, Councilmember Dan Hall, said he supported the event itself but objected to waiving public fees for what he described as a private company.
The [Butterfly Brawl](https://fightbook.com/butterfly-brawl?ref=smdp.com), billed as a combination of high-level boxing, entertainment and philanthropy in support of cancer-related causes, is scheduled for Aug. 22 on the pier. Negrete said "the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society," with a focus this year on youth with cancer.
The request came from Councilmembers Lana Negrete and Barry Snell and Mayor Caroline Torosis, who together pledged the discretionary money: $5,000 from Negrete, $5,000 from Snell and $2,500 from Torosis. The fee waiver covers the city's portion of costs associated with staging the event on the pier.
Negrete, who introduced the item, said the event had personal origins. "We had it for the first time last year," she said, recalling that it began as the "Butterfly Ball" — spelled B-A-L-L — to support a family member of a person "who lost their life to cancer." She said the event later "morphed" into the Butterfly Brawl, shifting its focus to up-and-coming and female fighters.
"Last year it was beyond a success," Negrete said. She said the event drew favorable press and even attracted boxing announcers who, organizers later learned, lived in Santa Monica. "There was no incidents," she added.
Negrete said organizers came out of pocket last year to involve young people, including children from the Police Activities League and other community youth. She encouraged residents to attend, calling it "pretty cool to have a boxing ring on the pier" and saying "everybody should go."
Because the council had approved a similar package of support for the inaugural event, Negrete framed this year's request as a repeat. "It's just repeating what we did last year to help offset some of those costs," she said.
Hall cast the only no vote. He praised the event but said the city's signature events policy existed "for a reason" and warned that waiving the city's share of fees creates ripple effects for other partners. Each time the [council ](https://www.smdp.com/council-to-weigh-three-paths-for-shielding-expo-bundy-area-from-state-housing-law/)waives its portion, he said, "it applies pressure to the \[Pier\] Corporation because they also are asked to waive their fees, and they can't afford to do it in the way that we can."
Hall also questioned who would benefit from the waiver. "Fightbook is ... a for-profit company," he said. "They do not have a nonprofit status with IRS, and I don't think it's appropriate for us to be waiving city fees for a for-profit company."
Despite Hall's objection, the measure passed comfortably. Voting in favor were Negrete, Councilmember Raskin, Mayor Pro Tem Zwick, Snell, Councilmember Zernitskaya and Torosis. Hall was the only member opposed.
The item was the final piece of business before the council recessed. According to the meeting record, members are not scheduled to reconvene until the second Tuesday in August.
The report supporting the request was prepared by Sergio Ramirez, chief of staff, and included an attachment tracking the council's discretionary fund spending.
Butterfly Brawl's stated mission, as described in the city report, is to combine high-level boxing, entertainment and philanthropy in support of cancer-related causes. Negrete urged residents to attend, saying the event brings a boxing ring to the pier and draws local youth, including Police Activities League children, into the day's activities.
### California needs to preserve clean air and public oversight. Why Prop. 45 must be stopped
URL: https://www.smdp.com/california-needs-to-preserve-clean-air-and-public-oversight-why-prop-45-must-be-stopped/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T19:00:44.000Z
#
By Mabel Tsang, Special for CalMatters
This commentary was originally published by [CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/?ref=smdp.com). [Sign up](https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/?ref=smdp.com) for their newsletters.
*California voters will decide the fate of a proposal that speeds up approvals for certain projects and changes how the state's bedrock environmental law can be applied to them. Below, an environmental justice advocate says Proposition 45 empowers bad actors and shifts costs to taxpayers. The opposing view: An affordable housing advocate says* [*historic misuse of environmental laws have delayed projects California can no longer wait for*](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/07/proposition-45-housing-environmental-reform/?ref=smdp.com)*.*
No matter what we look like or where we live, Californians want our communities to be healthy and safe from the impacts of toxic industries.
If passed, Proposition 45, which appears on the state’s November ballot, would be disastrous for communities that already live near industrial pollution, where business interests continue to build new facilities and put our health and safety at risk. Prop. 45 weakens environmental reviews, reduces community input on polluting projects, and allows wealthy corporations to shift the costs onto taxpayers and families.
This fall Californians must vote ‘no’ on it.
Prop. 45 gives polluters much more power over where and how a wide range of projects are developed. Everything, from freeway expansions to mineral extraction facilities near sensitive habitats, could be easier to build. Ecosystem-destroying dams and hazardous biomass power plants could all happen with limited public oversight. Even data centers and warehouses, while not explicitly mentioned, are legally plausible, as [scholars have noted](https://legal-planet.org/2026/06/24/baca-and-data-centers-part-i/?ref=smdp.com).
Prop. 45 essentially shifts power from the public agencies charged with overseeing these projects to the industrial developers backing them.
Many Californians are familiar with the [California Environmental Quality Act](https://lci-web-prod-h2hafwdbf7dqf3ep.westus2-01.azurewebsites.net/ceqa/getting-started/?ref=smdp.com), or CEQA (pronounced see-kwah), but not everyone understands how this bedrock environmental law works. CEQA helps protect communities who live closest to polluting projects by requiring that developers take steps to reduce the harms their projects will inflict on air, water and nearby communities. CEQA is frequently the only tool available to limit the worst impacts of pollution, especially when these projects are built near hospitals, parks, schools and homes.
Projects ranging from [massive warehouse facilities in Fresno](https://fresnoland.org/2022/11/01/bonta-in-fresno/?ref=smdp.com) to [dairy biogas facilities in Tulare County](https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/sites/default/files/caeatfa/4a5.pdf?ref=smdp.com), for example, offer big profits for corporations, but the hidden costs are what happens to the air, water and health of the communities close to them.
Public review under CEQA offers balance. The CEQA process can and often has led to benefits, like shifted truck routes that reduce the proximity of emissions, or better air filtration to address landfill odors, or investments in technology to reduce polluted run-off water.
CEQA is community power in action.
If Prop. 45 passes, it’s not just housing that benefits. It’s a long list of project types that could be built, and with far fewer opportunities for communities and public officials to secure these kinds of protections. Prop. 45 even gives developers a new right to sue agencies that try to impose commonsense limitations.
Without a full environmental review, many communities will face even greater public health risks. By allowing corporations to set the terms through a ballot proposition, cities and counties could be forced to use public dollars to curb the pollution private projects create.
When it’s harder for cities and counties to deny or put conditions on hazardous projects, it’s taxpayers who are forced to live with greater pollution in their backyards.
Californians have fought long and hard for state and federal laws that keep our air breathable and our water drinkable. The Trump administration has shown [how quickly those protections can be cast aside](https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/california-smog-air-pollution-solutions-electric-cars-trucks-trump/?ref=smdp.com). Prop. 45 suppresses California’s strongest defense against recent federal rollbacks, leaving everyone at greater risk of polluted air, polluted water and perilous risks to our health.
Special interests like for-profit utilities, tech companies and developers of luxury homes are spending millions of dollars to pass Prop. 45\. The [nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the measure](https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?number=45&year=2026&ref=smdp.com) may initially cost the public more than $100 million annually. The long-term impacts could reportedly be “more substantial.”
Prop. 45 benefits the state's wealthiest and most powerful interests without offering any proof — or requiring any guarantees — that Californians won’t shoulder the costs.
It’s also designed to make it almost impossible for the Legislature to fix any problems the measure causes. Under Prop. 45, legislators can only amend it by a two-thirds vote — and only if an amendment "furthers the purposes" of the measure.
More than 270 environmental justice, housing, health, labor, conservation, civil rights, climate and clean energy groups oppose Prop. 45\. To defeat it, voters must stand up to the corporations that want to dismantle California’s bedrock environmental laws and take away community voices — all so they can more easily line their own pockets.
This article was [originally published on CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/07/proposition-45-environment-health-protections/?ref=smdp.com) and was republished under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/?ref=smdp.com) license.
### Los Angeles Tourism Generated $42.6 Billion in 2025. The Next Test Is Turning Global Attention Into Lasting Growth
URL: https://www.smdp.com/los-angeles-tourism-generated-42-6-billion-in-2025-the-next-test-is-turning-global-attention-into-lasting-growth/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T18:59:59.000Z
Los Angeles welcomed 49.5 million visitors in 2025, generating $42.6 billion in local business sales and supporting more than 530,000 jobs across Los Angeles County, according to new data from the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and Tourism Economics.
The numbers affirm tourism’s place among the region’s most powerful economic engines. They also reveal a more complicated story: Los Angeles entered its historic run of global sporting events from a position of strength, but not uninterrupted growth.
In 2024, Los Angeles welcomed approximately 50 million visitors, supported more than 543,000 tourism-related jobs and generated more than $45 billion in business sales. Compared with those figures, visitation declined approximately 1% in 2025, while business sales decreased by at least $2.4 billion. Tourism employment also finished below the previous year’s reported level, according to [Los Angeles Tourism](https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/4244739/Los-Angeles-Tourism-Convention-Board/Vice-President-Community-Impact?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com).
International visitation provides important context. Tourism Economics reported that Los Angeles welcomed 6.6 million international visitors in 2024 and 6.4 million in 2025, a 3% year-over-year decline. Yet Los Angeles outperformed the broader United States, where inbound international visitation fell 5.5% to 68.3 million travelers in 2025, according to the [U.S. Travel Association](https://www.ustravel.org/research/travel-forecasts?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com). The comparison suggests that although Los Angeles was not immune to national travel headwinds, its global appeal helped soften their impact.
That relative resilience also underscores the importance of air connectivity and the arrival experience in maintaining Los Angeles’ competitiveness as a global destination. “This summer’s tournament brought the world to L.A., and Delta was proud to help make that journey possible for thousands of supporters traveling to experience one of the biggest sporting events on the planet,” said Scott Santoro, Vice President of Los Angeles and Sales West at Delta Air Lines. “Our Delta people worked hard to ensure customers could focus on what mattered most being part of an unforgettable moment.”
Santoro said the impact extended well beyond air travel and the matches themselves. “The tournament showcased L.A. on the world stage, driving tourism, supporting local businesses and reinforcing the city’s status as a premier global destination. It also offered a preview of what’s ahead as Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world again for the 2028 Summer Olympics.”
Even during that challenging year, visitors generated approximately $118 million in economic activity every day. Tourism contributed $305 million to the City’s General Fund and produced $3.4 billion in state and local tax revenue, helping save the average Los Angeles County household approximately $1,000 annually in taxes. The Los Angeles Convention Center also hosted 19 citywide conventions, welcoming more than 260,000 attendees and generating over 209,000 hotel room nights. More than 470 additional meetings and events produced another 254,000 room nights. “Despite a variety of headwinds impacting tourism nationally, LA’s Visitor Industry continues to be one of the largest contributors to our local economy,” LA Tourism President and CEO Adam Burke said. “Ensuring a sustainable future for this vital business sector is critical to the hundreds of thousands of Angelenos and the local businesses—including hundreds of small and diverse-owned businesses, whose livelihoods depend on the industry.”
The data arrives as Los Angeles moves from the 2026 FIFA World Cup toward Super Bowl LXI and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The opportunity is not simply to fill stadiums. It is to convert spectators into hotel guests, restaurant customers, transit riders, cultural participants and future visitors. The World Cup provided a live test. The tournament extended into beaches, parks, restaurants and neighborhood business districts through public transportation, fan zones, watch parties, cultural programming and sponsor activations stretching from Venice and Santa Monica to Inglewood and the San Fernando Valley.
Airbnb data illustrates the geographic and economic reach of that activity. In a study commissioned by Airbnb, Deloitte projected that spending by Airbnb guests in Los Angeles and nearby communities during the World Cup could generate approximately $183 million in business turnover, contribute $96 million to regional GDP, support 740 full-time-equivalent jobs and produce approximately $12 million in product-related tax revenue.
The benefits extended beyond accommodations. Deloitte projected $15 million in turnover for food and beverage businesses, $10 million for cultural activities, $9 million for transportation and $8 million for retail according to [Deloitte’s Airbnb World Cup economic-impact study](https://news.airbnb.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/06/Deloitte-Report%5FAirbnb%5FFIFAWorldCup26.pdf?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com).
As the tournament unfolded, Airbnb reported that searches for Los Angeles stays increased 63% week over week ahead of the July 10 quarterfinal. The United Kingdom, Mexico and Canada were among the leading international origins for guests, while San Diego emerged as the top destination searched after Los Angeles, evidence that major events can generate visitor movement extending beyond one host city.
Tourism Economics data shared by Santa Monica Travel & Tourism provides another measure of how World Cup activity traveled beyond the stadium. During match days across the tournament’s first five weeks, Santa Monica hotels recorded a 3.7% year-over-year increase in occupancy, while average daily rates rose 42.1%. Revenue per available room—a key measure combining room rates and occupancy increased 47.3%, and total hotel revenue climbed 49.3%. Among the Los Angeles-area submarkets analyzed, Santa Monica posted the strongest hotel revenue growth, despite being approximately 12 miles from the stadium.
The results demonstrate how destinations can capture substantial event-related value without hosting a match themselves. Santa Monica paired its hotels and recognizable coastal attractions with six weeks of community programming, sponsor activations and public events culminating in Michelob’s Santa Monica Pier activation, COAST, creating additional reasons for visitors and residents to remain in the city. “Summer in Santa Monica and the World Cup delivered a great match,” said Misti Kerns, president and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. “The city from our residents, partners and businesses prepared, adapted and seized the moment. Our collective goal is to keep that momentum going as we prepare for major events, including the Ocean Way Festival on our beach in September, Super Bowl LXI and welcoming the world to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.”
That momentum will soon face another test. The inaugural [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.santamonica.com/event/ocean-way-festival/?ref=smdp.com), presented by Goldenvoice, will bring two days of music, food, wellness and beach culture to Santa Monica on September 26 and 27\. The progression from World Cup activations to a major beachfront music festival and then Super Bowl and Olympic opportunities shows how event infrastructure, public-private partnerships and destination marketing can build upon one another rather than beginning again with every event.
Santa Monica’s performance reinforces a larger economic development lesson, a mega-event’s value should not be measured only at the stadium gate, but its reach depends on how effectively the region connects visitors with accommodations, transportation, cultural experiences and neighborhood businesses.
For Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development (LAEDC) and World Trade Center Los Angeles, the region’s diversity must be treated as an economic advantage, not simply a marketing message. “Our diversity has always been our greatest economic strength,” Cheung said. “As we prepare to welcome the world for the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympics/Paralympics, our region must invest in the workers, entrepreneurs, and families who built what visitors will come here to see.”
Mega-events deliver their greatest value when they become catalysts for broader economic participation rather than isolated moments of entertainment. Hotels, short-term rentals, transportation, restaurants, cultural institutions and neighborhood businesses collectively create the visitor experience. Los Angeles’ expanding destination portfolio including LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries, Destination Crenshaw, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, West Harbor, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center and continuing modernization at LAX—strengthens that proposition.
The 2025 numbers are therefore neither an uncomplicated success story nor a prediction of decline, but a baseline. Los Angeles already knows how to capture global attention, now it's about transforming that attention into longer stays, stronger international visitation, wider regional spending and benefits that remain visible long after the final whistle.
### Getty Center's Free Garden Concerts for Kids Returns in August
URL: https://www.smdp.com/getty-centers-free-garden-concerts-for-kids-returns-in-august/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T18:38:00.000Z
Getty's free annual outdoor summer concert series "Garden Concerts for Kids" returns for weekends in August, giving children and families a chance to dance, sing and celebrate with notable children's musicians.
The series kicks off Aug. 1 and 2 with Grammy Award-winning Dan Zanes, Haitian-American jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes and gospel singer Tyree Austin, whose interactive performances blend folk, jazz, gospel and roots music. Peruvian singer-songwriter Flor Bromley, a Grammy and Latin Grammy nominee known for joyful bilingual music, performs Aug. 8 and 9\. The series closes Aug. 15 and 16 with Elizabeth Mitchell, a two-time Grammy nominee marking the 20th anniversary of her Smithsonian Folkways album "You Are My Little Bird."
Concerts begin at 4 p.m. on the grass lawn at the Getty Center's Central Garden. Free reservations are required and include general admission to the museum. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket and picnic and to explore the galleries and current exhibitions.
"We're delighted to welcome families to this year's Garden Concerts for Kids season and celebrate an incredible lineup of talented musicians who will fill the garden with music, fun, and memorable performances for all to enjoy," said Daniela Alvarez, public programs coordinator at the Getty Museum.
The Getty Center is open Tuesday through Friday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parking is $25, or $15 after 3 p.m. and $10 after 6 p.m. Parking is free after 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
Getty offers free family programming year-round at the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center will temporarily close for renovations beginning March 2027.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica delays vote on regional housing trust, seeks new terms
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-delays-vote-on-regional-housing-trust-seeks-new-terms/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T18:07:28.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday postponed a decision on whether to join a proposed regional affordable housing trust, sending city staff back to the negotiating table over concerns that the agreement could expose the city to future costs and let unelected board members steer financing decisions.
Staff had recommended the council approve membership last week but the council voted unanimously to continue the item to its Sept. 8 meeting, directing staff to renegotiate terms of the Joint Powers Agreement that would establish the Westside Cities Affordable Housing Trust. Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick recused himself from the item.
The trust, developed over roughly three years by the Westside Cities Council of Governments, would pool resources among [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/court-halts-overnight-charging-operations-at-waymo-facilities-in-santa-monica/), West Hollywood, Culver City and Beverly Hills to finance affordable housing across the Westside. It would operate as a separate public agency with authority to make grants and loans, provide technical assistance and pursue outside funding on behalf of member cities.
Councilmember Dan Hall, who represents Santa Monica on the council of governments and voted to advance the trust at that level, led the push to delay. "I generally support what the \[council of governments\] is trying to do here," Hall said, pointing to the trust's ability to access philanthropic dollars and to make loans rather than grants. "However, I would like to continue this item ... because I want staff to go back to renegotiate some points."
Hall's central objection concerned money. Under the written agreement, member cities could be assessed contributions through a formula set later by the trust's board if funding from Measure A, a half-cent countywide sales tax, runs short. "I don't want to abdicate that authority to a board that has yet to be created," Hall said, arguing the formula should be determined "now, before we agree to joining."
He also questioned how the agreement defines a quorum, warning that financing decisions could be made without a majority of elected officials at the table. "You could, in theory, have public financing decisions being made by a majority of unelected technical advisors instead of elected representatives of member cities," Hall said.
The proposed seven-member board would include one elected director from each of the four cities and three housing experts. Senate Bill 20 requires such trusts to seat at least two non-elected members with expertise in housing or homelessness policy, said Dima Galkin, a consultant with Harris & Associates who presented the plan. The technical members would have full voting rights.
Hall also faulted the compressed timeline, noting the council received the draft agreement July 22 for the July 28 meeting.
Cecilia Estolano, executive director of the [Council of Governments](https://westsidecities.org/?ref=smdp.com), sought to reassure the council that the trust intended to spend only what Measure A provides. Administrative costs would be covered for at least the first year by Measure A, she said. "We want to make sure that we only spend what is in Measure A," Estolano said. "We are very cognizant of the tight budgets that our members have."
Estolano said the trust would let the cities better leverage funds and issue loans to help assemble the financing, or "capital stack," for affordable projects. If fewer than three cities join, she said, the trust would not form; the money would still flow to the council of governments, which would have to allocate it through grant programs rather than the loan format trusts typically use.
Galkin said the trust could release about $8 million in funding later this year through a notice of funding availability, assuming all four cities join. The figure combines unspent money from the last fiscal year and the current one.
Staff emphasized that membership would not obligate Santa Monica to approve, fund or site any specific development, and would not affect the city's land-use authority. Mayor Caroline Torosis confirmed that point "on the record" before signaling her own support. "I see this as low risk and high upside," she said.
Councilmember Ellis Raskin seconded the motion to delay but praised the effort behind the proposal. "There's been a tremendous network that's gone into this, and I think we're all looking forward to seeing this happen," he said.
Staff said returning Sept. 8 would still leave time for the other three councils, which are expected to vote in August or September. Activities funded by the grant that paid for the trust's formation must be concluded by Dec. 31.
### Liberty Harbor Reviews, One Year In: What a Full Year of Waterfront Living in Jersey City Actually Teaches You
URL: https://www.smdp.com/liberty-harbor-reviews/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T17:48:42.000Z
Most apartment reviews come from those first few weeks. Impressions are fresh, motivation is high, and people are quick to share if things are better or worse than expected.
But those early reviews miss the long game. The annoyances that fade by month four. The small details you overlook at first that end up making your day by month eight. The real test comes at lease renewal, when you have to decide if it’s worth another year, and why.
This is the Liberty Harbor review that takes a year to write.
## **The First Month: What You Notice That You Stop Noticing**
Month one at Liberty Harbor is a sensory jolt. The light rail rattles by. Ferry horns cut through the morning. On clear summer Saturdays, the waterfront gets loud fast when Jersey City crowds the walkway.
Ask anyone who’s lasted a year, and they’ll call month one a calibration period. Your system adapts to new sounds, new commutes, new neighbors and building quirks. Everything registers.
By month three, you’re tuned in. The light rail fades into the background. The ferry horn turns into a time check, not a disruption. What felt intrusive now reads as city texture. Most residents say this shift happens faster than expected. Some even miss the waterfront noise when they leave.
What doesn’t fade is the view. River-facing or skyline units keep their impact. Unlike a kitchen or shower that blends in over time, the view stays front and center.
## **Month Three to Six: When the Community Becomes Real**
Liberty Harbor’s community calendar isn’t just marketing fluff. The events, like movie nights, seasonal pop-ups, and weekend meetups, do what most listings promise but rarely deliver. They lay the groundwork for something slower and more valuable: a network of familiar faces.
Show up to just one event in your first two months, and your experience shifts. Not overnight, but stack enough of these low-pressure encounters, and you get something rare in city apartment life: neighbors you actually know by name.
By month six, even casual participation gives you a sense of place. You recognize the lobby staff. You spot the same dog walkers at the same hour. You know who has kids and who landed the apartment with the best terrace. It’s not dramatic, but it changes how you experience the building.
*By month five, I realized I’d stopped thinking of this as a building and started thinking of it as a neighborhood. That shift happened in the background while I wasn’t paying attention to it.*
## **Summer: The Season That Validates the Address**
Whatever month you move into Liberty Harbor, summer is when the waterfront address earns its premium. The ferry commute becomes the kind of morning routine people describe to people who don’t have it. The waterfront walkway becomes a daily-use asset rather than an occasional walk. Liberty State Park, accessible by foot or a five-minute bike ride, absorbs the weekend energy that might otherwise feel constrained in a dense urban neighborhood.
The amenities get tested. The pool gets crowded on weekend afternoons - this is consistent across years and worth knowing before you sign. The fitness center holds up well if you’re flexible about hours. The outdoor programming peaks in the warm months, when it’s most visible and most likely to draw in residents who’ve been meaning to show up for months.
Summer also reveals how management handles pressure. Maintenance requests spike, HVAC systems work overtime, and move-ins pile up. Long-term residents say the on-site team’s responsiveness is what separates a quick fix from a drawn-out headache.
## **Fall and Winter: What Waterfront Living Is Like When It’s Cold**
Most reviews skip this part because they’re written before anyone actually lives here. Fall and winter at Liberty Harbor are quieter, less crowded and, in many ways, easier.
The waterfront in fall, especially October, is one of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets. Summer crowds disappear, the light shifts and the walkway finally feels peaceful. If you run or cycle here, fall is the season you want.
Winter is when you see the real waterfront tradeoffs. The Hudson wind doesn’t let up. River-facing units get the brunt of it, while inland-facing units are more sheltered. A coat that works in midtown probably won’t cut it here in January. Not a complaint, just something to know before you sign.
The transit access that makes summer easy matters even more in winter. The light rail is heated and covered. The ferry runs through most weather. PATH stays underground. If you rely on transit, having options here means winter barely changes your commute.
## **The Renewal Decision: What It’s Actually Based On**
Lease renewal season hits about two months before move-out. By then, residents are weighing a different set of factors than the ones that drew them in.
Location and transit stay the same. What shifts is everything you can’t spot in a listing: how management actually shows up, whether a real community forms, how maintenance requests play out, and whether the building responds to what matters most for each resident.
A strong share of [Liberty Harbor](http://libertyharbor.com/?ref=smdp.com) residents renew, which says something in a crowded rental market. They point to the same core reasons: daily waterfront access, unbeatable transit for the price, lobby staff they actually know, and neighbors who’ve become part of their routine.
Those who move on usually mention the usual suspects: higher rent, life changes or a new job that shifts the commute equation. Sometimes it’s the pool on summer weekends. Rarely is it something another building at the same price would fix.
## **What a Year at Liberty Harbor Actually Tells You**
A year in the building tells you what no tour or online review can: how it actually feels to live there, day in and day out.
Here’s what you learn after a year that you’ll never get from a quick tour:
- How management actually responds when things break, not during the sales pitch, but on a random Tuesday when your heat cuts out.
- Whether community events spark real connections or just fill a calendar. At Liberty Harbor, residents who stick around past a year usually say it’s the former.
- How the building holds up through winter and summer, HVAC, cooling, and the quirks of a waterfront property in real time.
- Whether the location actually delivers, month after month. Waterfront access, transit, neighborhood vibe; long-term residents say it's the consistency that keeps them here.
After a year, you know what matters, and what doesn’t. The most useful reviews come from these residents: those who admit the trade-offs, land somewhere in the middle of the star ratings, and actually explain why they renewed.
If you’re still researching, skip the guesswork. Ask to talk to someone who’s lived here at least a year, and the leasing team can set it up. You’ll get more from that conversation than from any review or brochure.
### The Absolute Danger of an Invalid Newspaper Citation Notice
URL: https://www.smdp.com/publication-of-citation-in-newspaper-california-guide/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T16:12:06.000Z
When a defendant cannot be located, a court may order a **publication of citation in the newspaper** to fulfill due process. This legal process requires publishing an official **newspaper citation notice** in an adjudicated paper for four consecutive weeks. Failing to strictly follow these California guidelines will result in delayed proceedings or dismissed cases.
Filing a lawsuit or executing a probate estate requires proper notification to all involved parties. When traditional process servers fail to locate a missing individual, the court provides a specific pathway forward through the **publication of a citation in a newspaper**. This is a rigid legal mandate to ensure constitutional due process, meaning any minor administrative misstep will force you to return to square one, costing you precious time and thousands of dollars in wasted fees.
## **Understanding the Legal Grounds for Alternative Service**
When traditional personal delivery fails repeatedly, a litigant cannot simply give up on their case. California statutes allow for service by publication as an exceptional method to establish jurisdiction over a missing individual. This process is deeply rooted in constitutional provisions regarding fair notice.
### **The Strict Standards of Proof**
A court will not grant this option lightly because it assumes the defendant may never actually see the printed text. Therefore, the evidentiary threshold to prove that you genuinely cannot find the person is incredibly high. You must show that you checked all obvious locations, ran credit indicators, and knocked on the last known addresses. If your initial foundational petition lacks comprehensive documentation of these steps, the judge will deny your application immediately, stalling your progress.
### **Constitutional Mechanics and Structural Timelines**
Because you are depriving an individual of standard personal hand-delivery, the replacement process must be completely beyond reproach. The administrative file must contain clear evidence that you left no stone unturned during your primary search efforts. Once your petition faces a formal rejection, the timeline of your substantive legal claims does not temporarily freeze, leaving your overarching litigation strategy vulnerable to aggressive counter-motions.
## **Analyzing the Structural Rules for Adjudicated Papers**
The strict formatting parameters required by individual local superior courts complicate this administrative task even further. Every distinct county branch throughout California retains specific local rules regarding column widths, font sizing, and heading styles for printed public legal announcements.
- **Local Ordinance Rules:** An unauthorized adjustment made by an inexperienced layout clerk can result in the entire four-week print run being declared non-compliant.
- **Mandatory Adjudication Status:** Under California law, a **legal notice newspaper publication** must happen strictly within an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation.
- **Total Case Exposure:** If the publication is not formally approved by the court system for that specific geographic jurisdiction, your public notice is considered completely invalid.
- **Continuous Cycle Rule:** The timing of the publication run must follow an uninterrupted, continuous cycle without a single missed week.
- **Resetting the Financial Clock:** Under the California Government Code, you cannot simply print an extra notice the following week; you must re-file your paperwork and pay the entire fee again.
## **Navigating the California Court Notice Process Without Stalling Your Case**
Securing an order for a **citation by publication, a California court notice** requires meticulous preparation. You cannot simply request this method because the service is inconvenient; you must explicitly prove to the magistrate that you exercised due diligence.
### **Demonstrating Exhaustive Due Diligence**
The Judicial Council of California outlines strict protocols for demonstrating that you have exhausted all reasonable search efforts. According to the structural guidelines published by the [California Courts Self-Help Center](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/service-publication-or-posting?ref=smdp.com), a petitioner must document exhaustive skip traces, voter registration checks, and property index lookups. Only after submitting a comprehensive declaration of these failed attempts will a judge sign off on Form FL-982 or its civil equivalent.
### **Administrative Execution Timelines**
If your documentation lacks even a single detail regarding your search history, the court clerk will reject the motion before it even reaches the judge. Once the order is signed, you are under a tight deadline to commence the actual printing process with a verified **publishing service** immediately. You must record the exact dates of your internet inquiries, the exact platforms utilized, and the precise results obtained from those database lookups.
## **Why Cheap Advertising Outlets Will Destroy Your Legal Progress**
When looking to complete a **proof of citation publication**, trying to find a bargain or using unverified cut-rate vendors is an [incredibly risky gamble](https://www.smdp.com/tag/lifestyle/). Many low-cost online platforms promise cheap legal notice distribution but completely lack the necessary court adjudication certifications.
- **Statutory Criteria Realities:** The California Government Code establishes explicit criteria for newspapers authorized to print public notices, requiring a sustained period of paid circulation.
- **Overturning Final Judgments:** If the court determines at a later date that the publication used was not properly adjudicated, all subsequent orders, judgments, or decrees can be completely overturned.
- **Administrative Infrastructure Gaps:** Inexpensive independent operators often lack the robust administrative infrastructure needed to handle unexpected legal modifications mid-run.
- **Strict Verification Mandates:** The courts strictly require a physically signed, officially notarized affidavit attached to an exact clipping of the printed notice.
- **Prohibitive Document Delays:** Budget vendors often delay the creation and delivery of this vital document for several weeks following the final run, keeping your case frozen.
## **Streamlining Your Court Publication Requirements Today**
The logistical pressure of managing a legal dispute is already heavy enough without worrying about complex print guidelines, font sizes, and strict weekly run deadlines. To guarantee your case moves forward smoothly, you need a dedicated team that understands the inner workings of municipal court systems.
## **Comprehensive Localized Notice Management**
The Santa Monica Daily Press provides a seamless, stress-free path to absolute compliance for legal filers throughout Los Angeles County. As a fully adjudicated newspaper of general circulation, our specialized team manages every detail of your **legal notice newspaper publication** needs. We check your text for absolute accuracy, schedule the exact multi-week run required by your judge, and handle the prompt generation of your official **proof of citation publication**.
## **Securing Your Compliance Path**
Do not allow a minor clerical error to derail your litigation. Check our dedicated [SMDP Legal Notices Service](https://www.smdp.com/california-legal-notice-publication/) portal to schedule your run. Review our detailed guide on [LA County Newspaper Legal Ads](https://www.smdp.com/la-county-newspaper-legal-ads/) to secure your publication schedule today. Our production team tracks every single day of your active run, ensuring that no technical lapses occur to disrupt your timeline.
## **Conclusion**
Navigating a case when a party cannot be found introduces stressful administrative hurdles that can easily jeopardize your legal strategy. Attempting to bypass established protocols or using uncertified publication channels will only end in costly rejections and missed deadlines. By understanding the [strict criteria governing](https://www.smdp.com/tag/government-politics-2/) judicial public notices and ensuring your documents are handled by an adjudicated media partner, you can remove the guesswork from the process. Taking a precise, proactive approach ensures your filings withstand judicial scrutiny, saving you valuable resources and allowing your litigation to progress without unnecessary delay. Choosing a [trusted partner](https://www.smdp.com/signup/) ensures your case stays on track.
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What exactly is a publication of citation in a newspaper?**
A publication of citation in a newspaper is a legally sanctioned method used to notify a missing party about an ongoing court case when physical delivery of documents is completely impossible.
**When does a court allow a newspaper citation notice?**
A judge allows a newspaper citation notice only after the petitioner submits concrete evidence proving they completed an exhaustive, unsuccessful search for the missing defendant through due diligence.
**Where must a legal notice newspaper publication be printed?**
A legal notice newspaper publication must be printed in a court-approved, adjudicated newspaper of general circulation located within the specific geographic area where the defendant was last known to live.
**How long does a citation by publication California court notice run?**
A citation by publication California court notice must run publicly at least once a week for four consecutive weeks, creating an uninterrupted twenty-eight-day legal notification period.
**What happens if a publishing service makes an error?**
If an unverified publishing service makes an error, the entire notice becomes legally void, requiring the petitioner to fully restart the expensive four-week publication process from the beginning.
**How do I obtain a proof of citation publication?**
You obtain a proof of citation publication directly from the newspaper administration after the final required print week finishes, which is then submitted to the court clerk.
**Can I publish a public notice on a standard website?**
No, California statutes explicitly mandate that public notices must appear in recognized printed newspapers, meaning standard websites or personal blogs do not fulfill constitutional due process requirements.
**What specific information must a court notice include?**
The notice must strictly contain the exact case number, court name, names of the involved parties, and clear instructions regarding the legal consequences of failing to respond.
**Why should I choose the Santa Monica Daily Press for my legal notice?**
Choosing the Santa Monica Daily Press guarantees that your notice runs in a fully adjudicated, court-recognized newspaper, preventing costly rejections and ensuring immediate, verifiable compliance.
## **Key Takeaways**
- Due process mandates the publication of citations in newspapers as a vital last resort when a defendant is completely unlocatable through traditional means.
- A valid newspaper citation notice must run seamlessly for four consecutive weeks in a legally adjudicated print newspaper to be considered compliant.
- Erroneous formatting or using a non-approved vendor invalidates your legal notice newspaper publication, resetting your timeline and wasting your filing fees.
- Securing a proper proof of citation publication is the final mandatory step required to prove compliance before a judge will advance your legal case.
### Newsom Expands Homeless Encampment Partnerships to 13 California Cities
URL: https://www.smdp.com/newsom-expands-homeless-encampment-partnerships-to-13-california-cities/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T19:00:19.000Z
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new agreements with Ontario, San Bernardino and San Diego to clean up homeless encampments along state highways, bringing California's total number of city partnerships to 13.
Under the agreements, called Encampment Delegated Maintenance Agreements, the state offsets the cost for local agencies that work with the California Department of Transportation to remove encampments. The three new deals build on 10 previously executed agreements across the state.
"Our partnerships must continue delivering results — helping keep roadways clean and addressing the very real issues of homelessness in our state," Newsom said. "By pairing historic state investments with local-level coordination, we are helping communities across California create safer, healthier places for everyone."
Cities may perform encampment removals on the state right-of-way as long as they follow state policies and reporting requirements. Encampments that threaten public health and safety remain the top priority. Other tasks include litter and debris collection, vegetation management and graffiti abatement.
Since July 2021, Caltrans has removed nearly 26,500 encampments along the state right-of-way and collected about 457,000 cubic yards of litter and debris. The department has signed similar agreements with several cities, including San Francisco, Claremont, Commerce, Fresno, Paramount, Riverside, Santa Ana, Santa Fe Springs, San Jose and Santa Monica.
"Keeping our freeway corridors safe and clean while helping people move off the streets and into shelter is a top priority for my administration," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said, thanking Newsom and Caltrans for renewing the city's agreement.
San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran said the agreement strengthens the city's ability to address encampments while ensuring outreach teams continue connecting people with shelter and services. Ontario Public Works Executive Director Tito Haes said the deal will let the city's public works, police and housing services personnel address encampments and debris more quickly.
State officials said California is outpacing the rest of the country, recording its largest reduction in homelessness in more than 15 years. According to new federal data, the state reduced unsheltered homelessness by 8,391 people, or 6.8%, last year — more than any other state and more than twice the national reduction of 2.9%. Overall homelessness dropped 2.8%, the largest numerical decline since 2009.
From 2024 to 2025, California's total year-round bed inventory grew by 15,013 beds, from 208,794 to 223,807, the largest increase of any state. The state has created more than 87,000 beds since 2019\. Newsom recently announced $109.6 million in voter-approved Proposition 1 funding for 278 new permanent supportive homes in four communities.
The Newsom administration also pointed to housing gains since 2019, including a 59% increase in annual residential construction, from 70,000 homes in 2018 to about 111,000 in 2024\. Streamlining laws have cut the average time from development application to entitlement by 57%, from 160 days to 68 days in 2024.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Santa Monica Launches Two-Year Vision Plan for Beach and Pier
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-launches-two-year-vision-plan-for-beach-and-pier/
Last updated: 2026-08-02T16:00:50.000Z
City planners have begun crafting a long-term blueprint for the future of Santa Monica's beach and its landmark pier, launching a roughly two-year effort that will cover nearly 250 acres of the city's most heavily used public space.
Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez introduced the Beach and Pier Vision Plan to the Planning Commission on July 15, describing the project as the first step in a lengthy process expected to reshape how residents and visitors experience the coastline.
"This is merely an introduction that we are starting the project," Lopez told commissioners, adding that no formal documentation has yet begun.
The initiative grows directly out of the city's broader Parks and Recreation Vision Plan, which the City Council adopted in January. Lopez said that plan has already produced results, including cross-department grant awards and more than $200,000 in park improvements guided by its prioritization matrices. The beach and pier effort was identified as "action number four" within that document.
The scope of the new plan dwarfs its predecessor. While the Parks and Recreation Vision Plan addressed 144 acres of park space, the beach and pier study spans about 245 acres, including parking lots. "As you can imagine, this task ahead of us is going to be a very large one," Lopez said.
Lopez said the roughly two-year timeline is intentional. It will allow the city to absorb lessons from a string of major events, including the recently concluded World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "By the time this plan is complete, we will have been able to fold in some of those learnings," he said.
Internal staff meetings began in February. Outreach to boards, commissions and outside stakeholders is planned through the summer and fall, with targeted demographic and general population surveys, along with pop-up events on the beach, expected in late 2026 and into 2027\. The work is being coordinated with updates to the city's Local Coastal Program.
Lopez said early discussions are deliberately broad, built around three "30,000 foot level" questions about lessons learned, opportunities for improvement and "blue sky" ideas for the future. Those questions, he said, will grow more specific as community input shapes draft recommendations.
Commissioners offered a range of feedback. Commissioner Shawn Landres urged staff to make accessibility a guiding principle and to consult the city's disabilities and human services commissions. He pointed to equipment that lets wheelchairs reach the water's edge, an investment he estimated at a few tens of thousands of dollars. "The principle that I would lean on is accessibility, making sure we're building a truly accessible infrastructure," he said.
Commissioner Nina Fresco emphasized preserving the coast's character. "My first thought was to make sure that the pier and the beach remain family-friendly places," she said, contrasting that goal with the arrival of digital billboards and open-carry liquor on the promenade. She urged that any new amenities be kept minimal, saying the beach already "seems a little cluttered with signage and utilities." Fresco also praised the coastal bluff as a natural feature that is "constantly changing and is beautiful" and worth protecting.
Dining drew questions as well. Commissioner Josh Hamilton asked why the beach offers few sit-down restaurants beyond Back on the Beach. Staff pointed to Proposition S, a voter-approved measure that established a beach overlay limiting dining establishments to roughly 2,000 square feet.
Commissioner Jacob Wasserman focused on mobility, calling Pacific Coast Highway "a dangerous, terrible thing between us and our beach" and suggesting a rebuilt Pier Bridge be reserved for pedestrians. He also pressed for statistically representative surveys rather than reliance on open-house attendance.
Water quality surfaced repeatedly. Commissioner Leslie Lambert said the bay is "really not that safe to swim" and questioned who bears responsibility. Lopez said the city is arranging stakeholder meetings with the Bay Foundation and its Office of Sustainability and Environment. Commissioner Jim Ries offered a more immediate warning, urging staff to watch the pier's condition ahead of a predicted El Niño.
Planning staff also confirmed the beach is drawing interest for the 2028 Games, with the French delegation set to occupy the Annenberg Community Beach House and a "Nation's Village" planned near Crescent Bay Park.
Lopez said he would return to the commission as themes such as mobility, experience and vision come into sharper focus. "I'm looking forward to this process," he said.
### Santa Monica surgeon builds year-round athletic community for breast cancer survivors
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-surgeon-builds-year-round-athletic-community-for-breast-cancer-survivors/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T00:05:20.000Z
SANTA MONICA - On a Sunday morning last fall, a group of women gathered at the Santa Monica Pier for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. They wore matching shirts, moved together through the crowd, and met up afterward the way people do when they've been through something together that most people haven't.
They call themselves The Breast Goddess (TBG) – Circle of Friendship — and their doctor was walking with them.
Dr. Tiffany Grunwald is the Division Vice Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Providence Saint John's Health Center on Santa Monica Boulevard. She established the hospital’s Women’s Health and Wellness Institute as Executive Medical Director and now acts as advisor to all of the Institute of Saint John’s. She has been on Saint John's board of directors and chairs its surgical review committee for patient safety, holds a seat on the Santa Monica College Foundation board, and has been nationally recognized as one of America's Top Breast Surgeons. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina, earned her M.D. from USC's Keck School of Medicine — where she was ranked top in her class for clinical skills — and later picked up a Master of Education from USC's Rossier School of Education while working as a clinical instructor.
She has also, for more than a decade, been insisting that paddleboards and bike rides are part of the treatment plan.
"The goal of reconstruction is more than just building breasts," Grunwald has said. "It's to help women feel strong and beautiful, like a warrior — to help them love and trust their body again and to own the courage that got them through breast cancer treatment."
That conviction is the engine behind TBG – Circle of Friendship, a community she founded for breast cancer survivors and previvors in the Los Angeles area. What began as a small circle of patients has grown into a full calendar of athletic and social events spread across the Westside — paddleboarding in Marina del Rey, cycling down the coast from Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach, relay racing in Malibu, beach walks at Zuma, and organized walks at the Santa Monica Pier.
**On the water**
The Champion Paddle is the group's signature monthly event — a guided stand-up paddleboard or kayak glide through the calm, protected waters of Marina del Rey, designed for post-surgical wellness, coastal connection, and the simple pleasure of being on the water. It has run monthly since 2014, hosted at Pro SUP Shop at Mother's Beach, where the shop reduces its rental fees for Team TBG participants.
The Champion Paddle at Pro Sup Shop in Marina Del Rey is an accessible activity that helps train low-impact recovery post surgery. Photo courtesy Team TBG
[](https://www.facebook.com/prosupshop)
The event draws beginners and regulars alike. The flat-water conditions are intentional: women recovering from surgery may be months out from having had their chest muscles cut and stretched, and paddleboarding — which builds upper-body strength gradually, without impact — is precisely the kind of activity most post-surgical physical therapy programs never think to prescribe.
"Standing on a board feels like strength and courage – and it is." Grunwald said.
Each participant is also asked to bring a donated item to the paddle. Those items get assembled into gift baskets and delivered to women recently diagnosed, in active treatment, or struggling through recovery. In October, TBG holds a special BRA Day Champion Paddle — celebrating Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day — where participants are encouraged to show up "busty, proud, and paddling in our boldest bras."
It is, by design, impossible to take too seriously. That's the point.
**On the road**
This July 19, TBG is adding a new event to its calendar: a coastal bike ride departing from Helen’s Cycles at 2501 Broadway in Santa Monica, heading south along the oceanfront path to Manhattan Beach and back. The ride is open to riders of all levels and framed as a morning for survivors to move alongside people who understand what they've been through. "Ride with a friend, a partner, a daughter, a caregiver," the event listing reads. "Join us for this shared morning where support moves forward together."
Team TBG training in Santa Monica. Photo courtesy Team TBG
[](https://www.facebook.com/prosupshop)
The cycling event reflects the group's broader evolution. TBG started as a paddleboard community. It has since become a year-round athletic program that meets women where they are — on the water, on a bike, on a beach, at a pier — and gives them somewhere to show up.
**On the racecourse**
Since 2012, Team TBG has fielded relay teams at the Malibu Triathlon at Zuma Beach, covering a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride, and a 10K run. What started as Grunwald and her patient care coordinator, Sheila Young, racing in tribute to their patients has grown to 30 teams made up of breast cancer survivors, supporters, and friends. More than 60 percent of participants are Grunwald's own patients. The teams have raised money for Children's Hospital, St. John's Breast Center, the Pink Lotus Foundation, and First Descents — totaling $8,700 in a single year at one point.[](https://perfectpaddles.com/paddle-boarding-pro/pro-sup-shop/?ref=smdp.com)
In August, TBG is launching a new event: the TBG Beach Relay at the Venice Fishing Pier, born from the same spirit as the Malibu Triathlon and designed to bring that same energy to a new venue closer to home.[](https://www.facebook.com/prosupshop)
**A doctor who shows up**
What distinguishes Grunwald's approach from conventional post-surgical care isn't just the programming — it's the participation. She doesn't organize these events from a distance. She's at the Champion Paddle. She races in the Malibu Triathlon. She walked the pier in October. Her presence is the message.
Dr Tiffany Grunwald, The Women's Health and Wellness Institute
The Women's Health and Wellness Institute she leads at Saint John's has been outspoken about a troubling gap in breast cancer care: roughly 60 percent of women facing mastectomy or lumpectomy are never offered the option of immediate breast reconstruction — a failure that leaves women without information they are legally entitled to under federal law. Grunwald has made fixing that a part of her public role, using the BRA Day paddles and related events as platforms for awareness.
She opened her private practice at 1301 20th Street in Santa Monica in 2007\. Almost 20 years later, she's still seeing patients in the morning — and paddling with them on Sunday.
*TBG's 2026 calendar includes the following upcoming events: TBG Bike Ride on July 19 at Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica, the TBG Beach Relay on Aug. 15 at the Venice Pier, the Champion Paddle on Sept. 13 at Pro SUP Shop in Marina del Rey and the Making Strides walk on Oct. 25 at the Santa Monica Pier. All events are open to survivors, previvors, and supporters. Full schedule at thebreastgoddess.com. Dr. Grunwald's office can be reached at (310) 828-4646 for more information.*
### Two cities burned in LA fires settle YIMBY lawsuit
URL: https://www.smdp.com/two-cities-burned-in-la-fires-settle-yimby-lawsuit/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T19:00:23.000Z
By [Ben Christopher](https://calmatters.org/author/ben-christopher/?ref=smdp.com), CalMatters
This story was originally published by [CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/?ref=smdp.com). [Sign up](https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/?ref=smdp.com) for their newsletters.
Homeowners in Malibu and Pasadena who saw their neighborhoods burn in the Eaton and Palisades fires last year will soon be able to build up to four units on their properties now that the two fire-scarred cities have settled a lawsuit brought by pro-development activists.
The twin settlements come almost a year to the day after Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed [executive orders](https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SB-9-EO%5FFormatted.FINAL%5FATTESTED.pdf?ref=smdp.com) letting local governments nullify a state housing law, Senate Bill 9, in areas deemed to be “very high” wildfire severity zones in the region’s burn scars.
That five-year-old housing law makes it easier for single-family home owners to divide up their parcels and build duplexes on each lot, potentially allowing as many as four small units where local rules once allowed only one.
Pro-development group YIMBY Law sued both the governor and the mayor, along with the four jurisdictions who made use of the executive orders, arguing that none had the right to override a law [passed by the state legislature](https://calmatters.org/housing/2021/08/california-housing-crisis-zoning-bill/?ref=smdp.com). The duplex law was enacted in 2022 in an effort to legalize the construction of modestly-sized multiplexes and townhouses in neighborhoods zoned exclusively for single-family homes.
In settlement agreements, both Malibu and Pasadena agreed to repeal their local anti-duplex ordinances and accept all pending and future applications filed under the law. Pasadena’s city council followed suit in a [unanimous vote on July 20](https://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/2026%20Agendas/Jul%5F20%5F26/Agendarecap.asp?ref=smdp.com). The agreement with Malibu gives that city until Sept. 29 to do so.
“For people who are living, or hoping to live, or hoping to move back to Malibu and Pasadena, SB 9 is back,” said YIMBY Law executive director Sonja Trauss.
Many fire survivors of both the Eaton and Palisades fires have railed against the prospect of building back at higher densities, raising concerns about snarled evacuations along with broader concerns about traffic and unwelcome changes in community character. One of the most vocal critics of the law was Spencer Pratt, who rode a wave of popular fury at the state and local response to the fires to a high-profile, if ultimately [unsuccessful](https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-mayor-2026-election-e0ef2b83cd8f94556d1c532227bb49dd?ref=smdp.com), run for LA mayor.
YIMBY Law and other pro-development groups have argued that the law gives fire survivors additional financial flexibility to rebuild amid escalating construction costs and insufficient or sluggish insurance payouts.
Of the more than 16,000 structures destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, most were located in the City of Los Angeles and in Altadena, in unincorporated Los Angeles County. Even so, Trauss said the settlement agreements are a positive sign that the law is on their side.
“The writing is on the wall,” she said. “It’s a good signal when parties are settling because it indicates the respondents feelings about how defendable their side is.”
The legal battle continues for Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles and both Newsom and Bass.
Meanwhile, a parallel debate is also playing out in the state capitol. Earlier this summer, Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Democrat who represents Altadena, introduced a bill to [temporarily exempt](https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/07/altadena-sb9-perez-sb1090/?ref=smdp.com) the town from the duplex law along with another related housing law.
This article was [originally published on CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/07/yimby-sb9-malibu-pasadena/?ref=smdp.com) and was republished under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/?ref=smdp.com) license.
### Horvath convenes entertainment union coalition on Hollywood's future
URL: https://www.smdp.com/horvath-convenes-entertainment-union-coalition-on-hollywoods-future/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T16:00:08.000Z
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath met last week with leaders of the Entertainment Union Coalition to discuss challenges facing the region's film and television industry and strategies to keep production, jobs and investment local. She later[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/18UhFxXtyhL?e=bf83c1f9f9&c2id=3f9e0bb20c920e8ace7cc6e0451385a1&ref=smdp.com)[introduced](https://us.list-manage.com/18UhFxXtyhL?e=bf83c1f9f9&c2id=3f9e0bb20c920e8ace7cc6e0451385a1&ref=smdp.com) a[ ](https://us.list-manage.com/14E7SayXeHt?e=bf83c1f9f9&c2id=3f9e0bb20c920e8ace7cc6e0451385a1&ref=smdp.com)[motion](https://us.list-manage.com/14E7SayXeHt?e=bf83c1f9f9&c2id=3f9e0bb20c920e8ace7cc6e0451385a1&ref=smdp.com) at the Board of Supervisors meeting to support legal action against the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger.
The roundtable, led by Teamsters At-Large Vice President and Motion Picture Division Director Lindsay Dougherty, brought together representatives from unions spanning film, television, music and live production. Discussion focused on expanding production incentives, streamlining permitting, protecting workers and strengthening the county's long-term competitiveness.
"Hollywood and our entertainment industry is too important for Los Angeles County to simply hope someone else will save it," Horvath said. "Local leaders have an obligation and responsibility in ensuring that we remain the creative capital of the world. That means partnering with labor and studios, pushing for smarter incentives, modernizing how productions work with government, and fighting for the hundreds of thousands of workers and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on a thriving entertainment economy."
"She has been a staunch advocate for our industry, understanding the important jobs it creates for our members and its critical economic impact for Los Angeles County and across our state," said Rebecca Rhine, Entertainment Union Coalition president.
Horvath reaffirmed support for California's expanded Film & Television Tax Credit Program and highlighted proposals to expand credits for post-production and commercial production. She also updated the group on the county's response to industry consolidation, including advocacy regarding the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
The discussion also highlighted work to implement Horvath and Supervisor Barger's motion to strengthen production in the county, including exploring an evergreen production fund, streamlining permitting through the LA County Film Office, eliminating duplicative fees and developing a low-impact permitting process for unincorporated areas.
The coalition includes the California Federation of Labor Unions, LiUNA! Local 724, IBEW Local 40, the California IATSE Council, Teamsters Local 399, SAG-AFTRA, American Federation of Musicians Local 47, IATSE Local 892, Writers Guild of America West and the International Cinematographers Guild IATSE Local 600.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Four candidates rise to the top of the money race but election season is still wide open
URL: https://www.smdp.com/four-candidates-rise-to-the-top-of-the-money-race-but-election-season-is-still-wide-open/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T17:44:46.000Z
The first campaign finance disclosures of the 2026 election cycle are in, and they reveal early frontrunners across four Santa Monica races even as the field of hopefuls continues to grow well beyond those who have reported raising money.
In the City Council race, Douglas Trussler leads all candidates in total fundraising with $75,420, partly from a personal loan. Incumbent Caroline Torosis holds the strongest cash position and the deepest local donor base of any candidate in the four contests covered by this reporting period, which runs through June 30\. In the down-ballot races, Robbie Staenberg has built a commanding lead for School Board, Kera Blades-Snell is the only Santa Monica College Board candidate drawing money from outside donors and Rent Control Board hopeful Sue Himmelrich has entered the race entirely self-funded.
City Council
Nine of the 20 candidates who have pulled papers for the three open City Council seats have filed detailed financial disclosures. Trussler's $75,420 total tops the field, boosted by a $25,000 personal loan alongside $50,420 in outside donations. Torosis followed with $60,009.66 raised, Lana Negrete brought in $42,646 and Brett Morrow raised $42,198.50\. Eli Gill, Ashley Oelsen and Daniel Ivanov posted totals between roughly $20,000 and $27,000, while Angela D. Scott and Derrick Townsend rounded out the reporting candidates with under $20,000 apiece. Ericka Lesley has filed a statement of organization but has not yet reported itemized financial data.
Despite trailing Trussler in total receipts, Torosis holds the largest campaign war chest, with $53,361.72 cash on hand, followed by Negrete at $39,577.93\. Trussler's heavier spending leaves him in third among reporting candidates with $38,879.93 on hand, while Morrow retains $36,127.33\. Townsend has the thinnest reserves, with just $2,424.80 remaining.
The filings also show sharply different reliance on self-funding and local support. Scott financed most of her campaign through a $15,125 personal loan, and Townsend supplemented his donations with a $3,500 loan. By contrast, Torosis, Morrow, Gill, Ivanov, Negrete and Oelsen relied overwhelmingly on donor contributions, with smaller loans.
Donor geography also varied widely. Torosis reported the strongest local network. Trussler and Morrow, by comparison, drew heavily from outside the city. Ivanov's donor base skewed toward out-of-state support, particularly from Illinois. Negrete, Gill and Oelsen each drew a roughly even or majority-local mix, while Scott and Townsend reported smaller, largely local donor pools.
Santa Monica College Board
Among the six candidates who have pulled papers for four open College Board seats, financial activity has so far been limited. Blades-Snell is the only candidate reporting contributions from a base of outside donors, taking in $4,197.98 total, including $2,902.33 in itemized monetary contributions from 13 donors — six from Santa Monica — plus a $1,295.65 personal loan. Her committee ended the period with $2,745.95 cash on hand.
Thomas Peters reported $1,000 in contributions, all from a personal loan, with no outside donor support. Oscar de la Torre reported raising $5,000, also entirely from a personal loan, though his filing was submitted under a committee originally formed for his 2024 City Council run rather than one established for this Board of Trustees race. That committee also carries $12,813.73 in total outstanding debt, the largest of any candidate across the four races. Luis Barrera Castanon has filed only a candidate intention statement and has not yet submitted a financial disclosure. Virginia Reese and Sion Roy, who have also pulled papers for the College Board, have not reported financial filings covered in this period.
School Board
Robbie Staenberg dominates fundraising among the five candidates who have pulled papers for four open School Board seats, reporting $36,530.04 in total contributions, including $35,138.92 in monetary donations from a broad, geographically diverse donor base of about 56 contributors, roughly 33 from Santa Monica. His committee ended the period with $34,744.88 cash on hand.
Laurie Lieberman reported the second-largest total, $8,550, with about 18 of her roughly 22 donors based in Santa Monica, leaving her with the most concentrated local donor base proportionally among School Board candidates. Harry Leshner reported $3,600, relying partly on family contributions and a $1,500 personal loan, while Alicia Mignano reported the smallest total this period, $700, with no itemized Santa Monica donors, though her committee still carries $2,000 in debt from personal loans made in prior election cycles. Stacy J. Rouse, who has also pulled papers for the School Board, has not yet reported financial data.
Rent Control Board
Of the five candidates who have pulled papers for three open Rent Control Board seats, only Sue Himmelrich has filed a financial disclosure so far. Her campaign reported $10,000 in total contributions this period, but the entire sum came from a personal loan rather than outside donations, with no monetary contributions reported. Himmelrich's committee reported $750 in expenditures and ended the period with $9,250 cash on hand. Candidates Kurt Gonska, Soledad Marcial, Zoë Muntaner and Heather Thomason have also pulled papers for the Rent Control Board but have not reported financial filings.
Qualified candidates
While fundraising activity is underway across all four races, no individual is a formal candidate for Santa Monica office until they complete the city's signature-gathering process and officially qualify for the ballot. Dozens of prospective candidates have pulled nomination papers since the filing period opened — 20 for City Council, six for the College Board, five for the School Board and five for the Rent Control Board — but as of July 29, only one has qualified. A small number of candidates, including Torosis, Barrera Castanon and Mignano, have returned their paperwork to the City Clerk's Office. As of Saturday, Caroline Torosis was the first and only individual to qualify. Completed nomination forms are due by 5 p.m. Aug. 7, a deadline that extends to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12 in any race where no incumbent files papers.
### Everything’s coming up Tournament of Roses
URL: https://www.smdp.com/everythings-coming-up-tournament-of-roses/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T19:00:00.000Z
Santa Monica threw itself a party last week. For the second year in a row, the State of the City speech was delivered outdoors as part of a festive celebration. Last year, it was in Reed Park. This year, it took over part of Main Street. And while it might not have been an epic rager, there was music and face painting and lots of California sunshine.
Mayor Caroline Torosis delivered a vigorous pep talk, checking off the recent accomplishments on the city’s road to recovery, while also acknowledging the work to still be done. She was focused on the future and the big events coming in the next 24 months: the Ocean Way Festival in September (produced by the creators of the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals), the Superbowl in 2027, and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.
But she was emphatic that the city will come away with far more than bragging rights and a cleanup bill. “The events that we are leading up to are not the prize,” she said. “The city that we create because of these events, that is the prize.”
She spoke with sincere enthusiasm, and she choked up more than once. Perhaps it was nerves, but it would be wrong to underestimate her personal investment in the city or the effort expended trying to overcome our current challenges. The steep hurdles the city faces would have likely been inconceivable only a decade ago.
“We face the ultimate question at the Council,” the Mayor said. “Are we going to manage decline or create a path forward?”
Although some recent actions by the Council give ample reason for questioning motives and methods, that’s a topic for another day. The state of the city today is indeed better than it was a year ago, and that’s partially because the Councilmembers and the City Manager made the bold choice to spend our way toward prosperity, rather than just mitigate our deterioration.
It could totally backfire, and it’s legitimate for residents to point that out. But if John Maynard Keynes has anything useful to offer the 21st century, it could also save us.
Torosis ended her speech with a semi-dramatic unveiling of the float design for the Rose Parade, which included several Santa Monica icons, including the PCH; the Pier’s Pacific Wheel, coaster, and carousel; and a rainbow-colored surfboard for good measure. The theme of the parade this year is “Welcome,” and the float design is one big welcome sign to Santa Monica.
There’s been a great deal of criticism of the city’s decision to participate in the parade. Mostly over the price tag. Over half a million dollars has been allocated, and critics can’t be blamed for their skepticism about a city claiming a fiscal crisis while spending such a large amount on a parade float.
But that’s the Keynesian bargain. You spend money to make money, and there’s a multiplier effect as the government invests money to generate economic growth. Is a parade float the same as putting cash directly in people’s pockets to pay for food? No. But it’s a clever public relations move.
To put it in perspective, a 30-second commercial on the Rose Parade broadcast could cost even more, and the float will additionally be seen by the nearly million attendees of the parade and Floatfest, a three-day post-parade exhibition. Like any form of advertising, for all the data about eyeballs and ROI, it’s hard to be entirely sure of what you’re getting for your money.
However, we’re not just getting an advertisement. We’re getting an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to a nation of tourists that have been choosing other destinations as of late, and we’re getting a community-building activity. Torosis solicited members of the public to help affix the thousands of roses, seeds, bark and leaves that will cover the entirety of the float, and she also shared her personal history with the parade.
“Growing up in Montreal, in the dead of a Canadian winter, \[my mother\] would turn on the television and see roses and sunshine in January,” said Torosis, who is the child of immigrants to this country. She described her mother sitting in the cold and imagining a life in California. “She saw a place that looked like it would welcome her.”
The Mayor got more than 30 seconds to sell her version and vision of the city, and like many good ads, it was heartwarming and optimistic. She didn’t promise us a rose garden, but we’re counting on her and all the councilmembers to help this city bloom again.
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### Jazz Festival to Reclaim LA Coastline With 17 Days of Free and Ticketed Shows
URL: https://www.smdp.com/jazz-festival-to-reclaim-la-coastline-with-17-days-of-free-and-ticketed-shows/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T18:59:59.000Z
The LA Jazz Festival will spread across the city for 17 days in August, mixing dozens of free neighborhood concerts with a two-night beachfront finale that organizers hope will establish the event as one of the largest jazz gatherings in the world.
The festival, which runs from Aug. 7 through Aug. 23, announced an expanded lineup spanning free "Jazz in the Park" concerts, restaurant pop-ups called "Jazz After Dark," a Caribbean Street Carnival in Venice and a closing "Jazz on the Beach" weekend headlined by John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton and Raphael Saadiq. Terrace Martin was among the newest additions to the beach lineup.
Founder and CEO Martin Ludlow said the festival was designed to fill a gap he first noticed decades ago after moving to [Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/cooley-llp-named-official-legal-services-provider-for-la28-games/) from Ohio. While impressed by the music at the city's existing jazz events, he was struck by how little of the art form's history was reflected in the world's biggest media market.
"Jazz really is the sound of freedom, and was created in a very painful moment in the life and time of the African American journey," Ludlow said. He traced the music's roots from Congo Square and pre-colonial Africa through the slave trade to the Caribbean and finally to New Orleans, "that melting pot," where the genre came together as "a true American made genre."
Ludlow said his research into international festivals revealed three common traits: they ran for multiple weekends, drew hundreds of thousands of people — more than a million in Montreal — and were often staged near major waterways. By comparison, he said, LA's existing offering drew about 18,000 people a day.
That led him to the coast, a decision he framed as both cultural and political. Ludlow described a long history of "coastal racial pushout," citing Bruce's Beach, where a Black family was driven from a resort to make way for the city of Manhattan Beach, and the former Ebony Beach Club in Santa Monica, which he said was seized through misused eminent domain.
"We were always denied access to those shores," Ludlow said, adding that more than 150 significant properties owned by people of color around the country were taken through similar tactics. Putting the festival on the sand, he said, was a way "to reclaim the coastline as the people's coastline."
The free Caribbean Street Carnival will transform Venice's historic Windward Circle into a four-stage celebration on Aug. 21, spotlighting African, Latin, Cuban and New Orleans traditions. Performers include Adekunle Gold, Tito Puente Jr., Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra and the Dafnis Prieto Sí o Sí Quartet.
Ludlow said Venice was chosen for its international character and its historical ties to New Orleans, noting that the neighborhood's original design team hired a Black New Orleans man to help plan the community modeled on the canals of Venice, Italy.
"All you have to do is walk through the streets of Venice on any given day, and you're going to meet people from Holland, Amsterdam, Belgium, Tokyo, Beijing, Cape Town," he said. "So what better place to harness that night."
The festival opens Aug. 7 in Leimert Park with Lalah Hathaway, Pete Escovedo and Chief Adjuah, among others. Fifteen free "Jazz in the Park" concerts on Aug. 8-9 and Aug. 15-16 will feature artists including Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, Billy Childs and Mumu Fresh, while 20 free "Jazz After Dark" pop-ups will bring performers such as MonoNeon, Keyon Harrold and Gretchen Parlato into locally owned venues.
Ludlow said the beach setting is central to the experience, pointing to the coastline's status as one of the city's most iconic images and to the calming effect of the water. He described the opportunity for festivalgoers "to walk, take their shoes off, feel the sand under their feet, put on those summer outfits," and likened the event's potential to the acclaimed Montreal festival.
"It is the land of the Oscars. It is the land of the Grammys, and soon it'll be the land of the LA Jazz Festival as well," he said.
Airbnb is the festival's title sponsor, with Hennessy and Transitions Lenses signed as official marketing partners. StubHub is the official ticket marketplace. Tickets for the Aug. 22-23 Jazz on the Beach shows are on sale, and free reservations for other events are available at [LAJazzFestival.com](https://www.lajazzfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com).
The festival will also host a Jazz Youth Camp expected to bring more than 2,000 students from across LA County into workshops and masterclasses.
### From the Roaring Twenties to the Olympic era, Casa del Mar celebrates 100 years on Santa Monica’s global stage
URL: https://www.smdp.com/from-the-roaring-twenties-to-the-olympic-era-casa-del-mar-celebrates-100-years-on-santa-monicas-global-stage/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T10:00:00.000Z
Some buildings provide a backdrop to a city, others become part of its identity. For 100 years, Casa del Mar has stood at the edge of Santa Monica, its red-tiled roof, Renaissance Revival façade and sweeping arched windows facing a Pacific Ocean that has remained constant even as nearly everything surrounding it has changed.
Opened May 1, 1926, as the exclusive Club Casa del Mar, the building arrived as Santa Monica was establishing itself as one of Southern California’s most fashionable seaside destinations. A century later, its centennial coincides with another transformative moment as the region moves from the FIFA World Cup toward Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.
For Casa del Mar, the anniversary is more than a look back at its Jazz Age beginnings. It is an opportunity to position one of Santa Monica’s most historic buildings at the center of the city’s next chapter—using hospitality, dining, music and cultural programming to welcome global visitors while giving residents new reasons to walk through its doors.
Designed by Los Angeles architect Charles F. Plummer in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, Club Casa del Mar reportedly cost $2 million to build, an extraordinary investment at the time. The property quickly became one of the West Coast’s most glamorous private beach clubs, attracting Hollywood stars and Southern California’s social elite.
Its grand lobby, coffered ceilings, Mediterranean tilework and oversized windows overlooking the Pacific created the feeling of an Italian palazzo transported to the California coast. Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Marion Davies were among the prominent figures associated with its early years, but Casa del Mar’s history is not a straight line from private club to luxury hotel. The building has repeatedly reinvented itself.
In 1941, the U.S. Navy took control of the property during World War II and used it for military personnel. By 1960, the original club had closed. In 1967, the building became the headquarters of Synanon, an organization founded as a drug rehabilitation program that later became controversial for its authoritarian practices.
Another transformation followed in 1978, when nutritionist Nathan Pritikin turned the property into the Pritikin Longevity Center. Spaces that once hosted Jazz Age parties became part of a program centered on nutrition, exercise and heart health, anticipating the wellness movement that would become closely associated with Southern California.
The Edward Thomas Hospitality Corporation, owner of neighboring Shutters on the Beach, acquired the building in 1997 and undertook a restoration valued at more than $50 million. Casa del Mar reopened as a luxury hotel in 1999 with 129 guest rooms, including 17 suites, and was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its centennial programming is now bringing those different chapters to life. Centennial Memory Walls display archival photographs from the original beach club, while Prohibition-inspired cocktails, live music and anniversary dining experiences evoke the atmosphere of the 1920s. A seasonal prix-fixe menu priced at $192.60 offers a playful reference to the year the property first opened.
“What truly sets Casa del Mar apart is the people who bring it to life every day,” Charlie Lopez-Quintana, vice president and managing director of ETC Hotels, said in announcing the centennial. “Our team greets, serves and cares for guests with warmth and consistency that never goes out of style. Their dedication is the heartbeat of the hotel. And of course, having the Pacific Ocean as our backyard doesn’t hurt either.”
That emphasis on experience and human connection will become increasingly important as Santa Monica competes for attention during Southern California’s coming cycle of global sporting events.
Santa Monica welcomed approximately 3.9 million visitors in 2025, according to Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. Those visitors contributed an estimated $996.6 million to the local economy, while international visitation increased 4.1%. Tourism supported 6,444 local jobs, and Santa Monica hotels generated $60.2 million for the city’s General Fund, helping pay for essential services.
Hotel revenue is projected to surpass $400 million in 2026, an increase of 9.8% from the previous year. Occupancy is expected to rise from 72.9% to 76.3%, with hotel demand growing 4.6%, driven partly by the global events arriving across the region.
Following the World Cup, Super Bowl LXI will bring another surge of national and international attention when it is played at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14, 2027\. One year later, Los Angeles will welcome athletes and spectators for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Although competitions will take place across the region, the economic opportunity will stretch far beyond stadium walls. Visitors will need places to stay, dine, gather, entertain clients and experience Southern California between events. Santa Monica has an opportunity to become the beachfront home base through which many of those travelers encounter Los Angeles.
Casa del Mar’s yearlong centennial provides a model for how historic hotels can respond. Its dining, music and cultural experiences turn the property into more than a collection of guest rooms. They create a connection to place.
The next opportunity is to expand that spirit as the world arrives: opening gathering spaces to residents and visitors, presenting cultural conversations, hosting athlete and community programming, and creating experiences that encourage guests to explore surrounding restaurants, retailers and neighborhoods.
At 100, Casa del Mar possesses something that cannot be newly constructed: a century of stories with a future that will depend on making that history feel accessible and alive.
### Author to share publicity tips at Santa Monica book talk
URL: https://www.smdp.com/author-to-share-publicity-tips-at-santa-monica-book-talk/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T19:00:00.000Z
Bestselling author and Goody PR founder Liz H. Kelly will discuss her new book, "Award-Winning Publicity: 8 Media Boosters to Magnify Your Story," at Barnes & Noble Santa Monica on Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The free event at 1318 Third Street Promenade will feature a discussion from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session and a meet-and-greet book signing until 7 p.m.
Kelly, who is based in Santa Monica, started her public relations agency after being laid off by Myspace in 2008 during the Great Recession. Rather than look for another corporate job, she launched Goody PR, which helps small business owners, thought leaders and brands earn media coverage on television, in print, and on radio and podcasts.
Kelly said the career change grew out of a light-hearted dating book she wrote 20 years ago. For that project, she hired two publicists, three media trainers and a website designer and attended book marketing seminars, eventually landing a literary agent, a New York City publisher and 500 interviews across three versions over five years.
To learn how to build a company, Kelly said she attended a Rich Dad conference for entrepreneurs in Arizona hosted by "Rich Dad Poor Dad" author Robert Kiyosaki, where she met mentors and future clients.
The book draws on national coverage Kelly has secured, including on the TODAY Show, CNN, BBC World News, NewsNation, NPR and Bloomberg Radio, and in People, Forbes, Fast Company and Psychology Today.
One example is an award-winning campaign for eclipse glasses maker American Paper Optics tied to the 2024 total solar eclipse. Kelly said the program produced 54 television interviews in 8.5 months, won six PR industry awards and contributed to the sale of 75 million eclipse glasses.
"Earned media coverage means that you earned the respect of the reporter to tell your story," Kelly said, adding that such coverage is more valuable than paid advertising and often appears in both AI and organic search results.
Kelly defines award-winning publicity as positive press tied to measurable business goals, earned media that builds positive sentiment through storytelling, and a creative campaign that breaks through with social impact and third-party validation.
"PR is a marathon, not a sprint," Kelly said.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Around Town: National Night Out, Steak Series & Beachside Beats
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-national-night-out-steak-series-beachside-beats/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T19:00:00.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes National Night Out, award-winning pancakes, beach concerts, and much more!
**Annenberg Beach House Community Picnic:** Enjoy games, crafts, a “pie” walk, and epic tug-of-war for “some good old-fashioned summertime fun.” All are invited to pack a dinner and grab some pals or join a solo-friendly communal table to enjoy this free event, with s’mores. **Thursday, July 30, 5 - 8 p.m., 415 PCH** [eventbrite.com/e/community-picnic-tickets-1989055370156](http://eventbrite.com/e/community-picnic-tickets-1989055370156?ref=smdp.com)
**Last Thursday Venice Summer Concert Series:** Grab your friends, family, dogs, blankets, chairs and whatever else you like, and pull up to the boardwalk and Dudley for an evening of live music and friends outside on the beach. **Music starts at 4:45 p.m. and ends at sunset. Thursday, July 30\.** [instagram.com/lastthursdayvenice](http://instagram.com/lastthursdayvenice?ref=smdp.com)
**A Cinderella Summer at Santa Monica Playhouse:** The classic Rudie-DeCarlo musical returns with a high-energy multimedia twist, comedic silent movie sequences, and interactive magic for kids and families. Kicks off weekends this **Saturday, Aug. 1, 2:00 p.m., 1211 4th St.** [santamonicaplayhouse.com/cinderella.html](http://santamonicaplayhouse.com/cinderella.html?ref=smdp.com)
**Country Night at Perry's Beach:** Perry’s Beach on PCH turns into an open-air venue, hosting a live afternoon Country Night set right on the sand. Grab a spot on the deck or patio starting at 3p.m. this **Saturday, Aug. 1, @ 930 Pacific Coast Hwy.** [https://posh.vip/e/country-nights-perrys-beach-sun-july-26th](https://posh.vip/e/country-nights-perrys-beach-sun-july-26th?ref=smdp.com)
**50th Annual The Festival of Chariots Celebrates Ancient Indian Tradition:** Dancers in colorful clothing, music, a multicourse feast, 40-foot tall hand-drawn floats — The Festival of Chariots will be an explosion of culture and celebration. **Sunday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m.** Parade begins at 1855 Main St. and the festival takes place at 1530 Ocean Front Walk. [https://www.larathayatra.com/parade](https://www.larathayatra.com/parade?ref=smdp.com)
**National Night Out:** The annual community-building event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. This year's event has a “Lights. Camera. Community.” theme. Expect FREE music, food, and activities for all ages**.** SMPD will showcase their various police vehicles and equipment and invite the community to meet police personnel (human and 4-legged alike).The parking structure at Olympic & 4th St. is free that night and Big Blue Bus will be providing free bus rides all night when you mention National Night Out. **Tuesday, August 4, 5 - 8 p.m. @ City Hall, 1685 Main St.**[](https://www.facebook.com/100064765113624/posts/pfbid0gNYeHNSzhNHa43cemwadZY6ema3hUK9HdKjLPX5GJwYPuPmT6EzFKrMmVTAbpd6Vl/?mibextid=5eVWNK)[https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/06/30/santa-monica-police-department-invites-community-to-national-night-out-2026](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/06/30/santa-monica-police-department-invites-community-to-national-night-out-2026?ref=smdp.com)
**Comedy camp? Why this unique Santa Monica program is about so much more than laughs:** NBC4 visits The Crow, where kids are learning stand-up, improv, sketch, and storytelling while discovering their voices. Founder Nicole Blaine shares how comedy can foster confidence, creativity, communication skills, and self-expression, both on and off the stage. [https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/comedy-camp-why-this-unique-l-a-program-is-about-so-much-more-than-laughs/3919575/](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/comedy-camp-why-this-unique-l-a-program-is-about-so-much-more-than-laughs/3919575/?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com);
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Florentine Steak Dinner Series at All'Antico Vinaio:** The popular Italian sandwich spot has teamed up with Florence Underground for a dinner series at their Santa Monica location centered around bistecca alla Fiorentina. For $130 per pair, the meal opens with cured meats, cheeses, and house-made schiacciata bread before the main event: a thick T-bone seasoned only with salt and olive oil, served slightly before medium-rare with classic family-style sides. Olive oil cake and crema close it out. I went last month and it felt like a deal at that price. They have a variety of very reasonably priced wines available as well. **Available just two more dates: July 31 and Aug. 28\. 316 Santa Monica Blvd.** [tables.toasttab.com/all-antico-vinaio-santa-monica-blvd/experience/fiorentina-night](http://tables.toasttab.com/all-antico-vinaio-santa-monica-blvd/experience/fiorentina-night?ref=smdp.com)
**Le Dîner en Blanc Returns to LA:** The iconic, secret all-white pop-up picnic returns with thousands of guests dressed in head-to-toe white gathering at a secret location—revealed only moments before the event begins—bringing their own tables, white linens, and gourmet spreads for an evening under the stars. **Saturday Aug. 1** [losangeles.dinerenblanc.com/city](http://losangeles.dinerenblanc.com/city?ref=smdp.com)
**Ina Bakes August Pop‑Up:** Summer’s in full swing, and so are the pastries. Join their monthly pop-up for fresh, seasonal bakes. **Sunday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., 535 Rose Ave, Venice** [Inabakes.com/popup](http://inabakes.com/popup?ref=smdp.com)
**Xuntos’ An Evening with Winemaker Rajat Parr:** Meet Raj and taste his singular San Luis Obispo coastal wines. Come any time and taste any of 6 special wines by the glass, flight and bottle à la carte pintxos and tapas menus. Raj's wines are bright and quick, humble and surprising. Wines open will include two unreleased vintages of Phelan Farm Mencía (grafted from vine cuttings from Envínate's Camiño Novo vineyard in Ribeira Sacra, Galicia); a Phelan Farm Chardonnay aged in a 100yo Manzanilla Sherry cask; a Phelan Farm Pinot Noir; a Brij Garnacha, named for Raj's father; and a Printemps Rosé**. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 5 - 9 p.m., 516 Santa Monica Blvd.** [barxuntos.com](http://barxuntos.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Hot Dog on a Stick Comeback Roadmap - New owner, rapid expansion — and lobster on a stick:** The fast food joint — with roots in Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach and known for its corn dogs and hand-stomped lemonade — has plummeted from its glory days as a staple food at food courts across the state. The rise of competition and decline of malls has slashed its presence, but its new owner has big plans for a comeback. [latimes.com/business/story/2026-07-22/hot-dog-on-sticks-comeback-plan-aggressive-expansion-with-new-menu-that-includes-lobster-on-stick](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-07-22/hot-dog-on-sticks-comeback-plan-aggressive-expansion-with-new-menu-that-includes-lobster-on-stick?ref=smdp.com)
**Breakfast By Salt's Cure Listed on The Infatuation's "The Best Pancakes In LA" List:** Their “oatmeal griddle pancakes are famous on both coasts, and for good reason. This Santa Monica café makes its griddle cakes thin, lacy at the edges, and so moist in the center that it feels like you’re cutting through a warm lava cake at Chili’s. Don’t ask for syrup, because they don’t need any.” I wholeheartedly agree and have long said they are my favorite, most crave-worthy pancakes in LA. **714 Montana Ave.** [theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-pancakes-la](http://theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-pancakes-la?ref=smdp.com)
**Trying all the Best SaMo Bakeries:** Instagrammer audris\_lim posts about what she tried at Bread & Butter, Petitgrain, and others: [instagram.com/reels/DbENBIlPHKW](http://instagram.com/reels/DbENBIlPHKW?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield: LA Brewsology Festival "Night at the Museum":** The after-hours event at the California Science Center features more than 50 breweries pouring over 150 different beers, giving attendees the unique opportunity to sample local crafts while exploring the museum's exhibits. **Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 - 11 p.m., 700 Exposition Park Dr.** [brewsology.com/los-angeles](http://brewsology.com/los-angeles?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [SaMo Oceanfront Arts Festival](http://eventbrite.com/e/art-on-ocean-palisades-park-arts-festival-tickets-1991599772532?ref=smdp.com) (8/8); [Dine LA Restaurant Week](https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela?ref=smdp.com) (8/14-28); Main St. Farmers Market in the Street Event (8/23); [Thai Fest by the Beach](https://www.thaifestbythebeach.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/19-20); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly at[ ](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com)[instagram.com/seanbesser](https://www.instagram.com/seanbesser/?ref=smdp.com) or email me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com). [Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: National Night Out, Steak Series & Beachside Beats**
### City pursues homeless services at Palm Motel while voting to delay closure of downtown shelter
URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-pursues-homeless-services-at-palm-motel-while-voting-to-delay-closure-of-downtown-shelter/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T21:00:25.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council voted late Tuesday to bring the Palm Motel under city control as part of a new local homeless services system, while adding a directive that the city not shut down its longtime SaMoShel shelter until officials identify replacement housing and present a more concrete transition plan.
The council approved all seven staff-recommended actions tied to the proposed Housing Focused System of Care, including authorizing the city manager to negotiate agreements with the Palm Motel’s owner and with The People Concern to run services there, and with The Salvation Army to fund shelter bed activation at its Bell Shelter in the city of Bell. Councilmember Dan Hall recused himself from the item, saying his rented residence sits between 500 and 1,000 feet of SaMoShel and could be affected by any relocation of shelter capacity away from the downtown site.
After passing the broader package, the council took up a separate motion, brought by Councilmember Ellis Raskin, directing staff not to demobilize SaMoShel until the results of a forthcoming request for expressions of interest, or RFEI, are known and a “robust plan” for what comes next is presented to the council. That motion passed on a split vote, with Councilmember Lana Negrete and Mayor Caroline Torosis opposed. Negrete said the direction was unnecessary because staff had already made clear “they’re not in the business of closing shelters and sending people elsewhere.”
Torosis said the final motion didn’t capture her original intent when she asked for a discussion of keeping the shelter open.
City Manager Oliver Chi said the council’s direction would push back the timeline for winding down the 60-bed congregate shelter, which had been initially targeted for the end of this calendar year, but that the city remains committed to ensuring no one is displaced onto the street. Aileen Reynolds, director of the city’s Housing and Human Services Department, told the council she could commit to updating them on the RFEI process within 30 to 90 days.
The vote caps months of city work aimed at overhauling how Santa Monica delivers homeless services, as the regional system undergoes what Reynolds’ presentation described as its most significant restructuring in a generation. Over the past year, Los Angeles County withdrew hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and created a new county Department of Homeless Services and Housing, then approved nearly $200 million in cuts to homeless services amid a budget shortfall. In June, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended federal funding to LAHSA and the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, adding further strain.
Locally, the city has been building toward this moment since a 2022 assessment from Moss Adams and a subsequent Homelessness Strategic Plan developed with consultant BerryDunn and published in March 2025\. The October 2025 Realignment Plan called for moving away from SaMoShel’s congregate shelter model toward a “healing center” approach pairing shelter with treatment and a direct pipeline into permanent housing. In March, the council directed staff to conduct community engagement before finalizing any changes; staff held 14 meetings between April and July before returning with Tuesday’s recommendations.
Under the plan, the Palm Motel — which has operated for two years as county-funded interim housing under the Pathway Home program — would come under city control once county funding for that program lapses this summer. The city would limit placements to people who meet the Santa Monica Program Participant, or SMPP, definition, referred exclusively through the city’s own outreach and first-responder teams. The 34-room motel can accommodate up to 48 occupants. Separately, the city would fund the activation of 35 currently unfunded beds at the Salvation Army’s Bell Shelter, which would be available to any Los Angeles County jurisdiction partnering with the organization, giving Santa Monica outreach teams a referral option for unhoused people who don’t meet the SMPP definition. A third action directs staff to issue the RFEI seeking non-congregate housing sites in and around Santa Monica to eventually replace SaMoShel’s capacity.
Reynolds told the council that the county’s 2026 point-in-time count, released last week, found 718 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica in January, an 11.6% decrease from 2025, with unsheltered homelessness falling 18.7%. She said roughly 10% of SaMoShel’s 60 beds are typically occupied by people who meet the SMPP definition, with the rest serving people referred from elsewhere in the region.
Several council members voiced support for taking direct control of the Palm Motel while raising concerns about the broader plan. Raskin argued that closing SaMoShel without a firm replacement in place would effectively strip the city of 60 shelter beds, leaving people to end up “living in cars, living on maps” without anywhere else to go. Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick, who made the motion to approve the seven staff actions, said he wanted assurance that any future non-congregate sites be sought “both in and outside the city” rather than concentrated in any one neighborhood, and added language directing staff to prioritize locations outside the areas that have historically hosted such facilities. Councilmember Barry Snell said he supported keeping SaMoShel open until the city has identified where displaced residents could go.
Negrete, who said she lives and walks her children to school within blocks of the Palm Motel, described years of frustration that the county converted the site to interim housing without notifying neighbors, but said crime and disorder near the property had improved markedly under the current on-site security and no-visitor policies compared with when it operated as a motel. She said she wanted to see the city diversify its roster of service providers beyond The People Concern going forward and reiterated her support for closing SaMoShel without further delay. Torosis asked staff to publicize crime data from before and after the Palm Motel’s conversion to interim housing and confirmed that on-site security would continue under city management.
For residents, city officials said day-to-day conditions are not expected to change significantly, since the site would continue operating with the same on-site provider, security staffing and a similar population as it has under the county’s program. For people experiencing homelessness, the changes mean SaMoShel will remain open for now, while the city works to stand up a locally controlled continuum intended to move people from street outreach through stabilization, interim housing and ultimately permanent housing, rather than relying on the fragmented, county-run system currently in place.
The council also authorized a budget amendment shifting $3,458,150 from the Providence Saint John’s Development Agreement fund to help cover the roughly $9.5 million in combined costs for the three agreements.
editor@smdp.com
### Ocean Avenue goes car-free for free Art on Ocean festival Aug. 8
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ocean-avenue-goes-car-free-for-free-art-on-ocean-festival-aug-8/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T18:59:59.000Z
A scenic stretch of Ocean Avenue will trade vehicle traffic for art, music, food and community during Art on Ocean — Palisades Park Arts Festival on Saturday, Aug. 8.
The free, all-ages event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Ocean Avenue between California Avenue and Montana Avenue. Organizers will close the festival area to cars, transforming the roadway beside Palisades Park into a walkable outdoor arts destination overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
More than 100 visual artists from across California will present original paintings, photography, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry and mixed-media and handcrafted work. Attendees can meet the artists and buy work directly from them.
Live music will play throughout the day, with performances by Nick Kennerly, Mudslide Mojo, La Compania and Country House Party spanning classical violin, Americana, Latin jazz and dance favorites.
The Wine Garden will feature wines by Divine Vintage, a full bar by Thirst Trap, food from Blue Plate Taco, DJ sets and a Paint & Sip experience. It is limited to guests 21 and older with valid ID; those under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.
Several local organizations will offer free creative activities for children and families. Paint Lab will bring a pop-up version of its Santa Monica studio to Ocean Avenue with free workshops, and the Kids' Area will feature art projects, sensory play, face painting and bracelet making.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local vendors including Blue Plate Taco, Triple Beam Pizza and Ubatuba Açaí.
"Santa Monica deserves a free art show that stands alongside the best in Southern California," said Jenny Rice, event organizer with Beach Native Marketing & Events. "It's more than an art show. It's a community celebration centered around art."
The festival is presented in partnership with the City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability & the Environment, with support from the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition and Paint Lab.
After the festival, the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition, known as Wilmont, will host its first free outdoor movie of the summer in Palisades Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and stay for a film under the stars.
Admission is free. RSVP is encouraged at[ ](http://art-on-ocean.com/santamonica?ref=smdp.com)[art-on-ocean.com/santamonica](http://art-on-ocean.com/santamonica?ref=smdp.com). Art on Ocean is produced by Beach Native Marketing, LLC.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Applications Now Open for Santa Monica Renter Aid Program
URL: https://www.smdp.com/applications-now-open-for-santa-monica-renter-aid-program/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T18:59:59.000Z
The city of Santa Monica has launched Santa Monica Renter Aid, a program offering one-time or short-term financial assistance and housing stabilization services to eligible renter households facing a temporary housing crisis.
Funded through Measure GS and administered by The People Concern in partnership with the city's Homelessness Prevention & Intervention Division, the program is designed to help renters remain safely and stably housed. Applications are due Aug. 20 and can be submitted at[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/santa-monica-renter-aid?ref=smdp.com)[Santa Monica Renter Aid](https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/santa-monica-renter-aid?ref=smdp.com).
"Nobody should lose their home over one bad month," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. The program puts roughly $6 million directly into the hands of renters who hit a rough patch, she said, adding that keeping people housed is "more cost effective and more humane than helping them after they've already lost everything."
To qualify, households must be Santa Monica residents, be experiencing or at risk of a housing crisis, and meet income requirements at or below 120% of Area Median Income. Priority goes to low-income households, older adults, people with disabilities and families with minor children at greatest risk of homelessness.
Applicants must provide documentation verifying eligibility. Assistance is not guaranteed and depends on eligibility, priority criteria and funding availability.
Residents who need help applying may attend free in-person support hours through Aug. 20: Tuesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. at Virginia Avenue Park's Park Center Building, 2200 Virginia Ave., and Thursdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Paper applications, multilingual assistance and accessibility accommodations are available during those hours.
Representatives from The People Concern will also answer questions at the[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/state-of-the-city-2026?ref=smdp.com)[State of the City event](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/state-of-the-city-2026?ref=smdp.com) on Thursday, July 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. The free, all-ages community event takes place on Main Street between Hollister Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard and highlights community achievements in 2026 and plans for 2027.
For more information, contact santamonicarenteraid@thepeopleconcern.org or visit[ ](https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/santa-monica-renter-aid?ref=smdp.com)[santamonica.gov](https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/santa-monica-renter-aid?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Court halts overnight charging operations at Waymo facilities in Santa Monica
URL: https://www.smdp.com/court-halts-overnight-charging-operations-at-waymo-facilities-in-santa-monica/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T22:18:33.000Z
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Monday granted the City of Santa Monica's request for a preliminary injunction barring Waymo from running its Broadway autonomous vehicle charging facilities overnight, delivering a legal win to residents who have complained for more than a year about noise, light and traffic from the sites.
The order, issued July 27, prohibits Waymo from operating its charging lots at 1222 and 1310 Broadway between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. while the underlying public nuisance case proceeds toward trial.
In granting the injunction, the court found the city had established a reasonable probability of prevailing on its public nuisance claim, determining that the ongoing noise, lights and traffic generated by overnight operations at the two sites interfere with nearby residents' ability to comfortably enjoy their homes. The court also found that the harm to residents outweighs any harm to Waymo from the restriction, noting the company can continue offering overnight ride service in Santa Monica using vehicles charged and serviced during daytime hours.
The dispute dates to November 2024, when Waymo began using the two lots — operated by charging company Voltera Power on property owned by SMF Property Holdings LLC — to charge autonomous vehicles serving greater Los Angeles. Residents soon began reporting reverse-beeping, humming, workers talking at night, flashing lights and traffic congestion in a nearby alley.
The Santa Monica City Council voted 6-0 in November 2025 to order overnight operations shut down between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., declaring the facilities a public nuisance. Waymo did not comply, arguing the city had misunderstood its permitted use, and sued the city Dec. 17, 2025, seeking a ruling that its operations were lawful and could not be shut down. The city countersued a week later, asking the court to declare the lots a nuisance and to enjoin overnight operations — the claim on which Monday's injunction was based. The city has maintained that overnight operations substantially interfere with residents' sleep and quality of life in violation of municipal and state nuisance law, and that it repeatedly proposed operational changes short of a full shutdown that Waymo declined to adopt.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said the ruling validates concerns residents have raised for more than a year.
"Our residents' ability to sleep peacefully in their own homes is not negotiable," Torosis said. "This ruling affirms what our neighbors have been telling us for more than a year, and it delivers relief while the case moves forward. I'm grateful to the residents who came forward, and to our City Attorney's Office for its steadfast work on behalf of the community."
A Waymo spokesperson said the company was disappointed by the ruling.
"We are disappointed in the judge's order, which may restrict our ability to provide visitors and residents with a safer, more accessible transportation option during some of the most dangerous hours of the day for road users," the spokesperson said. "We will explore all available options to ensure we can serve the tens of thousands of Angelenos who depend on our service."
The company said it remains in full compliance with local requirements and will comply with the new order while continuing to operate out of the Broadway sites. Waymo has pointed to its own research indicating that the most dangerous hours on the road fall between midnight and 4 a.m., a finding the company says is supported by local data. Los Angeles Department of Transportation data shows roughly 22% of serious injury or fatal crashes involving pedestrians occur between 9 p.m. and midnight, and Santa Monica's own analysis has found that nighttime pedestrian-involved injury crashes along Santa Monica Boulevard account for about 22% of all pedestrian-related injury crashes in the city.
Waymo has said it has worked to be a good neighbor, including reducing vehicle noise in consultation with federal regulators and turning off most vehicle lights while cars charge overnight. The company has also noted that Voltera is seeking a city permit for additional curb cuts that would allow vehicles to enter and exit the sites without traveling the length of the neighboring alley; part of that project has already been approved, and the court's Oct. 23 status conference is expected to include an update on it. Waymo has said that even after mitigation measures were put in place, certain individuals continued to create disruptive conditions at the sites, including honking horns late at night, using smoke detectors to simulate vehicle noise, and blocking the public roadway in ways that interfered with vehicles' sensors. The company has said it has invested millions of dollars in the Santa Monica community, where it serves tens of thousands of riders each week.
In its statement following the ruling, the city emphasized that the case was never about whether autonomous vehicles belong in Santa Monica.
"Santa Monica welcomes the future of transportation, and autonomous vehicles and the infrastructure that supports them have an important place here," Torosis said. "This outcome reflects what we've said from the beginning: new technologies thrive in Santa Monica when they're designed to operate compatibly with the neighborhoods around them. We remain ready to work with Waymo on solutions that let their operations and our residents' quality of life coexist."
The court has scheduled a status conference for Oct. 23 to review potential remediation measures at the Broadway sites. The preliminary injunction will remain in effect pending trial, at which the city's public nuisance claims will be fully adjudicated.
### Possibly illegal tenancy rules force council to rewrite ballot measure for November election
URL: https://www.smdp.com/possibly-illegal-rent-control-rules-force-council-to-rewrite-ballot-measure-for-november-election/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T16:11:31.000Z
The City Council and the Rent Control Board voted this week to pull back the most contested piece of a ballot measure headed for the November election, after city attorneys warned the proposal was untested in court and would likely invite a lawsuit.
Meeting jointly in a special session, the two bodies voted to strip out language that would have let additional household members remain in a unit after the original tenant moved out for any reason, and would have expanded who qualifies to stay behind. In its place, council members directed staff to draft a narrower measure that would extend just-cause eviction protections to single-family homes and condominiums and bring owner move-in rules for those units in line with existing rent-control law — provisions city officials said carry far less legal risk.
The reversal is a significant retreat from what the City Council had approved just weeks earlier. The council voted July 14 to place three rent-control charter amendments on the November ballot, including the disputed occupant measure, which passed 4-2 with Council Members Lana Negrete and Barry Snell opposed and Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick recused. The original proposal grew out of a January council directive aimed partly at protecting family members left behind when a primary tenant was detained by federal immigration enforcement, and would impose eviction restrictions when tenants added a spouse, parent, sibling or other qualifying relative, or a "household" member, to a unit.
As drafted, the measure eliminated a longstanding requirement that a tenant's death or incapacity trigger the eviction protection for those left behind, instead applying it whenever a unit was vacated for any reason, and broadened the class of people eligible to remain from spouses and children to any lawfully residing occupant.
City officials told the two boards this week that the changes had drawn concern from outside parties, including arguments that the measure would circumvent the state's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and could leave landlords unable to recover their units at all. City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln said staff could not find any jurisdiction that had eliminated the death-or-incapacity trigger entirely or extended protections to as broad a class of occupants as Santa Monica's measure proposed. She said the change was "a case of first impression" that had never been tested in court, and that passing it as written would likely draw a lawsuit.
Von Tongeln and outside counsel walked the boards through a scenario critics have raised: if an original tenant moved out voluntarily, a second occupant could remain, effectively forming a new landlord-tenant relationship, then bring in additional occupants of their own who could remain again once that second tenant left — creating what several officials called a "perpetual tenancy" problem. Von Tongeln also noted that because the change would be made through a charter amendment rather than a routine ordinance, any successful legal challenge would be far harder to fix, since correcting it would require going back to voters at the next general election.
City Manager Oliver Chi told the boards the city faces an Aug. 7 deadline set by Los Angeles County to finalize ballot language, leaving little time to explore alternatives.
Rent Control Vice Chair Kay Ambriz initially favored keeping the ballot measure intact but restoring the death-or-incapacity requirement, a position seconded by Commissioner Ericka Lesley. Commissioner Kurt Gonska argued for scaling back the proposal, saying the city had "proactively invited a legal challenge" that could jeopardize rent-control protections more broadly, while Phillis Dudick said the board needed more time and more public input before proceeding.
On the council side, Negrete said she opposed the entire measure, arguing it could create loopholes for subletting and would hit small landlords who were unaware of the changes. Councilmember Dan Hall said he was reluctant to rewrite charter language "from the dais" without a formal staff report, and proposed advancing only the single-family-home and owner-move-in provisions while sending the occupant-protection concepts back for further study ahead of the next election cycle, in 2028\. Natalya Zernitskaya agreed, saying she shared the intent behind the measure but wanted more time to "protect the city and protect tenants." Ellis Raskin was the lone dissenting voice, calling the pullback "unprecedented" and noting the proposal had been developed over months of public hearings by the Rent Control Board.
After hearing that discussion, the Rent Control Board voted 5-0 to recommend removing the household-occupant and new-occupant eviction protections from the ballot measure, while taking no position on the single-family-home and owner-move-in provisions, which fall under the city's housing policy law rather than the rent-control charter.
The City Council then voted to rescind the existing resolution and direct staff to return with a new measure limited to the single-family-home and owner-move-in provisions, with Raskin casting the only "no" vote. Zwick was absent for the vote.
### SMPD identify suspect in weekend murder
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smpd-identify-suspect-in-weekend-murder/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T20:33:52.000Z
Santa Monica police have identified the suspect arrested in connection with a July 25 homicide in the 1900 block of Pico Boulevard as Taylor Roger Free, 35, of San Luis Obispo.
Los Angeles police officers arrested Free on July 25 near Crenshaw Boulevard and Exposition Boulevard in Los Angeles, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
SMPD received a call about 5:21 p.m. that day reporting a woman in need of medical assistance inside an apartment in the 1900 block of Pico Boulevard. Officers arrived and found an adult woman with significant injuries. Santa Monica firefighters attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
SMPD detectives and forensic personnel began investigating the death as a homicide. As the investigation progressed, detectives shared information about a possible suspect — based on witness statements — with regional law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
About 8 p.m. that evening, LAPD officers located Free in Los Angeles after receiving an alert from SMPD, police said.
Free was booked into the Santa Monica Police Department Jail on suspicion of murder, in violation of California Penal Code 187(a). Bail was set at $2 million.
SMPD thanked the LAPD and other regional law enforcement partners for their help locating and arresting the suspect.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491.
### Cooley LLP named official legal services provider for LA28 Games
URL: https://www.smdp.com/cooley-llp-named-official-legal-services-provider-for-la28-games/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T18:59:59.000Z
Cooley LLP has been selected as an official legal services provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA, the firm announced July 15.
Under the three-year partnership, Cooley will provide a full suite of legal services to LA28, supporting corporate and litigation matters as the organization prepares to host the Games in Los Angeles in 2028\. The firm's work will span LA28's legal needs, helping navigate the commercial, operational and regulatory complexities of delivering a global event. The partnership will also create opportunities for Cooley to provide pro bono legal support.
"We are honored to partner with LA28 in bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles," said Rachel Proffitt, CEO of Cooley. "There is an extraordinary energy and purpose behind building an event of this scale — one that unites athletes, fans and communities around the world. At Cooley, we are proud to contribute to that effort, drawing on our experience supporting some of the most dynamic companies, leagues and emerging platforms in sports."
Cooley has advised teams, leagues, investors and media platforms across the sports landscape. Through its Sports+ offering, the firm handles matters from transactions and financings to intellectual property, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution.
"The LA28 Games will set a new standard for what a home Games can be — and having the right partners in place is how we get there," said Elisabeth Frienberg, chief legal officer of LA28\. "We're excited to work with Cooley as an Official Legal Services Provider, leveraging their experience and strategic insight to help deliver a Games that reflects the spirit, creativity and innovation of Los Angeles."
LA28 will bring the Games to Los Angeles in 2028, uniting more than 15,000 athletes. Los Angeles will become the third city to host three Olympic Games, following 1932 and 1984, and will host its first Paralympic Games. The independently funded nonprofit has said the Games will be the first since 1948 to build no new permanent infrastructure.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMMUSD alumnus Wassim Issa returns as special education coordinator
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-alumnus-wassim-issa-returns-as-special-education-coordinator/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T18:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education has approved the appointment of Wassim Issa as a new special education coordinator. The board acted at its July 16 regular meeting, and Issa will begin the role this summer.
Issa brings several years of experience in special education and instructional leadership, with expertise in program coordination, Individualized Education Program development, Multi-Tiered System of Supports and collaborative student support.
A SMMUSD alumnus, Issa attended Will Rogers Learning Community, John Adams Middle School and Santa Monica High School before pursuing a career in education. He now returns committed to supporting students, families and staff while advancing inclusive educational opportunities.
"I am honored and excited to return to the District that helped shape who I am as both a student and an educator," Issa said. "I look forward to supporting and serving students, families and staff while fostering an inclusive and equitable environment where every student is empowered to reach their full potential."
Most recently, Issa served as bridge coordinator, problem-solving data coordinator, teacher leader and GATE coordinator at University High School Charter. In that role, he facilitated about 300 IEP meetings annually, coordinated special education operations, collaborated with families and service providers, planned professional development aligned with MTSS and implemented evidence-based interventions to support students with disabilities.
Before his leadership role, Issa was an education specialist at Santa Paula High School and University High School Charter, where he taught English language arts, English language development and world history while serving as a case manager for students with disabilities. He worked closely with students, families and educators to ensure individualized supports and accommodations were implemented.
Issa holds a Master of Arts in educational leadership and an administrative credential, as well as a Master of Arts in education with a mild/moderate education specialist credential from Alliant International University. He earned bachelor's degrees in history and global studies from California State University Channel Islands.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### We Deserve a City We Can Call Home
URL: https://www.smdp.com/we-deserve-a-city-we-can-call-home/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T15:14:39.000Z
We’ve spent too much time arguing about what to call the problem instead of how to solve it. That’s one of the reasons people have lost trust in government. We debate terms like “continuum of care,” “housing-focused systems,” and “permanent supportive housing,” while residents are asking much simpler questions: Why do our streets feel less safe? Why are businesses struggling? Why are people still living and dying on our sidewalks? After spending millions of dollars, what are we actually accomplishing?
We don’t rebuild trust by choosing better words. We rebuild trust by speaking plainly.
Let’s be honest: not everyone living on our streets is in the same situation, so why do we keep talking as if they are?
Some people have fallen on hard times and need temporary housing, employment support, and a bridge back to stability. Some need structured support and intensive case management because life has become overwhelming, but they can still engage with services. Others are living with severe addiction, untreated mental illness, traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, or chronic medical conditions. Many are self-medicating on our streets. They need treatment, medical care, recovery services, and sometimes legal intervention before housing alone can make a lasting difference.
Different problems require different solutions. If we keep treating every situation the same, we shouldn’t be surprised when the results stay the same.
We also need to have an honest conversation about housing. Santa Monica is just 8.4 square miles. We are a fully built-out city, so every decision about housing, services, and public space matters.
We should continue building housing responsibly for the people who live and work here. But we need to stop acting as though every discussion about homelessness begins and ends with building more housing.
When residents talk about the people they see living on our streets every day, they’re usually not talking about someone who lost an apartment a month ago. They’re talking about people who appear to be struggling with severe addiction, untreated mental illness, or both. Those challenges require more than housing alone.
That doesn’t mean housing isn’t part of the solution. It is. It means we have to match the right solution to the right person.
Santa Monica also cannot solve a regional crisis by itself. During ride-alongs with our Police Department and conversations with outreach workers, firefighters, paramedics, and service providers, I’ve met people from throughout California and other parts of the country. Addiction, mental illness, and gaps in treatment don’t stop at city boundaries, and neither should the solutions.
Where treatment, detox, psychiatric care, recovery programs, or supportive housing already exist elsewhere in Los Angeles County, we should use those resources. Every community should do its part so no single city carries a disproportionate share of the burden.
At the same time, when services are going to exist in Santa Monica regardless, we should seriously consider local control if it gives us greater accountability. If we’re responsible for the outcomes, then the buck should stop with us.
That brings me to the Palm Motel. I live just down the street. When I first learned what was happening, I had many of the same concerns my neighbors had. I was disappointed that the community wasn’t brought into the conversation sooner. Over the last two years, I’ve also learned something important. Not every issue people associate with the Palm Motel actually starts there. The surrounding businesses, gas station, liquor market, and air pump naturally attract people throughout the day. Sitting on a sidewalk isn’t illegal. Putting air in your tires isn’t illegal. Using drugs in public, trespassing, stealing, vandalizing property, threatening others, or creating unsafe conditions is illegal. That’s where our focus should be.
I’ve supported our Police Department becoming more proactive not because people should be arrested simply for being homeless, but because public spaces belong to everyone. We should continue connecting people with services while also enforcing the laws that protect residents, visitors, businesses, and the people trying to recover. Residents also deserve to understand the choice before us.
If the City does not take over funding the Palm Motel program, we don’t get to decide what happens there next. The owners have the legal right to continue operating it, sell it, or redevelop it within the law. Doing nothing is still a decision, and it comes with consequences. Before we choose a path, we should be honest about all of the realistic alternatives, not just the one currently in front of us.
Finally, let’s start measuring results instead of intentions. Residents deserve to know where the money comes from, who controls each program, what those programs cost, and whether they’re actually working. We should publish that information in a simple public dashboard that shows funding sources, responsibilities, outcomes, and performance. If something isn’t working, we should have the courage to change it.
I know this balanced approach frustrates people on both sides.
Some believe acknowledging neighborhood impacts means you don’t care about people who are homeless. Others believe supporting treatment and services means you’ve accepted the status quo. I reject both extremes. My job isn’t to defend an ideology. My job is to solve problems.
Government doesn’t have to be this confusing: explain the problem, explain the options, show people where the money goes, measure the results. If something isn’t working, change it. That’s not a partisan approach. It’s common sense.
Our residents deserve clean streets, safe neighborhoods, thriving businesses, and a city they can proudly call home. People who are homeless deserve a system that actually helps them recover, stabilize, and rebuild their lives. We can do both. But first, we have to stop arguing about the words and start focusing on the results.
Lana Negrete
### City to restart "overhead watering" for dying trees on San Vicente
URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-to-restart-overhead-watering-for-dying-trees-on-san-vicente/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T15:13:30.000Z
The deaths of dozens of coral trees along San Vicente Boulevard's median over the past four years have prompted the city to reevaluate its irrigation policies, as a new risk assessment finds most of the corridor's remaining trees are in poor health and at risk of failing within two years.
A risk assessment by arborist Jonathan Flournoy, dated July 1, evaluated 13 South African coral trees between the 100 and 1900 blocks of San Vicente Boulevard. Nine were rated "high" risk, three "moderate" and one "low." All 13 showed poor foliage, trunk decay and significant root damage, according to the report.
The assessment continues a troubling trend for the corridor, which has lost roughly 32 coral trees over the past four years.
Flournoy identified banana moth infestation, likely following drought stress, as a key factor in the trees' decline, noting that coral trees compartmentalize decay poorly, allowing rot to spread quickly once it takes hold.
Some individual cases documented in the report were severe. One tree in the 400 block had 23% dead trunk circumference and a root plate that has been uplifting for at least seven years. A tree in the 700 block had 55% dead trunk circumference. A third tree in the 1700 block showed signs of past structural failure, including a large basal cavity.
Flournoy said removal, rather than pruning, is the only viable option for trees rated high risk, though the city will determine the timing of any removals.
The findings reflect broader strain on Santa Monica's urban forest, which includes about 35,000 public trees. Roughly 42% of those trees are now mature and nearing the end of their expected lifespan, according to the city.
The tree deaths have drawn scrutiny to how the median has been irrigated over the past decade.
Around 2016, the city retrofitted the median's overhead irrigation system, replacing it with bubblers that watered only the trees rather than the surrounding turf. The change came in response to drought regulations at the time that prohibited watering turf in medians. Depending on their size, the mature coral trees were each fitted with six to eight bubblers, and that system has remained in place since.
For the past 10 years, the bubblers have run for 30 minutes twice a week.
City officials said the tree watering system has functioned well over that period, with one recent exception: a section of the median between 7th and 11th streets has gone without power needed to run the irrigation system. The city has ordered a solar-powered controller for that section and plans to install it upon arrival. In the meantime, the city's landscape contractor has been hand-watering the affected trees weekly.
The city is now working to reinstate the median's overhead irrigation system, officials said. In addition to providing supplemental water to the trees, the restored system is intended to help revive the turf in the median.
### Soho House to open Venice Beach location in summer 2027
URL: https://www.smdp.com/soho-house-to-open-venice-beach-location-in-summer-2027/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T15:12:43.000Z
Soho House will open a new location in Venice Beach in summer 2027, marking the private members' club's fifth outpost in the Los Angeles area, the company announced.
The new House will sit steps from Abbot Kinney Boulevard, the Venice thoroughfare known for its independent boutiques, galleries and restaurants from artisans and retailers around the world. Company officials said the location is designed to give Los Angeles members a new gathering place centered on food, drinks and wellness experiences.
Soho House Venice Beach will span two floors of club space, including an outdoor terrace on the top floor for drinks and dining. The House will feature communal spaces, health-focused menus and a year-round lineup of programming, according to the company.
Wellness will be a central part of the member experience "morning, noon and night," the company said. Planned amenities include a movement studio and both guided and unguided contrast therapy offerings. Those will include a large communal contrast suite with a hammam, sauna and cold plunge, as well as a private contrast suite, cryotherapy and multiple ice baths.
Members will have access to a calendar of events ranging from creative workshops and talks to recovery-focused programming, including private and social contrast sessions, breathwork, sound baths and expert residencies, the company said.
The Venice Beach location will also debut House Goods, a new concept the company describes as a "purpose-driven" food and drink offering built around workouts, recovery and daily routines. Developed with local wellness experts, the program is organized around morning, noon and night segments and will feature nutrient-dense foods and functional drinks intended to support members throughout the day, according to Soho House.
Membership applications can be submitted at www.sohohouse.com/membership. More information on the Venice Beach House is available at www.sohohouse.com/houses/soho-house-venice-beach.
Soho House is an international private members' club catering to people working in the creative industries, including film, media, fashion, art and music. Restaurateur Nick Jones founded the company in 1995, opening the first Soho House above his Cafe Boheme restaurant at 40 Greek Street in London's Soho district. The club took its name, and its three-house logo, from that original Georgian building. Jones built the club around rejecting the formality of traditional gentlemen's clubs, favoring creative professionals over corporate members, an ethos reflected in the club's informal "no suits" culture and selective membership committee.
The company expanded gradually from its single London townhouse. Babington House, its first location with bedrooms, opened in Somerset, England, in 1998, the same year the company launched its first Cowshed spa. Soho House New York opened in 2003, and the Berlin House, which opened in 2010, became the company's first location on the European mainland.
By 2025, its 30th anniversary, Soho House operated 46 locations worldwide and served 269,606 members as of Sept. 28, 2025, according to the company. Jones stepped down as chief executive in 2022, moving into a founder role, and was succeeded by Andrew Carnie. The company was taken private in a deal led by MCR Hotels that was announced in August 2025.
Soho House describes its mission as creating a "home from home" where members can gather and belong wherever they travel. Each House is individually designed with spaces for dining, drinking, relaxing, working and exercising, along with screening rooms, rooftops and pools. The company also maintains a curated art collection of more than 11,000 works.
Beyond its clubs, membership includes access to Soho House hotel rooms, Cowshed spas, Soho Health Clubs, Cecconi's and other in-house restaurants, Soho Works co-working spaces, the Soho Home interiors line, and a regular calendar of members' events.
### Council to weigh three paths for shielding Expo/Bundy area from state housing law
URL: https://www.smdp.com/council-to-weigh-three-paths-for-shielding-expo-bundy-area-from-state-housing-law/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T15:11:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday will consider three options for increasing development standards near the Expo/Bundy Metro station, the final piece needed to temporarily exempt the area from a new state law requiring greater density near transit stops.
The options, laid out in a staff report for the July 28 meeting, range from upzoning 89 single-family parcels north of the I-10 Freeway, to upzoning all 212 single-family parcels in the zone, to reverting to a Planning Commission recommendation that would instead raise standards on 66 parcels zoned for duplexes and apartments. Each option would allow the city to delay implementation of Senate Bill 79 in the Expo/Bundy area until a year after adoption of its next state-mandated Housing Element, expected around 2030.
The report comes two weeks after the council voted 5-1 to pursue rezoning single-family parcels rather than the multifamily parcels planning staff had originally recommended, directing staff to return with options for how many of those parcels should be included.
Need for the rezoning
SB 79, known as the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, took effect statewide July 1 and sets minimum density, floor-area ratio and height standards for qualifying housing projects within a half-mile of designated transit stops. Cities can temporarily exclude a transit zone from those standards if at least a third of its parcels already permit at least half of SB 79's density and floor-area standards, and if the zone's overall permitted density reaches at least 75% of what SB 79 would require.
Five of Santa Monica's six transit-oriented development zones already meet that threshold, according to the staff report, and the council introduced an ordinance July 14 to exclude those zones, along with downtown bus stops, from SB 79's requirements. The Expo/Bundy zone, however, falls short. Of its 381 parcels, only 74 — about 19.4% — currently meet the density and floor-area threshold, well below the 126 parcels, or 33%, needed to qualify for exclusion. That means at least 52 additional parcels need increased development standards.
Of the zone's 381 parcels, the report states 90 are already ineligible for SB 79 protections, 54 are commercially zoned parcels that already meet or exceed SB 79 standards, and 237 are residentially zoned. Of those residential parcels, 232 carry what the report calls unlikely displacement risk — including 212 single-family, owner-occupied lots — while five carry potential involuntary displacement risk.
The three options
Option 1 would raise development standards on 89 single-family parcels located north of the I-10 Freeway, bounded by Dorchester Avenue, Exposition Boulevard and Centinela Avenue. The report says this area sits closest to the Expo/Bundy station and to higher-intensity commercial parcels in the Bergamot area. It would bring 42.7% of the zone's parcels up to the required threshold. Five of the 89 parcels have rent-controlled units, but all five are single-unit dwellings and therefore not protected under SB 79's displacement provisions, according to the report.
Option 2 would apply increased standards to all 212 single-family parcels located exclusively within the Expo/Bundy zone, raising 75.5% of parcels to the threshold — far more than the minimum needed. The report describes it as the simplest and most uniform approach, since it follows SB 79's own half-mile boundary rather than drawing a new line. Twenty of the 212 parcels have rent-controlled units, five of which have three or more units and are protected under SB 79's displacement rules.
Option 3 would return to the Planning Commission's June 17 recommendation to instead raise standards on 66 multifamily parcels — 60 zoned R2 and six zoned R3 — bringing 36.7% of the zone's parcels to the threshold while affecting the fewest total parcels. Of those 66 parcels, 44 have rent-controlled units and four have deed-restricted affordable units, with three parcels containing both. Forty of the 44 rent-controlled parcels have three or more units and would be protected under SB 79's displacement provisions; four would not.
Under all three options, a typical affected parcel's maximum density would rise to a 1.25 floor-area ratio, 30-foot height limit and 40 dwelling units per acre — below SB 79's guaranteed standards of a 2.5 floor-area ratio, 55-foot height and 80 dwelling units per acre, but above what current R1 zoning otherwise allows.
Staff also outlined four alternatives it considered and rejected, including upzoning parcels within a quarter-mile of the station, using a one-third-mile radius, targeting only parcels south of the I-10, or taking no action at all — each rejected either for falling short of the 33% threshold or for conflicting with the city's stated goal of directing development toward commercial corridors.
Background on the debate
The council's July 14 vote to pursue single-family rezoning over the Planning Commission's multifamily recommendation passed 5-1, with Councilmembers Natalia Zernitskaya, Caroline Snell, Ellis Raskin and Dan Hall and Mayor Caroline Torosis in favor and Councilmember Lana Negrete opposed. Councilmember Jesse Zwick abstained due to a conflict with his employer.
Raskin, who pushed for the single-family approach, argued it carried less displacement risk because most R1 parcels are owner-occupied, calling the change "really just paper upzoning" given that state laws such as SB 9 and SB 684 already allow comparable density on single-family lots. Negrete cast the lone dissenting vote, warning the approach could invite speculative buying by investors and asking staff to research the rent-control history of affected R1 parcels.
Planning Director Jing Yeo told the council at the July 14 meeting that any upzoning of single-family parcels would likely need to apply uniformly to avoid legal challenges resembling spot zoning, though city staff has since returned with the narrower Option 1 boundary for council's consideration.
No environmental review is required for Tuesday's discussion, staff said, because the item involves policy direction rather than a specific development project. Staff said any ordinance ultimately affecting the Expo/Bundy zone would need to return to the council for further action before taking effect.
### The Surfrider Malibu launches 'Sunday Sessions' summer concert series with Aviator Nation Dreamland, Malibu Pier
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-surfrider-malibu-launches-sunday-sessions-summer-concert-series-with-aviator-nation-dreamland-malibu-pier/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T19:00:12.000Z
The Surfrider Malibu, a Casetta Hotel, has partnered with Aviator Nation Dreamland and Malibu Pier for Sunday Sessions, a two-part live music and lifestyle series that brings performances, vinyl sets, food and drink to four beachside stages.
The series returns Sunday, Aug. 9, with music and performances spanning Aviator Nation Dreamland, Malibu Pier and The Surfrider Roof Deck. Programming runs throughout the day, with the roof deck open from about 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The event is presented with support from Lola Blankets, SipMARGS, Red Bull, Los Sundays Tequila and others. The first session, held July 12, featured performances and sets from Zoe Smith, Ellie Blackburn, Rachell Rivas, Taylor John Williams and Saige Davis, along with activations from local Malibu partners. VIP guests had access to the roof deck for acoustic performances and a summer menu overlooking the Pacific.
General admission is free and open to all ages, with access to the Malibu Pier Stage, Dreamland Stage and Dreamland Patio. Guests 21 and older can buy VIP passes for exclusive access to The Surfrider Roof Deck and the Lola Blankets Lounge on Malibu Pier. VIP passes release the week before the event, along with lineup details. August artists will be announced the week prior.
Guests staying at The Surfrider automatically receive access to all ticketed VIP experiences. Travelers and locals can book a special room rate using code SSS26\. Friends of The Surfrider and Casetta receive 10% off their stay and two complimentary VIP tickets, subject to availability.
Highlights include acoustic performances and full bar and food service on The Surfrider Roof Deck; afternoon-through-sunset performances on the Malibu Pier Stage; a day-to-night lineup on the Dreamland Stage; DJ vinyl sets on the Dreamland Patio; and the Lola Blankets Lounge, a VIP space with side-stage Pier views, a private bar and oceanfront seating.
The venues line Pacific Coast Highway: The Surfrider Malibu at 23033, Malibu Pier at 23000 and Aviator Nation Dreamland at 22969\. Parking is limited and first-come, first-served; rideshare is encouraged.
For tickets and lineup information, visit the Sunday Sessions site:[ ](https://www.tixr.com/groups/dreamland/events/sunday-sessions-aug-9-196029?ref=smdp.com)[https://www.tixr.com/groups/dreamland/events/sunday-sessions-aug-9-196029](https://www.tixr.com/groups/dreamland/events/sunday-sessions-aug-9-196029?ref=smdp.com)
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Council members mount effort to preserve homeless shelter capacity
URL: https://www.smdp.com/council-members-mount-effort-to-preserve-homeless-shelter-capacity/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T10:00:21.000Z
Santa Monica City Council members Mayor Torosis, Mayor Pro Tem Zwick and Councilmember Raskin are asking their colleagues to guarantee that SaMoShel, the city's 60-bed congregate shelter, will not close until a replacement plan for its capacity is fully developed, according to a council request set for Tuesday night's meeting.
The three council members' item states support for preserving services at The Palm Motel and for replacing SaMoShel's congregate housing model with other forms of emergency shelter and interim housing "better suited for the needs of our city and those exiting homelessness." But the request stops short of endorsing SaMoShel's closure without more detail on what would replace its bed capacity.
"We do not support closing Samoshel without a further developed plan to replace its capacity," the request states.
The item also calls for any future site-selection process to exclude the Pico Neighborhood, citing the council's commitment to equity and to affirmatively furthering fair housing. The three council members are asking fellow members to direct staff to take the steps necessary to carry out that direction.
The request comes as the council considers a broader restructuring of the city's homeless services system, called the Housing Focused System of Care, also on Tuesday's agenda. That plan, outlined in a staff report from Housing and Human Services Director Aileen Reynolds, would shift control of homeless services from Los Angeles County to the city amid what staff describe as a significant regional retrenchment: the county Board of Supervisors' decision to pull Measure A funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the creation of a new county homeless services department, roughly $200 million in county budget cuts to homeless services, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's June suspension of federal funding to LAHSA and the Los Angeles Continuum of Care.
Under the plan, the city would move to preserve The Palm Motel as stabilization housing after county funding for its current program ends, direct money to The Salvation Army's Bell Shelter in Bell to fund currently inactive beds, and launch a Request for Expression of Interest seeking motels, hotels and other non-congregate sites to eventually replace SaMoShel.
Staff have proposed a combined $9,535,809 across the three agreements, including $4,264,673 in fiscal year 2026-27, with a budget amendment shifting $3,458,150 from the Providence Saint John's Development Agreement fund balance to help cover costs. The city has also applied for more than $5 million in state Encampment Resolution Program grant funding.
The plan follows years of city study, including a 2022 assessment from Moss Adams, a strategic plan developed with BerryDunn and published in March 2025, and an October 2025 Realignment Plan directing staff toward a "healing center" sheltering model. Fourteen community meetings held between April and July surfaced general support for new approaches alongside concerns about site security and geographic concentration, staff said.
The item requires five votes to pass because it includes a budget amendment.
### Main Street hosts a hopeful State of the City
URL: https://www.smdp.com/main-street-hosts-a-hopeful-state-of-the-city/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T10:00:00.000Z
Mayor Caroline Torosis delivered a hopeful State of the City address last week during a community focused event that brought city services straight to residents as part of a street festival on Main Street.
"This is more than the setting for tonight's speech," Torosis told the crowd. "It is a glimpse of what is possible when we bring people together and make government feel closer to the community."
The mayor opened by thanking her City Council colleagues — Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick and Councilmembers Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell, Lana Negrete and Natalya Zernitskaya — along with City Manager Oliver Chi. She singled out several city employees for recognition, including a traffic services officer and a police officer credited with saving a choking child, a code enforcement supervisor, park staff who help families find food and housing, and a downtown maintenance manager with more than three decades of service.
Rather than reciting a full list of city accomplishments — she pointed residents to the city's new "Santa Monica Scorecard" for that — Torosis framed her address around a single question: What kind of city is Santa Monica becoming?
She cited the reopening of the Ocean Park Branch Library, which returned to full staffing this month after five years of reduced service, as emblematic of the city's broader turnaround. "We are turning the lights back on," she said.
Torosis detailed a string of gains under the city's Realignment Plan, adopted unanimously by the council last October following the COVID-19 pandemic and the region's wildfires. She said more than nine in 10 first-round building plan checks are now completed on time, up 40 percentage points in four months. City crews have hauled away 502 tons of debris in six months, a 97% increase over the prior year. The police department has reached full sworn staffing for the first time in more than two decades, serious crime is down 12.5%, and the Big Blue Bus carried 10 million riders for a second consecutive year. The city's general fund is structurally balanced ahead of schedule, she said, enabling nearly $110 million in investments in parks, streets, libraries, public safety and transportation.
On housing, Torosis said the city approved nearly 1,800 new homes this year, including more than 450 permanently affordable units. She highlighted the new Santa Monica Renter Aid program, a $6 million effort she described as the first of its kind in the county, along with the existing Right to Counsel program for tenants facing eviction. She also pointed to SaMo Bridge, which she said has connected more than 460 people to services, treatment and housing as an alternative to the criminal legal system, with more than 80% accepting help. The city has also created a Restorative Justice Commission and committed $3.5 million to address harms tied to the historic displacement of families from the Belmont Triangle and Pico neighborhood.
Torosis acknowledged ongoing challenges, including unsheltered homelessness, elevated property crime and struggling small businesses, saying the city is "no longer looking away" from those problems.
Looking ahead, the mayor cited a lineup of major upcoming events — including the Ocean Way Music Festival on the beach this September, ESPN's Super Bowl week broadcasts, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games — and said each must deliver a "resident dividend" of jobs, free public experiences and lasting improvements. She also discussed the pending 2028 closure of Santa Monica Airport, saying the 192 acres will be transformed with community input into new public parkland.
The address closed with the unveiling of Santa Monica's Tournament of Roses Parade float design and a plan to bus local residents from Santa Monica to Pasadena to help build it. Torosis said the float's theme, "Welcome," reflects her governing philosophy for the city, tying it to a personal story about her mother, who immigrated from Montreal and watched the parade as a symbol of the welcome California seemed to offer.
### Suspect arrested in Saturday night murder on Pico
URL: https://www.smdp.com/suspect-arrested-in-saturday-night-murder-on-pico/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T18:45:08.000Z
Santa Monica police have arrested a male suspect in connection with the killing of a woman found beaten to death in an apartment in the 1900 block of Pico Boulevard, department officials said over the weekend.
Police received a call at approximately 5:21 p.m. Saturday regarding a woman in need of medical assistance inside the apartment. Responding officers found an adult woman with significant injuries. Santa Monica Fire Department personnel attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
SMPD detectives and forensic personnel are investigating the death as a homicide. The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Police said no additional suspects are being sought and the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491.
Witnesses reported seeing the investigation inside The Manor, at 1905 Pico. The state-licensed Adult Residential Facility, across the street from Santa Monica College, has long drawn criticism as a blight on the Pico and Sunset Park neighborhoods and is a frequent source of calls to police.
Licensed under the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing, The Manor has provided room, board and supervision for adults with mental illness and developmental disabilities since 1965\. It is not a conventional apartment building, market-rate housing or Section 8 housing, despite being mislabeled by some online listing aggregators.
The facility has figured into the city's homelessness-sheltering plans. The city previously explored partnering with The Manor as part of an effort to replace shelter capacity at SaMoShel, the city's 60-bed congregate shelter at 505 Olympic Blvd, but halted those talks in favor of a competitive Request for Expression of Interest process. The Manor is not among the agreements currently before the City Council, and no Manor-specific zoning dispute or organized opposition has surfaced in coverage of the broader plan.
The city is now moving to end SaMoShel operations entirely and replace them with a "Housing Focused System of Care," a three-tier model of stabilization, interim and permanent housing under direct city control. City Manager Oliver Chi has described the current shelter system as "challenging" and "disjointed." The plan, prepared by Housing and Human Services Director Aileen Reynolds, cites Los Angeles County's restructuring of its regional homeless response, including a $843 million county spending plan approved in July 2025 that cut nearly $200 million amid a shortfall of more than $270 million, and a June 11, 2026, decision by HUD to suspend the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from federal grant activity pending a mismanagement investigation.
The city's plan includes preserving the Palm Motel at 2020 14th St. as city-controlled "stabilization housing," directing funding to activate unfunded beds at The Salvation Army's Bell Shelter in the city of Bell, and issuing a new Request for Expression of Interest to identify motels, hotels and residential facilities to replace SaMoShel's capacity. The combined budget request across the three agreements totals $9,535,809.
The council is scheduled to consider the plan at its July 28 meeting. Because the item includes a budget amendment, it requires five votes to pass. Opposition has centered in the Pico and Sunset Park neighborhoods, where residents have raised questions about admissions criteria, sobriety requirements, security and harm-reduction supplies at a recent town hall organized by the Pico Neighborhood Association and Friends of Sunset Park.
Some councilmembers have said they oppose closing the downtown shelter until the city releases a plan to replace all the potentially lost shelter beds.
Santa Monica's 2026 Point-in-Time count found 718 people experiencing homelessness in the city, down from 812 in 2025 — an 11.6% decline, with unsheltered homelessness down 18.7%, according to the city.
### Santa Monica moves to shutter SaMoShel, build City-controlled housing system
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-moves-to-shutter-samoshel-build-city-controlled-housing-system/
Last updated: 2026-07-25T09:59:59.000Z
Santa Monica is preparing to decommission SaMoShel, the 60-bed congregate shelter that has served as the city's only dedicated sheltering resource for more than three decades, as part of a broader overhaul of how the city addresses homelessness.
The City Council will consider the plan, called the Housing Focused System of Care, at its July 28 meeting. The proposal would replace SaMoShel's dormitory-style setup — in which residents sleep in an assigned area of a large room alongside many others — with a network of non-congregate housing that the city, rather than Los Angeles County, would control from intake through permanent placement.
According to a staff report prepared by Aileen Reynolds, director of the city's Housing and Human Services Department, the shift comes as Los Angeles County dramatically restructures its regional homeless response system. Over the past 15 months, the county Board of Supervisors voted to pull Measure A funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, created a new County Department of Homeless Services and Housing, and then cut nearly $200 million from homeless services amid a budget shortfall. In June, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended federal funding to LAHSA and the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, adding further strain.
"If we simply maintain the status quo while the regional system is reordered and defunded, our local outcomes will suffer, both in how we support the unhoused population in our community, and in our efforts to reduce disorder in our neighborhoods and commercial districts," the report states.
New housing options across the city
The plan calls for three linked types of housing — stabilization housing, interim housing and permanent housing — each paired with support services, with the city deciding who is placed at each site and directing security and "good neighbor" policies at every location.
The first step involves preserving The Palm Motel as stabilization housing. The 34-room, 48-occupant motel has operated as county-funded interim housing under The People Concern for the past two years, but that program is ending as the county redirects resources. Rather than lose the resource, the city would negotiate agreements with the property owner and with The People Concern to bring the site under city control, limiting placements to people who meet the Santa Monica Program Participant, or SMPP, definition — someone who became homeless in the city, has been homeless in the city for three or more years, or is a frequent user of city services as verified by staff.
The second step directs city funding to The Salvation Army to activate currently unfunded shelter beds at its Bell Shelter in the city of Bell. Because those beds would be available to any Los Angeles County jurisdiction working with The Salvation Army, staff describe the investment as support for the broader regional system, while also giving the city's outreach and first-responder teams a funded referral option for people who don't meet the SMPP definition.
The third step is a Request for Expression of Interest, or RFEI, seeking motels, hotels, residential facilities and other non-congregate sites in and around Santa Monica. Those facilities, once identified, would replace SaMoShel's capacity and complete the local continuum. The city had previously explored partnering with The Manor, an adult residential facility on Pico Boulevard, but halted those talks in favor of the competitive RFEI process. Staff say the transition away from SaMoShel would be sequenced so shelter capacity is maintained throughout, and a subsequent Request for Qualifications would build a bench of service providers for the new sites.
Staff are also asking the council to approve exceptions to competitive bidding for agreements with The Palm Motel, The People Concern and The Salvation Army, and to adopt a finding that the agreements are statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act because they constitute contracts for services to people experiencing homelessness.
The budget request tied to the plan totals $4,264,673 in fiscal year 2026-27 and $5,271,136 in future-year requests, for a combined $9,535,809 across the three agreements. Staff are proposing a budget amendment shifting $3,458,150 from the Providence Saint John's Development Agreement fund balance to cover part of the cost. Officials note that funding beyond year two will need new sources once those development agreement funds run out, and that the city has applied for more than $5 million from a state Encampment Resolution Program grant, with Measure GS and Measure GSH cited as other potential funding streams.
Closure, not relocation
The proposal has met with concern and confusion in the community. Santa Monica is not proposing a relocation of Samoshell, either its people or services. Rather it’s proposing an end to all Samoshell operations. Current residents would be transferred to as yet undermined facilities. Santa Monica would then populate any new facilities in city limits with individuals drawn from its priority population. Those new beds would be filtered for individuals who are able to utilize the interim housing and would be specifically for people transitioning out of homelessness.
The city's homelessness strategy
The proposal builds on several years of city analysis. In 2022, Santa Monica commissioned a homelessness assessment from Moss Adams, which led the council in 2023 to authorize development of a citywide homelessness strategic plan. The city worked with BerryDunn on that plan, which was published in March 2025.
In October 2025, the council adopted a Realignment Plan that called for reimagining the city's sheltering model, replacing SaMoShel with a "healing center" approach pairing shelter with addiction treatment and mental health services and creating a direct pipeline into transitional and permanent housing.
In late March 2026, staff returned with a Realignment Plan update recommending the Housing Focused System of Care and asking for direction to pursue community engagement before finalizing any agreements. That outreach included 14 community meetings between April and July, where staff said they heard general support for new solutions, alongside concerns about site safety and security, how success would be measured, and whether facilities would be concentrated in one part of the city. Staff say those concerns shaped the final proposal, including the security and good-neighbor provisions built into each contract and an equity review planned for the RFEI process.
The 2025 Point-in-Time count identified 812 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica. Staff also noted that of SaMoShel's 60 beds, only about 10% are currently occupied by people who meet the SMPP definition, a gap the report cites in proposing a two-part strategy: building a local system for SMPP residents while continuing to invest in the regional response for others experiencing homelessness in the city.
The item is scheduled for the council's July 28 meeting and would require five votes to pass because it includes a budget amendment.
### Santa Monica reports double digit decline in homelessness
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-reports-double-digit-decline-in-homelessness/
Last updated: 2026-07-25T01:26:27.000Z
Unsheltered homelessness in Santa Monica dropped 18.1% in 2026, even as homelessness increased across most of the Los Angeles region, according to Point-in-Time Count data released Friday by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Santa Monica's count found 718 people experiencing homelessness this year, down 94 people, or 11.6%, from 812 in 2025\. It was the lowest total recorded since LAHSA began administering the city's count in 2024.
The decline was driven almost entirely by fewer people living outdoors. The count found 389 unsheltered individuals, down 86 from 475 last year. Sheltered residents rose slightly, from 202 to 222, an increase of 9.9%.
Vehicle dwelling, the main driver of Santa Monica's increase in last year's count, reversed sharply. Occupied vehicles — cars, vans and RVs — fell from 84 to 59, a drop of 29.8%. Vans alone fell from 52 to 34\. Tents and makeshift shelters combined dropped from 51 to 48.
"Behind every one of these numbers is a person, and behind this progress is a community that refuses to treat homelessness as inevitable," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "This is what happens when a city stays committed to keeping people housed. We're proud of this milestone, and we are not slowing down."
Aileen Reynolds, director of the city's Housing and Human Services Department, said the numbers reflect the work of the city's coordinated response system but cautioned against declaring victory.
"This decline reflects what a dedicated system of care can achieve when we meet people where they are and connect them to services right away," Reynolds said. "At the same time, we know our work is not done."
City officials and LAHSA caution that the figures are raw, unadjusted totals reflecting people and dwellings actually observed by volunteers and outreach teams the night of the count in January. They have not been adjusted with a multiplier to estimate additional people who may have been living inside a counted vehicle or structure, and the sheltered totals exclude people housed through vouchers, Inside Safe, Pathway Home or other programs with confidential addresses — meaning the true number of unhoused residents connected to city and county services is likely higher than the raw count shows.
The result marks a reversal from a year ago, when Santa Monica's 2025 count showed local homelessness rising 5%, from 774 people in 2024 to 812, driven largely by car campers and a rise in shelter residents, even as Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles both posted declines. This year, the pattern flipped: Santa Monica improved while the regional picture worsened. Santa Monica's broader service planning area, which includes Malibu, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Venice and several other Westside communities, saw an increase of 147 individuals.
**Regional homelessness rises after two years of declines**
LAHSA's 2026 Greater Los Angeles count found homelessness across the county's Continuum of Care rose 1.2% to an estimated 73,040 people, and rose 3.4% to about 45,194 people within the city of Los Angeles — reversing two consecutive years of declines. Unsheltered homelessness in the city of Los Angeles jumped 7.9%, to an estimated 29,115 people.
LAHSA said the increase was not driven by any single program's failure but by a funding-driven pause in enrollments and permanent housing placements through Time Limited Subsidies, a flexible rental assistance program. The number of people newly housed through the subsidies dropped from 10,308 in 2024 to 6,590 in 2025, contributing to a roughly 5,100-person decline in total permanent placements regionwide, to 23,532.
Without access to the subsidies, movement through the rehousing system slowed at every stage: transitions from interim to permanent housing fell 36%, movement from the street into interim housing fell 8%, and the number of people falling back onto the street from interim housing rose 24%. LAHSA said that bottleneck left fewer beds available for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to fill.
"This year's count confirms a fundamental truth: access to permanent housing ends homelessness," said Gita O'Neill, LAHSA's interim chief executive officer. "When our unhoused neighbors lost access to rental subsidies, the system slowed, there was less upward movement in interim housing, and progress stalled."
LAHSA also pointed to broader economic pressure, noting a Los Angeles County household must earn $110,000 annually to afford average rent of $2,745 a month, and that the region lacks more than 473,000 affordable homes it needs. Of newly unhoused residents surveyed this year, 59% cited economic hardship as the primary cause.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass offered a different emphasis, attributing the reversal to federal policy under the Trump administration and to what she described as a 50% cut in state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funding, from $1 billion to $500 million, which she said cost the city of Los Angeles $70 million.
LAHSA said it is pursuing litigation, alongside lawsuits brought by the state of California and others, against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over the funding framework adopted for its 2026 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Availability, arguing the framework threatens to strip subsidies from thousands of households already in permanent housing.
**Count methodology faces continued scrutiny**
Both the regional and Santa Monica figures come with reliability caveats. A RAND Corporation study published in 2025 found LAHSA's volunteer-led count has significantly undercounted the region's unsheltered population in recent years, diverging sharply from RAND's more rigorous survey method starting in 2024\. Last year's official count fell 32% short of RAND's tally, with the 2025 count capturing just 61% of Skid Row's unsheltered population, compared with 76% in Venice and 81% in Hollywood.
Because the count determines how federal homelessness funding and Los Angeles County's Measure A sales tax revenue are distributed, undercounts in high-need areas risk diverting resources from where they're needed most, RAND found. A subsequent HUD-mandated review of LAHSA's 2025 count found duplication and utilization errors, prompting revisions including an upward correction to the unsheltered estimate after reviewers discovered an outdated file had omitted data from the Winnetka area.
RAND's most recent report, covering data collected from January 2025 through this January in Hollywood, Skid Row and Venice, found the combined unsheltered population in those neighborhoods held roughly steady, but unsheltered rough sleeping without any tent, vehicle or makeshift structure reached its highest share in the study's four-year history — 44% of the unsheltered population in those areas, up from 30% in 2021\. Researchers linked the shift, away from tents and toward vehicles and open-air sleeping, to encampment clearings that leave people without alternative housing.
LAHSA has faced broader scrutiny over its methodology and finances over the past year, including a 2025 forensic audit, the loss of roughly $350 million in annual funding from Los Angeles County, and the resignation of former CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum.
Beginning later this summer, Santa Monica will partner with RAND to conduct independent, bi-monthly counts of unsheltered homelessness in the city, paired with in-person surveys of unsheltered residents — an effort city officials said is meant to supplement the annual snapshot with more frequent, granular data.
**City programs cited in decline**
City officials credited several initiatives launched over the past year, anchored by the Homelessness Strategic Plan the City Council adopted in March 2025, which aligned city departments around four pillars: prevention, intervention, coordination and communication. The plan ties into the city's broader Realignment Plan objectives of achieving safe neighborhoods and clean streets and developing affordable housing.
Among the programs cited was SaMo Bridge, a 24/7 respite hub at Main Street and Pico Boulevard that opened in April 2025\. Accessible only through Santa Monica Police Department referral, the hub is operated by longtime city partner Exodus Recovery in coordination with the City Attorney's Office, the Police Department and Housing and Human Services. Rather than arresting someone for a minor offense, officers can bring them to SaMo Bridge, where a resource navigator begins a 90-day care coordination plan.
In its first year, the program received 462 police referrals — exceeding its original design capacity of 260 annual referrals — and started 363 people on 90-day plans. Of 233 participants directly connected to services, 81% were immediately placed into housing or treatment programs, and 54 people graduated and became eligible for citation dismissal.
The city also pointed to expanded street outreach hours in partnership with the Salvation Army and The People Concern, growth of the Police Department's Homeless Liaison Program, continued Right to Counsel legal representation for tenants facing eviction, and the Project Homecoming initiative, which has reunited more than 3,200 people with family or support networks since 2006.
The Point-in-Time Count is a federally required, one-night snapshot conducted each January and administered regionwide by LAHSA using a consistent methodology. Officials describe it as a directional indicator rather than a census, and say year-over-year changes should be read alongside other local data.
### Weekly Lane Closures Set for PCH and Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Palisades Fire Work Zones
URL: https://www.smdp.com/weekly-lane-closures-set-for-pch-and-topanga-canyon-boulevard-in-palisades-fire-work-zones/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T21:30:58.000Z
Crews will continue Palisades Fire recovery work along Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard from July 27 through Aug. 2, with single-lane closures possible on PCH anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays.
The closures listed are planned, but others may occur. Motorists can check live conditions on the Caltrans[ ](https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/?view=34.0377%2C-118.6344%2C18&layers=chp%5Fincidents%2Ccms%2Cfull%5Fclosures%2Clane%5Fclosures%2Cspeed&ref=smdp.com)[Quickmap](https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/?view=34.0377%2C-118.6344%2C18&layers=chp%5Fincidents%2Ccms%2Cfull%5Fclosures%2Clane%5Fclosures%2Cspeed&ref=smdp.com).
Along PCH from Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades to Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu, the stretch from Temescal Canyon Road to Sunset Boulevard has a reduced speed limit of 35 mph with cones and signage. From Sunset Boulevard to Carbon Beach Terrace, the road remains an active work zone subject to single-lane closures and a 25 mph limit.
Several potential closures are planned in active work zones. From just north of Las Flores Canyon Road to Sunset Boulevard, crews will handle Las Flores Creek cleanup along with roadway, drainage and slope repairs. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, the right-turn lane from PCH onto Rambla Pacifico Street will be closed, though motorists can still turn onto Rambla Pacifico using the PCH thru-lane. Additional lane closures will occur only as needed.
From Pena Road to Tuna Canyon Road, crews reconstructing a retaining wall may reduce southbound traffic to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as needed. At the PCH and SR-27 intersection, Verizon trenching work may reduce PCH to one lane in both directions where crews are working from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
On Topanga Canyon Boulevard (SR-27) from Pacific Coast Highway to Grand View Drive, motorists are advised to stay alert and take extra caution around blind curves in case of slowed traffic. A Caltrans work zone of less than a half mile, between postmiles 2.5 and 2.8, carries a 15 mph speed limit.
For SR-27[ ](https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7/district-7-news/sr-27-pavement-rehabilitation-topanga-canyon-restarts-june-15-2026?ref=smdp.com)[pavement rehabilitation](https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7/district-7-news/sr-27-pavement-rehabilitation-topanga-canyon-restarts-june-15-2026?ref=smdp.com), one-lane traffic control is in place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, Monday night through Saturday morning, between just north of Happy Trail and PCH.
Closures are weather-permitting and subject to change. Motorists should expect delays, use alternate routes during construction hours and note that fines can be doubled in a work zone.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Former Santa Monica High Homecoming Queen Monet Bagneris Brings Comeback Concert Home
URL: https://www.smdp.com/former-santa-monica-high-homecoming-queen-monet-bagneris-brings-comeback-concert-home/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T19:18:49.000Z
Singer and songwriter Monet Bagneris returns to Santa Monica for "From Silence to Song: The Comeback Concert," a personal live performance at The Recording Club on Saturday, July 25.
Doors open at 4 p.m. and the concert begins at 4:30 p.m. There are no ticket sales at the door. The venue, The Recording Club by Tiny Room Studios, is at 1660 Ninth St. Tickets are available through Eventbrite, with limited seating.
For Bagneris, a Santa Monica High School alum and former homecoming queen, the date is a homecoming to the city where she spent her formative years.
The concert follows a difficult chapter in which exposure to toxic wildfire ash from the January 2025 fires temporarily silenced her voice. Unable to speak for nearly two months, she communicated with a dry-erase board while recovering. "I'm so grateful to God that I have my voice again," Bagneris said.
Blending soul, pop and contemporary R&B with candid storytelling, the show invites audiences into a journey through healing, joy and triumph. Roc Nation artist Josh Moreland will be a special guest performer. Fewer than 60 seats are available, making the performance an up-close experience.
Bagneris is a singer, songwriter, actress and motivational speaker whose training began in classical piano and jazz and pop vocals, alongside acting studies. Her musical foundation began with the gospel music of her grandmother, Annie Bell Bagneris, and continued at the University of Southern California, where she sang with a gospel choir and won Trojan Idol.
Her credits include background vocals on Charlie Wilson's "All of My Love," featuring Smokey Robinson, as well as her own releases "Talkin' Bout Love" and "Can't Wait for Santa."
More information is available at MonetBagneris.com.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Singer was stabbed 68 times in brutal 2025 murder
URL: https://www.smdp.com/singer-was-stabbed-68-times-in-brutal-2025-murder/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T18:59:59.000Z
Gospel singer Jubilant Sykes suffered 68 stab wounds and multiple broken bones before he died, according to a Los Angeles County medical examiner's autopsy report detailing the Grammy-nominated performer's killing inside his Santa Monica home in December.
The autopsy report shows Sykes, 71, was stabbed in his heart, liver and lungs and was also struck with a 10-pound dumbbell during the attack, which took place at his home in the 1700 block of Delaware Avenue on Dec. 8\. His son, Micah Sykes, 31, allegedly used garden shears in the assault, according to his criminal complaint.
Sykes' wife, Cecelia, reported the incident as an assault after finding her son attacking his father, police said. Officers responded to the home at approximately 9:20 p.m. after a 911 caller reported an assault in progress. Sykes was pronounced dead at the scene by Santa Monica Fire Department personnel shortly after officers arrived.
Micah Sykes was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident. He has been in custody without bail since his arrest and is charged with murder as well as infliction of injury on a vulnerable victim. His arraignment has been delayed repeatedly, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 6, according to court records. A request for comment from the public defender's office was not immediately returned.
Detectives from the Santa Monica Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division secured the scene and obtained a search warrant. Forensic specialists processed physical evidence, including a weapon recovered at the scene. Police have said the incident appears to be isolated and occurred within a private residence, with no ongoing threat to the community.
Sykes grew up in Los Angeles, where he sang soprano as a child. His resume included performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London's Barbican Centre, the Apollo Theater, the Hollywood Bowl and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. In 2010, he earned a Grammy nomination for his recording of Leonard Bernstein's "Mass."
Micah has remained in custody since the murder.
### Six artists selected for Santa Monica residencies at Bergamot Station
URL: https://www.smdp.com/six-artists-selected-for-santa-monica-residencies-at-bergamot-station/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T19:00:00.000Z
Six Los Angeles County-based artists have been chosen as the 2026-2027 cohort for the city of Santa Monica Artist Residency Program, formerly the Camera Obscura Artist in Residency Program.
They are Sasha Mazhara, Chinaedu Nwadibia, Bella Ortiz, Seda Saar, Avila Santo and Nicolette Spear, selected by a panel of arts professionals.
The artists will develop their work during 14-week residencies in a studio at the City Gallery in the Bergamot Station Arts Center. As part of the program, they will lead free public workshops. Each receives a $2,500 honorarium and a $500 materials budget for the workshops.
The 2026-2027 cycle marks the program's official move to Bergamot Station. In previous years, it was held at the Camera Obscura Art Lab in Palisades Park.
Avila Santo will lead an embodied rhythm workshop during COAST 2026, an open streets festival celebrating the World Cup final, on Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. His workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Camera Obscura Art Lab in Palisades Park. Previous resident Anahid Boghosian, of the 2025-2026 program, will also take part in COAST with a live painting demonstration and new work from her residency.
Bella Ortiz will lead a blind contour drawing workshop during the annual State of the City event on Thursday, July 23, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Main Street.
Seda Saar is part of the "Water is a Currency" exhibition at the Annenberg Community Beach House gallery, featuring seven artists exploring cultural, spiritual and historical relationships between water, movement and collective memory. It is on view through Sept. 27.
Mazhara is a documentary photographer originally from Ukraine whose work centers on displacement and reconnection. Nwadibia is a multidisciplinary artist drawing on her Nigerian and African American heritage. Ortiz, known as EDTHEGOATKILLER, is a self-taught Chilean American artist working across canvas, apparel and murals. Saar is an interdisciplinary artist exploring light, color and space. Santo is a drummer and Capoeira professor whose work centers on rhythm. Spear is a painter whose large-scale oils examine technology's power to connect and isolate.
Future workshops will be posted at santamonica.gov/events.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Free training plans available for McCourt Foundation's Santa Monica Classic
URL: https://www.smdp.com/free-training-plans-available-for-mccourt-foundations-santa-monica-classic/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T18:59:59.000Z
Free training plans for the 2026[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/2/e0ddf2a0f4557032f5c81dcb4903717601a81569f9558dbcb6f4d9c5c84da398?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com)[Santa Monica Classic](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/2/e0ddf2a0f4557032f5c81dcb4903717601a81569f9558dbcb6f4d9c5c84da398?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com) are now available from the LA Road Runners, the event's training program. The race, produced by[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/3/6e70f68bb2ae4c85d671a2cb61e166c3e080fd5d992d74fc789c66b4e5ea3a9b?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com)[The McCourt Foundation](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/3/6e70f68bb2ae4c85d671a2cb61e166c3e080fd5d992d74fc789c66b4e5ea3a9b?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com), takes place Sept. 13.
The LA Road Runners trains and supports participants for the Santa Monica Classic, the[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/4/cea0012ed7ab4fc92763cef81c960de5cc4db13ae82e754755a29d923a8f7b99?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com)[Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/4/cea0012ed7ab4fc92763cef81c960de5cc4db13ae82e754755a29d923a8f7b99?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com) and the[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/5/8c535a9bcc9bd1d19976b6a9ac69bc0d81fe6c0f712483e19edcc2c3e55f0040?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com)[ASICS Los Angeles Marathon](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/5/8c535a9bcc9bd1d19976b6a9ac69bc0d81fe6c0f712483e19edcc2c3e55f0040?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com). The program's[ ](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/6/dc8c44580058717db677740d5c88e997d0419ec8ae410ac658a55a75af09d1b4?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com)[downloadable, eight-week training plans](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/6/dc8c44580058717db677740d5c88e997d0419ec8ae410ac658a55a75af09d1b4?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com) for the Classic are now available online, with five levels based on experience and goals.
To mark the start of training, the foundation and LA Road Runners hosted a free Summer Meet Up run on July 11 at the Third Street Promenade. Nearly 100 local runners came together for a 3- or 5-mile group workout previewing the Santa Monica Classic courses.
"For over 30 years, the LA Road Runners program has been helping athletes of all levels train for iconic local races like the Santa Monica Classic," said Lucie Murray, senior manager of community and youth programs for the foundation. "33% of Santa Monica Classic participants also take part in the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon, with many also running in the Rose Bowl Half Marathon. It's a perfect stepping stone for those who set goals for longer distances."
[Registration for the Santa Monica Classic is open](https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/f7cf29f74b194e84a52ac90241ebffca/7/117ede485c25c364e279f5872ac9b2d642569ff4f9cae8b2e3460da3ecf93b2c?cache%5Fbuster=1784145805&ref=smdp.com) and is expected to sell out weeks ahead of race day. The event features a 10K and 5K, with partners including ASICS, Michelob Ultra, UCLA Health, KIA and Optimum Nutrition. It is one of four annual running events produced by The McCourt Foundation, a Los Angeles- and Boston-based nonprofit focused on funding neurological research and community wellness. Since its inception, the foundation has donated more than $7.2 million to neurology research and generated more than $81 million for charity partners.
The event also features a Kids Run for ages 3 to 8 on a half-kilometer route, part of the Kids Run LA Challenge.
For more information, visit[ ](http://mccourtfoundation.org/?ref=smdp.com)[mccourtfoundation.org](http://mccourtfoundation.org/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMPD says it did not assist in Federal immigration arrest outside Public Safety Facility
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smpd-says-it-id-not-assist-in-federal-immigration-arrest-outside-public-safety-facility/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T23:25:49.000Z
The Santa Monica Police Department said Thursday it did not participate in or coordinate a federal immigration arrest that took place outside the Santa Monica Public Safety Facility earlier in the day, following community concerns about the incident.
According to SMPD, officers arrested an adult male earlier that morning on suspicion of vehicle burglary and possession of burglary tools. The man was processed, cited on those charges and released from SMPD custody. After his release was complete, federal authorities took him into custody independently, the department said.
SMPD said its officers did not participate in or assist with the federal arrest and that there was no coordinated handoff between local police and federal authorities.
The department reiterated that it does not participate in civil immigration enforcement operations or arrest people based solely on their immigration status, but said it also does not obstruct lawful actions carried out independently by federal authorities.
Officials said the position is consistent with longstanding department policy and remains unchanged, pointing to previous remarks by Police Chief Darrick Jacob on immigration enforcement.
"Our responsibility is to protect public safety and enforce criminal laws within the City of Santa Monica," Jacob has said. "Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of designated federal agencies and is not a function of this department."
Jacob has said the department's approach is consistent with long-standing Santa Monica policy and California law, including Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act, and Title 8 of the U.S. Code. He has said SMPD does not conduct immigration sweeps, raids or detentions based solely on immigration status, and does not independently enforce federal immigration law.
"Public safety depends on trust between the community and law enforcement," Jacob has said. "Fear of immigration consequences should never prevent someone from calling for help or cooperating with the Santa Monica Police Department."
Jacob has also said that while the department does not enforce federal immigration laws, it does enforce criminal laws fairly and consistently regardless of immigration status. "Accountability for criminal behavior is essential to public safety, and no one should interpret our policies as tolerance for crime," he has said.
In its statement Thursday, SMPD said immigration status does not affect a person's ability to report a crime, request assistance, or cooperate with the department as a victim or witness. The department said its officers remain focused on local public safety and the protection of everyone who lives, works and visits Santa Monica.
"Community trust is essential to effective policing," the department said. "SMPD remains committed to serving every person with professionalism, fairness, dignity and respect."
### Murder suspect is 16-year-old Las Vegas resident
URL: https://www.smdp.com/murder-suspect-is-16-year-old-las-vegas-re/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T22:39:30.000Z
A 16-year-old boy from Las Vegas has been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in a parking lot near the Santa Monica Pier over the weekend, police said.
The juvenile surrendered to Santa Monica Police Department detectives on the evening of July 21, two days after officers responded to a report of a possible shooting in Parking Lot 1 North, at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway, according to police.
Officers arriving at the lot at about 12:32 a.m. July 20 found an adult man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, the man, later identified by the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office as Edgar Buitimea, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A preliminary investigation found that a physical altercation broke out between two groups shortly before the shooting, police said. During the course of the investigation, detectives identified the 16-year-old as the suspect. Because of his age, police said no additional identifying information would be released.
"Violence of any kind has no place in our community," Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob said in a statement. "While nothing can replace the life that was lost, the swift and focused work of our detectives resulted in the suspect being safely taken into custody. This is an important step, but our work is not finished. Our beachfront is one of Santa Monica's most heavily visited public spaces, and we remain committed to keeping it safe for residents, visitors, businesses, and everyone who comes to enjoy our community."
The shooting capped one of Santa Monica's busiest weekends in recent memory. The city hosted an open streets festival downtown alongside large public watch parties for the World Cup final. Thousands of visitors flooded the downtown area ahead of the match's noon kickoff, and while many crammed roadways trying to leave after the game, large crowds persisted through the rest of the day.
### Dangerous Heat Wave Grips Southern California Through Monday, With Inland Areas Facing Triple-Digit Highs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/dangerous-heat-wave-grips-southern-california-through-monday-with-inland-areas-facing-triple-digit-highs/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T18:59:59.000Z
A prolonged and dangerous heat wave settled over Southern California on Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an Extreme Heat Warning for the Antelope Valley and a Heat Advisory for much of Los Angeles County, including the mountains, valleys and beaches, through Monday evening.
The National Weather Service's Los Angeles/Oxnard office said the heat will build through the week, with Thursday through Sunday expected to bring the hottest conditions. Forecasters said "hotter than normal conditions will continue through at least early next week," warning of elevated risks for heat-related illness as both daytime highs and overnight lows run well above seasonal norms.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urged residents to take precautions to avoid heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps and heat-related death, and encouraged residents to check conditions in their specific neighborhoods using the NWS HeatRisk map.
Temperatures and Forecast
The Antelope Valley was placed under an Extreme Heat Warning — the more severe of the two alert levels — effective 10 a.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Monday, with highs forecast between 100 and 108 degrees. The National Weather Service said the warmest valley locations could see readings as high as 107 degrees.
A Heat Advisory covers a broader swath of the region from 10 a.m. Thursday through Monday evening, including the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Susana Mountains, the Interstate 5 corridor and both the western and eastern San Gabriel Mountains, with highs of 97 to 107 degrees.
Downtown Los Angeles and the inland coast are expected to see highs of 88 to 96 degrees. The Los Angeles County beaches, Malibu Coast and Palos Verdes Hills — including Santa Monica — are under a separate coastal Heat Advisory in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Monday, with highs generally between 80 and 86 degrees. Forecasters said warm overnight conditions would bring less relief than usual, even along the coast.
Inland desert areas will see the most extreme readings, with Palm Springs forecast to reach about 111 degrees. Thursday is expected to be the hottest day across the region, with only limited, possibly minimal cooling by Friday.
The National Weather Service attributed the heat to a strong ridge of high pressure — a heat dome — combined with weakening onshore, or marine, flow. Moisture from monsoonal weather patterns and distant tropical systems in the eastern Pacific was expected to raise humidity levels and keep overnight temperatures elevated, limiting the body's ability to cool through sweating.
Forecasters also warned of an increased wildfire risk, particularly along the Interstate 5 corridor and Grapevine, along with dangerous surf and rip currents driven by swells from distant tropical storms. A Beach Hazards Statement is in effect for Ventura County, Malibu Coast and Los Angeles County beaches through Sunday evening, with breaking waves of 3 to 6 feet and an increased risk of ocean drowning.
Safety Precautions
Public health officials urged residents to stay hydrated throughout the day, even when not feeling thirsty, and to avoid outdoor activity during the hottest hours. Those who must go outside should wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, a hat and sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.
Officials also warned residents never to leave children or pets in a vehicle, even briefly, noting that cars can heat up quickly even with windows partly open, and urged anyone who sees a child or pet alone in a vehicle to call 911.
Residents were asked to check on those most vulnerable to heat, including people who are sick or have chronic conditions, older adults, pregnant women, children, people who live alone, pets, and outdoor workers and athletes.
"Heat causes more deaths in the U.S. annually than floods, storms, and lightning combined. Those most likely to get ill during the heat include older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes, and individuals with chronic medical conditions," said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer. "If you or someone around you experiences symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, confusion, or passing out, seek medical help immediately."
Officials said residents should call 911 immediately if they or someone else shows signs of confusion, fainting, hot or red skin, a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, a fast or strong pulse, headache, dizziness or nausea.
Those without air conditioning were encouraged to take cool showers, limit stove and oven use, and visit a library, cooling center or shopping mall. County and city officials have opened cooling centers, splash pads and community pools for residents without access to air conditioning; locations can be found at ready.lacounty.gov/heat or by calling 211, which operates 24 hours a day.
How This Heat Wave Compares
While dangerous, particularly inland, the current event is not unprecedented for the region. The National Weather Service said forecast highs are running roughly 4 to 8 degrees above seasonal averages. The 1991-2020 climate normal high for downtown Los Angeles in late July is about 82 degrees. In a typical July, downtown Los Angeles reaches 90 degrees on only about three days and hits 100 degrees roughly once every five years, meaning a stretch of low-to-mid-90s highs downtown is notable but not extraordinary. Downtown Los Angeles' all-time record high is 113 degrees, set Sept. 27, 2010, while the July monthly record stands at 107 degrees.
Inland valleys and deserts routinely see triple-digit heat in late July, making the 100- to 108-degree range forecast for the Antelope Valley characteristic of the season, even as it poses serious health risks. Along the coast, the marine layer is expected to keep Santa Monica and other beach communities in the upper 70s to mid-80s, well below inland highs.
This heat wave arrives amid a record-warm year globally. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the January-through-June global surface temperature departure was the third-highest in the 177-year record, behind only the same periods in 2024 and 2025, and has said it is "virtually certain" 2026 will rank among the 10 warmest years on record.
Southern California's event is milder than several other major heat waves that have struck the globe this year. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with Germany setting a new national high of 41.5 degrees Celsius, or 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit, on June 27, surpassing a record set just a day earlier. Deadly wildfires followed across Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey, killing at least 15 people by mid-July.
South Asia endured a severe heat wave in April and May, with temperatures in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh approaching or exceeding 45 to 50 degrees Celsius, or 113 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. A rapid study by World Weather Attribution linked the event to at least 37 heat-related deaths in India and 10 in Karachi, Pakistan.
In the United States, a heat dome over the eastern part of the country around the Fourth of July set at least 148 daily high-temperature records and was linked to at least 44 deaths, including 29 in New Jersey. A second heat dome later moved west, pushing Phoenix to 113 degrees and setting an all-time record of 109 degrees in Salt Lake City on July 12.
### Dangerous Heat Wave Grips Southern California Through Monday, With Inland Areas Facing Triple-Digit Highs
URL: https://www.smdp.com/dangerous-heat-wave-grips-southern-california-through-monday-with-inland-areas-facing-triple-digit-highs-2/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T15:56:36.000Z
A prolonged and dangerous heat wave settled over Southern California on Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an Extreme Heat Warning for the Antelope Valley and a Heat Advisory for much of Los Angeles County, including the mountains, valleys and beaches, through Monday evening.
The National Weather Service's Los Angeles/Oxnard office said the heat will build through the week, with Thursday through Sunday expected to bring the hottest conditions. Forecasters said "hotter than normal conditions will continue through at least early next week," warning of elevated risks for heat-related illness as both daytime highs and overnight lows run well above seasonal norms.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urged residents to take precautions to avoid heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps and heat-related death, and encouraged residents to check conditions in their specific neighborhoods using the NWS HeatRisk map.
Temperatures and Forecast
The Antelope Valley was placed under an Extreme Heat Warning — the more severe of the two alert levels — effective 10 a.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Monday, with highs forecast between 100 and 108 degrees. The National Weather Service said the warmest valley locations could see readings as high as 107 degrees.
A Heat Advisory covers a broader swath of the region from 10 a.m. Thursday through Monday evening, including the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Susana Mountains, the Interstate 5 corridor and both the western and eastern San Gabriel Mountains, with highs of 97 to 107 degrees.
Downtown Los Angeles and the inland coast are expected to see highs of 88 to 96 degrees. The Los Angeles County beaches, Malibu Coast and Palos Verdes Hills — including Santa Monica — are under a separate coastal Heat Advisory in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Monday, with highs generally between 80 and 86 degrees. Forecasters said warm overnight conditions would bring less relief than usual, even along the coast.
Inland desert areas will see the most extreme readings, with Palm Springs forecast to reach about 111 degrees. Thursday is expected to be the hottest day across the region, with only limited, possibly minimal cooling by Friday.
The National Weather Service attributed the heat to a strong ridge of high pressure — a heat dome — combined with weakening onshore, or marine, flow. Moisture from monsoonal weather patterns and distant tropical systems in the eastern Pacific was expected to raise humidity levels and keep overnight temperatures elevated, limiting the body's ability to cool through sweating.
Forecasters also warned of an increased wildfire risk, particularly along the Interstate 5 corridor and Grapevine, along with dangerous surf and rip currents driven by swells from distant tropical storms. A Beach Hazards Statement is in effect for Ventura County, Malibu Coast and Los Angeles County beaches through Sunday evening, with breaking waves of 3 to 6 feet and an increased risk of ocean drowning.
Safety Precautions
Public health officials urged residents to stay hydrated throughout the day, even when not feeling thirsty, and to avoid outdoor activity during the hottest hours. Those who must go outside should wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, a hat and sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.
Officials also warned residents never to leave children or pets in a vehicle, even briefly, noting that cars can heat up quickly even with windows partly open, and urged anyone who sees a child or pet alone in a vehicle to call 911.
Residents were asked to check on those most vulnerable to heat, including people who are sick or have chronic conditions, older adults, pregnant women, children, people who live alone, pets, and outdoor workers and athletes.
"Heat causes more deaths in the U.S. annually than floods, storms, and lightning combined. Those most likely to get ill during the heat include older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes, and individuals with chronic medical conditions," said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer. "If you or someone around you experiences symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, confusion, or passing out, seek medical help immediately."
Officials said residents should call 911 immediately if they or someone else shows signs of confusion, fainting, hot or red skin, a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, a fast or strong pulse, headache, dizziness or nausea.
Those without air conditioning were encouraged to take cool showers, limit stove and oven use, and visit a library, cooling center or shopping mall. County and city officials have opened cooling centers, splash pads and community pools for residents without access to air conditioning; locations can be found at ready.lacounty.gov/heat or by calling 211, which operates 24 hours a day.
How This Heat Wave Compares
While dangerous, particularly inland, the current event is not unprecedented for the region. The National Weather Service said forecast highs are running roughly 4 to 8 degrees above seasonal averages. The 1991-2020 climate normal high for downtown Los Angeles in late July is about 82 degrees. In a typical July, downtown Los Angeles reaches 90 degrees on only about three days and hits 100 degrees roughly once every five years, meaning a stretch of low-to-mid-90s highs downtown is notable but not extraordinary. Downtown Los Angeles' all-time record high is 113 degrees, set Sept. 27, 2010, while the July monthly record stands at 107 degrees.
Inland valleys and deserts routinely see triple-digit heat in late July, making the 100- to 108-degree range forecast for the Antelope Valley characteristic of the season, even as it poses serious health risks. Along the coast, the marine layer is expected to keep Santa Monica and other beach communities in the upper 70s to mid-80s, well below inland highs.
This heat wave arrives amid a record-warm year globally. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the January-through-June global surface temperature departure was the third-highest in the 177-year record, behind only the same periods in 2024 and 2025, and has said it is "virtually certain" 2026 will rank among the 10 warmest years on record.
Southern California's event is milder than several other major heat waves that have struck the globe this year. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with Germany setting a new national high of 41.5 degrees Celsius, or 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit, on June 27, surpassing a record set just a day earlier. Deadly wildfires followed across Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey, killing at least 15 people by mid-July.
South Asia endured a severe heat wave in April and May, with temperatures in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh approaching or exceeding 45 to 50 degrees Celsius, or 113 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. A rapid study by World Weather Attribution linked the event to at least 37 heat-related deaths in India and 10 in Karachi, Pakistan.
In the United States, a heat dome over the eastern part of the country around the Fourth of July set at least 148 daily high-temperature records and was linked to at least 44 deaths, including 29 in New Jersey. A second heat dome later moved west, pushing Phoenix to 113 degrees and setting an all-time record of 109 degrees in Salt Lake City on July 12.
### Around Town: From Main Street Block Parties to Michelin-Starred Flavors
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-from-main-street-block-parties-to-michelin-starred-flavors/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T18:31:40.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes the State of the City event, live band karaoke, multiple restaurant openings, and much more!
**State of the City** **Event:** This is expected to be a fun celebration of community, with live entertainment, kids’ activities, food, drinks and more, this year at Ocean Park Branch Library and Main Street. The Info Booth (Main St. & Norman Pl.) and Economic Development Booth (Main St. & Hollister) are handing out $10 Main Street Vouchers to use at participating local businesses during the event. **Thursday, July 23, 4 – 7 p.m., 2601 Main St.** [santamonica.gov/events/4kt3ycyd022dxr8xah6fsy4fcr/202607231600](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4kt3ycyd022dxr8xah6fsy4fcr/202607231600?ref=smdp.com)
**Sake Dance Party:** Enjoy live DJ sets and Sake High! specials all night. **Thursday, Jul 23 8:00pm – 11:00pm, Ōwa 1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd.** [https://partiful.com/e/PAvGaBE86SuJRFi2nnLI](https://partiful.com/e/PAvGaBE86SuJRFi2nnLI?ref=smdp.com)
**Malibu Beach Inn x Faherty Summer Pop-Up:** The two coastal brands will come together for a summer pop-up at Faherty Malibu, inviting guests to enjoy complimentary styling sessions, personalized “What to Wear in Malibu” recommendations, and a taste of Carbon Beach Club’s new signature “Malibu Fizz” cocktail–a refreshing blend of bourbon (or Seedlip for a non-alcoholic option), citrus, ginger beer, and sparkling water. **Friday, July 24, 3-5 p.m., 3835 Cross Creek Road, Malibu** [instagram.com/malibubeachinn](http://instagram.com/malibubeachinn?ref=smdp.com)
**Sunset Swim at the Annenberg Beach House:** Spend your evening poolside at the historic Annenberg Community Beach House, home to the iconic 1920s Marion Davies estate built by media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Sunset Swim invites adults to enjoy an evening of swimming, relaxing, and connecting by the sea at our historic and heated pool. Float under the evening sky, unwind with friends old and new, and enjoy complimentary s’mores and pool floaties while taking in the ocean air and sunset views. **Friday, July 24, 415 PCH** (also Aug. 7 and 21) [santamonica.gov/events/49c3xhnjw5g4v5918cz3g4735y/202607101800](http://santamonica.gov/events/49c3xhnjw5g4v5918cz3g4735y/202607101800?ref=smdp.com)
**Euro Disco Party:** Gnarwhal Coffee Co. is bringing late night euro summer vibes to Main St. ! Pro tip: if you check in at the party on the Court app, you get a free bevvy. **Friday, July 24, 9p.m. - Midnight, 3101 Main St.** [instagram.com/p/Da3PFFSiV8d](http://instagram.com/p/Da3PFFSiV8d?ref=smdp.com)
**Family Movie Nights at Cayton Children’s Museum:** This summer, the Museum is staying open late for a new after-hours series that combines play, movies and family time in a space designed just for kids. Each movie ticket includes evening access to the Museum, themed activities inspired by the featured film and tasty snacks for the whole family. **Upcoming showings include Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Friday, July 24 and Happy Feet on July 31\. 6p.m., 395 Santa Monica Place** [caytonmuseum.org/familymovienight](http://caytonmuseum.org/familymovienight?ref=smdp.com)
**The Dog Days of Summer: Malibu's Biggest Dog-Friendly Yappy Hour Comes to Gladstones:** As more Americans treat their pets like family, Gladstones wants to bring the community together for Malibu’s biggest beachside celebration where dogs and their owners can eat, play and give back. There will be Tito’s Vodka for Dog People ‘dog themed’ cocktails for humans, a special canine menu, treats and swag for pups, and live music - all benefiting The Labelle Foundation, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) animal rescue. **Saturday, July 25, 4p.m., 17300 PCH** [https://www.instagram.com/p/Da8JCH8lMcl](https://www.instagram.com/p/Da8JCH8lMcl?ref=smdp.com)
**Live Band Karaoke:** 🎸 Live your rockstar dream by performing karaoke with a live band on stage! **Saturday, July 25, Starting at 7p.m., Alana's Coffee Roasters, 12511 Venice Blvd.** [instagram.com/p/Daqb3LnvClq](http://instagram.com/p/Daqb3LnvClq?ref=smdp.com)
**Folk Legend Tom Rush Playing @ McCabe's:** Known for his distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm voice, Rush built a following with shows that mix storytelling, ballads and gritty blues. He helped shape the folk revival in the 1960s and its renaissance in the 1980s and '90s, leaving a mark on generations of artists. James Taylor told Rolling Stone that Rush was "not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences," and country star Garth Brooks has named him among his top five influences. **Saturday, July 25, 8p.m., 3101 Pico Blvd.** [mccabes.com/product/tom-rush](http://mccabes.com/product/tom-rush?ref=smdp.com)
**Regent Santa Monica Beach’s Cinema by the Sea Series:** Saturday evenings feature beloved road-trip and travel movies paired with Route 66–inspired cocktails and elevated bites. July 25 features Cars, with others such as Eat Pray Love and Grease. **Saturday, July 25 through August 29, 8p.m.** [santamonica.regenthotels.com/experience/bookable-experiences/#!/e/cinema-by-the-sea-5ab5d71c](http://santamonica.regenthotels.com/experience/bookable-experiences/?ref=smdp.com#!/e/cinema-by-the-sea-5ab5d71c)
**Santa Monica Dune Walk:** Join Ashley Oelsen (former Chair, Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax Citizens Oversight Committee) for a guided tour through the Santa Monica dunes. Learn why they matter and how you can help protect them. **Sunday, July 26, 9 - 11a.m.** [eventbrite.com/e/dune-walk-in-santa-monica-tickets-1992892998606](http://eventbrite.com/e/dune-walk-in-santa-monica-tickets-1992892998606?ref=smdp.com)
**Queer Surf’s Art Splash: An Evening of Art + Water:** Spend the evening exploring a queer surf-inspired visual art exhibition overlooking the Pacific, creating art alongside Lavender Art Club, enjoying live performances, and taking a sunset swim with poolside music by DJ Nomad. Whether you float, swim laps, dance, make art, or simply take in the ocean views, ART SPLASH invites you to celebrate queer creativity, joy, and self-expression in a welcoming beachfront setting. **Sunday,July 26, 5:30 - 10p.m., Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 PCH** [https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4kb0sajzs03ffzr2ttvsxvry5n/202607261800](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4kb0sajzs03ffzr2ttvsxvry5n/202607261800?ref=smdp.com)
**Annenberg Beach House Community Picnic:** Enjoy games, crafts, a “pie” walk, and epic tug-of-war for “some good old-fashioned summertime fun.” All are invited to pack a dinner and grab some pals or join a solo-friendly communal table to enjoy this free event, with s’mores. **Thursday, July 30, 5 - 8 p.m., 415 PCH** [eventbrite.com/e/community-picnic-tickets-1989055370156](http://eventbrite.com/e/community-picnic-tickets-1989055370156?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com);
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Florentine Steak Dinner Series at All'Antico Vinaio:** The popular Italian sandwich spot has teamed up with Florence Underground for a dinner series centered around bistecca alla Fiorentina. For $65 per person, the meal opens with cured meats, cheeses, and house-made schiacciata bread before the main event: a thick T-bone seasoned only with salt and olive oil, served slightly before medium-rare with classic sides family-style. Olive oil cake and crema close it out. I went last month and it felt like a deal at that price. They have a variety of very reasonably priced wines available as well. **Available just two more dates: July 31 and Aug. 28\. 316 Santa Monica Blvd.** [tables.toasttab.com/all-antico-vinaio-santa-monica-blvd/experience/fiorentina-night](http://tables.toasttab.com/all-antico-vinaio-santa-monica-blvd/experience/fiorentina-night?ref=smdp.com)
**Ben & Jerry’s “Hunt for the Golden Stick-et” Events:** The company is popping up on Venice Beach and the Santa Monica pier to give away thousands of its new ice cream bars – and more. Five lucky fans will win a year’s worth of ice cream bars. **Friday & Saturday, July 24 & 25, 12 - 6p.m., Venice Beach Boardwalk · Address: Windward Ave., & Sunday, July 26, 12 - 6p.m., Santa Monica Pier.** [instagram.com/p/DbGk7YIE6Vz](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbGk7YIE6Vz?ref=smdp.com)
**Wally's Sarti + Aperol Cocktail Class:** Learn to craft signature Italian aperitivo cocktails while enjoying a hands-on tasting experience. Each guest will receive a swag bag including one bottle of Sarti and a branded cocktail kit to recreate the cocktails at home. **Saturday, July 25, 1p.m., 214 Wilshire Blvd.** [opentable.com/r/wallys-santa-monica](http://opentable.com/r/wallys-santa-monica?ref=smdp.com)
**Ready, Set, Dough! FIG’s Hands-On Kids’ Pizza-Making Classes:** Designed for little foodies with big imaginations, budding chefs can stretch fresh dough, spread San Marzano tomato sauce or Nutella, and customize their own sweet or savory pizza from scratch with a variety of toppings from mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, olives, and wild mushrooms to strawberries, bananas, crushed Oreos, mini marshmallows, gummy bears, coconut flakes, and more before enjoying their delicious masterpiece alongside a classic root beer float. **Saturdays through Labor Day, 3:30 – 4:30p.m., 101 Wilshire Blvd.** [opentable.com/r/fig-santa-monica](http://opentable.com/r/fig-santa-monica?ref=smdp.com)
**OPENING: Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen:** The Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurant is coming to Santa Monica. Created by Chef Imran Ali Mookhi, the restaurant showcases elevated Pakistani and Indian cuisine, handcrafted mocktails, and bold South Asian flavors made with exceptional attention to detail. I went to the grand opening last week and LOVED it. I am planning to go back this week to try more of the menu. **115 Santa Monica Blvd.** [khansaaboc.com](http://khansaaboc.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**OPENING: The Tasting Kitchen:** The iconic Abbot Kinney tentpole made its highly anticipated return last week under the direction of original chef and owner Casey Lane. The reimagined Venice space preserves its luxe, bohemian soul—including its salvaged signature dining room olive tree—paired with Lane’s market-driven, live-fire culinary approach and a seasonal cocktail program. **1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd.**
**Divine Vintage Adds a Food Menu to its Wine Bar:** The Montana Avenue wine bar and boutique known for its globally sourced wines and intimate neighborhood atmosphere, has launched an expanded food program built around shareable small plates, artisanal cheeses and meats and a new lineup of signature flatbread pizzas. **1025 Montana Ave.** [divinevintage.com](http://divinevintage.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield: Pizzeria Sei Opens in Palms:** Ranked the #2 pizzeria in the U.S. by 50 Top Pizza, the acclaimed Tokyo-style Neapolitan pie shop has officially opened its new flagship location in Palms. The upgraded space features a full sit-down dining room, expanded wine program, and inventive menu additions like their mala lamb sausage pie. I went there this week and LOVED the apps (Suppli (Roman-style fried rice balls) & Corn Croquettes), the pizza of course (REALLY impressed by the Margherita), and the desserts (including a housemade tiramisu and a yuzu gelato). **Reservation Tip:** They open up daily at noon and keep a few table open for walk-ins daily. **10700 Tabor St.** [pizzeriasei.com](https://pizzeriasei.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [National Night Out](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/06/30/santa-monica-police-department-invites-community-to-national-night-out-2026?ref=smdp.com) (8/4); [SaMo Oceanfront Arts Festival](http://eventbrite.com/e/art-on-ocean-palisades-park-arts-festival-tickets-1991599772532?ref=smdp.com) (8/8); Main St. Farmers Market in the Street Event (8/23); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19); [Ocean Way Festival](https://www.oceanwayfestival.com/?ref=smdp.com) (9/26-27); [Main St. Day of the Dog Festival](https://www.petapaloozawest.com/santa-monica?ref=smdp.com) (10/18)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly to me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: From Main Street Block Parties to Michelin-Starred Flavors**
### Drought kills dozen of trees on San Vicente
URL: https://www.smdp.com/drought-kills-dozen-of-trees-on-san-vicente/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T15:54:38.000Z
A newly completed risk assessment has found that more than two-thirds of a sample of coral trees in the San Vicente Boulevard median are in poor health and pose a "high" risk of failure within the next two years, adding to a wave of tree losses that has already claimed roughly 32 coral trees along the corridor over the past four years.
The assessment, conducted for the city by arborist Jonathan Flournoy of Jonathan Flournoy Consulting LLC, evaluated 13 South African coral trees (Erythrina caffra) growing in the median between the 100 and 1900 blocks of San Vicente. Nine of the 13 trees were rated "high" risk, three were rated "moderate," and one was rated "low," according to the report, dated July 1 and addressed to Madeleine Rauhe, the city's urban forester.
"All 13 coral trees that I evaluated were in poor condition, with very little or no green foliage on the trees," Flournoy wrote in the report. Most of the trees also had large areas of dead or rotting bark on their lower trunks, and all 13 showed significant root damage or decay, some more advanced than others.
Flournoy, an International Society of Arboriculture board-certified master arborist and a registered consulting arborist, inspected the trees on June 23 and June 30\. His report notes that the city had already marked multiple coral trees in the median for removal because of wood decay and poor health before commissioning the broader assessment.
The likely culprit behind the bark damage, Flournoy wrote, is banana moth, an insect that attacks coral trees already under stress. The pest can follow damage from the invasive shot hole borer, though it also attacks stressed coral trees independently. Flournoy said he suspects drought stress is the primary factor weakening the trees but noted that identifying the root cause of the decline was outside the scope of his assignment.
Compounding the problem, Flournoy wrote, is that coral trees are poor at compartmentalizing decay — meaning they struggle to wall off rot once it takes hold — and decay tends to spread rapidly even in otherwise healthy specimens. Healthy coral trees can typically grow new wood fast enough to offset the loss of structural stability, he wrote, but the trees he examined showed little evidence of that kind of recovery.
Given the trees' condition, Flournoy said he does not see viable options short of removal. Reducing a tree's height to ease the load on a decayed trunk and root system, he wrote, would require cuts large enough to constitute topping — a practice that creates its own decay-prone wounds — and would further stress trees already in poor health.
Several individual trees illustrated the severity of the damage. One tree in the 400 block had 23% of its trunk circumference dead on the side that bears the most structural load, along with a root plate that Flournoy said has been slowly uplifting for at least seven years, based on a comparison with 2019 street-level imagery; he also found fruiting bodies from Ganoderma fungus at its base. A tree in the 700 block had roughly 55% of its trunk circumference dead at the base, with most of its anchor roots also dead on the upper surface. A tree in the 1700 block showed evidence of a past trunk failure, with 60% of its trunk circumference dead and a large cavity at the base.
Risk ratings combine the likelihood a tree or tree part will fail, the likelihood it would strike something if it did, and the severity of the consequences. For most of the high-risk trees, Flournoy rated the likelihood of failure as "probable" within two years and found a "high" likelihood that a falling tree or limb would strike a vehicle, given the steady traffic on San Vicente. He rated the combined likelihood of failure and impact as "likely," with "severe" potential consequences — a combination that produced the "high" overall risk rating.
Flournoy said trees near the western end of San Vicente, closer to Ocean Avenue, generally posed less risk to vehicles because of lighter traffic in that stretch. The lowest-rated tree in the assessment, near the 100 block, was found to have significant root damage but retained many intact anchor roots close to the trunk.
The report recommends monitoring the moderate- and low-risk trees at least every six months, warning that their risk ratings could climb to "high" if their condition continues to deteriorate. Flournoy's report does not set a timeline for removal of the high-risk trees; that decision rests with the city as the trees' owner. "The tree owner ultimately decides whether to keep the trees based on their risk tolerance and other factors," Flournoy wrote. "If the tree owner does not accept the risk posed by the trees, then the trees should be removed."
The San Vicente findings arrive against the backdrop of a citywide urban forest that is itself showing signs of strain. Santa Monica's Public Landscape Division, part of the Public Works Department, oversees more than 35,000 public trees across more than 250 species, guided by a 50-year Urban Forest Master Plan adopted in 2011 and updated in 2017\. The city has held Tree City USA status for more than 40 years and estimates its street trees provide about $5.1 million a year in ecosystem benefits.
But roughly 42% of the city's public trees are mature and nearing the end of their useful life, according to the city, and the broader region has seen disease and pest pressures similar to what Flournoy documented on San Vicente. The invasive shot hole borer and associated Fusarium dieback complex, first identified in Los Angeles County in 2012, now affects more than 50 hardwood species across seven Southern California counties. City crews have also flagged other trees for removal in recent years due to ganoderma fungal infections and irreversible decline.
Questions about how the city irrigates its street trees and medians remain only partly answered. Back in 2015 officials said Santa Monica had begun hand-watering trees and using slow-release watering bags, while halting irrigation of grassy street medians altogether to conserve water. No information was available at press time as to the current status of watering for the San Vicente trees in specific or the overall city policy on watering trees in the public right of way.
### 10 Santa Monica PAL students awarded more than $31,000 in scholarships
URL: https://www.smdp.com/10-santa-monica-pal-students-awarded-more-than-31-000-in-scholarships/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T18:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica Police Activities League awarded more than $31,000 in scholarships to 10 local students during its annual Chris Carrey PAL Education Fund Recognition Dinner on Thursday, July 9, at St. Monica's Grand Pavilion.
The scholarships went to high school juniors and graduating seniors who demonstrated financial need, academic commitment and a dedication to pursuing higher education. Individual awards ranged from $1,500 to $6,000\. During the evening, six graduating seniors shared their stories and discussed their plans after high school.
This year's recipients are Hawene Alemayehu, Hiroshy Aguilar Aquino, Adrian Barajas, Branden Banks, Julian Gonzalez-Alfaro, Jasmin Morales, Gabriela Paniagua, Jose Perez, Kaleb Seyum and Ricardo Torres. They will continue their education at institutions including California State University, Fullerton; California State University, Long Beach; Santa Monica College; and other colleges and trade schools.
Eighty percent of this year's recipients live in Santa Monica's Pico Neighborhood, which PAL described as one of the city's most historically underserved communities. Since the program began in 2002, PAL has awarded more than $475,000 in scholarships. Many recipients are the first in their families to attend college.
"The Chris Carrey PAL Education Fund continues to change lives by giving our young people the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams," said Eula Fritz, director of the Santa Monica Police Activities League. "These scholarships represent far more than financial assistance—they reflect the belief our community has in these students, their potential, and the bright futures that lie ahead."
The fund was established through a gift from Ed Simmons and Standard Parking, together with Neil and Karen Carrey, in memory of Chris Carrey. It provides scholarships for post-secondary education to PAL members selected through a competitive application process.
The awards honor Chris Carrey, who lived in Santa Monica for all 16½ years of his life. A student in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, he was active in youth sports, excelled in tennis, played bass guitar and dreamed of becoming a chef. He completed his community service with PAL.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Public Financing Authority advances Palisades Fire recovery in inaugural meeting
URL: https://www.smdp.com/public-financing-authority-advances-palisades-fire-recovery-in-inaugural-meeting/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T18:59:59.000Z
The newly established Public Financing Authority for the Unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains Disaster Recovery Financing District held its first meeting, selecting Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath as chair and approving a plan to guide long-term recovery from the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
At the meeting, the authority adopted its bylaws, held a public hearing and approved the Infrastructure Financing Plan, which will direct future investment in rebuilding and wildfire resilience.
The plan establishes a framework for reinvesting future property tax growth generated within the district back into the community without raising taxes. The district is projected to generate about $245 million over the next 50 years to support infrastructure improvements, wildfire resilience, community restoration and rebuilding throughout the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains.
"Today's meeting marks an important milestone in our recovery. In the absence of federal recovery funding, Los Angeles County is creatively reinvesting local resources to rebuild the roads, infrastructure, and public facilities our communities need," Horvath said. "This Disaster Recovery Financing District lays an important foundation for the long-term recovery from the Palisades Fire. We won't stop until every family has the chance to come home, critical infrastructure investments are made, and our communities are stronger and more resilient than before."
The plan identifies five priority investment areas: county facility restoration, infrastructure improvements, rebuilding assistance, community restoration, and fire safety and resilience. The authority will prioritize projects based on community needs, public input and project readiness as recovery progresses.
The Public Financing Authority includes Horvath, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Board Chair Hilda L. Solis, Jonathan Markiles, president of the Sunset Mesa Property Owners Association, and Ronald Romalont, president of the Topanga Chamber of Commerce.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMC Planetarium's August shows explore Mars, telescopes and eclipses
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-planetariums-august-shows-explore-mars-telescopes-and-eclipses/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T18:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica College Planetarium will present live-hosted shows on Friday evenings in August, along with a Sunday Family Matinée on Aug. 16, featuring programs on the Mars rover Curiosity, the Great Observatories, eclipses and moon phases, and the sun.
Each show runs about 40 minutes and is followed by a short audience Q&A with Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Friday shows begin at 6 p.m. with "The Night Sky Show," which covers the latest news in astronomy and space exploration, followed at 7 p.m. by the feature program. No children under age 3 are permitted at Friday shows. The Sunday matinée starts at 1 p.m. with "The Night Sky Show," followed by a feature program at 2 p.m.
"The Night Sky Show" plays Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 6 p.m., and at the Aug. 16 matinée at 1 p.m. Feature programs include "Mission Close-up: Curiosity" on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., examining the rover's decade-plus exploration of Mars; "The Great Observatories" on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 16 at 2 p.m., about the four space-based telescopes including Hubble; "Physics of Eclipses and Moon Phases" on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m., ahead of the Aug. 27 partial lunar eclipse; and "Solar System Survey: Sun" on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m., the first in a new series.
All shows take place in the SMC Planetarium, room MSB 126 of the Mathematics + Science Building on the SMC Main Campus at 1900 Pico Blvd. Free parking is available on campus.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-12 for either "The Night Sky Show" or a feature program. A combo ticket is $16 for adults and $10 for children. Tickets may be purchased at smc.edu/tickets, with a $1 per ticket service fee.
All shows are subject to change or cancellation without notice. More information is available at smc.edu/planetarium or by calling 310-434-4163.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### The fireworks arrived late in Santa Monica
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-fireworks-arrived-late-in-santa-monica/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T16:36:02.000Z
Last Wednesday should have been a fairly routine meeting for the Santa Monica Democratic Club. Members were meeting on Zoom to vote on endorsements in the November local elections, and since political clubs tend to be, well, political, the preferred slate would typically be a pretty safe bet.
But not this time.
Only one person running for Rent Control Board earned an endorsement on the first ballot, and it wasn’t any of the three recommended by the club’s board. It was Heather Thomason, a newcomer to city politics, who seemed to win over disparate cohorts with her intelligence and empathy.
But the shocker of the evening was that none of the ten City Council candidates won an endorsement. Not even Mayor Caroline Torosis.
This was a coup of sorts from the growing number of Democrats disaffected with party orthodoxy. Up until now they’ve been largely dismissed as NIMBY or MAGA-lite barbarians at the gate, regardless of their liberal bona fides.
Councilmember Lana Negrete, a proud Latina, has repeatedly been “schooled” about racial discrimination by white male counterparts on the Council. (It takes a whole lot of progressive piety to do that with a straight face.) So she likely took satisfaction receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot. The Mayor came in first on the second ballot.
But neither received the necessary 55% required for an endorsement, making what took place somewhere between a revolution and a circular firing squad.
It’s an embarrassment for the board of the club and for the Mayor, so, ideally, it will motivate them to embrace a broader vision of the Democratic party. But the vote wasn’t about unity. It was a stalemate with both sides seeming as committed to blocking the other’s success as bolstering their own.
That’s a zero-sum approach, which seems counter-productive to democratic goals, yet it was also present the following evening during a fiery Town Hall at Santa Monica College. The meeting was organized by Friends of Sunset Park (FOSP) and the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA), and the heat-generating topic was the relocation of the city’s homeless shelter system.
City manager Oliver Chi bravely chose to show up in person and engage with angry residents, but the collision was coming from the day he announced the city’s intention to relocate the downtown shelter. There was never going to be a positive response from the selected neighborhood, given the drugs, violence and antisocial behavior that are too often associated with the homeless in Santa Monica.
Chi pointed out that the 30-year old tent-like SAMOSHEL was built as a temporary solution, but he wasn’t getting objections to closing it down. The objections were to the city’s plan to operate a shelter out of the Palm Motel on 14th Street.
Zina Josephs, the secretary of FOSP, offered fair-minded suggestions, including a “good neighbor agreement,” which she said had previously worked with an HIV-treatment center. Maria Loya, the treasurer of PNA, seemed more interested in rabble-rousing, which wasn’t really necessary, since the rabble were already roused.
What followed was less a Q&A with the city staff than a volatile venting session. However, sometimes venting can be therapeutic, and some useful information was communicated in the process.
Loya raised a community concern that the proposed facility will permit drug use, but Chi and his staff claimed otherwise, repeatedly insisting that only people receiving treatment and support services would be eligible for placement, and, unlike at SAMOSHEL, unhoused individuals would not be allowed to check themselves in.
Local residents have reason to be skeptical about the project, but as much as they don’t want a shelter in their neighborhood, it was clear they also don’t want the homeless on their streets. There was an unwillingness to acknowledge the discrepancy, and while the problems identified were real, the solutions often relied on magical thinking—though some might say the same of the city plan.
Councilmember Negrete attempted to bridge the gap between the two sides, empathizing with her neighbors while clarifying the city’s challenges. She reminded the attendees that there are laws providing everyone, including the unhoused, with civil liberties. Loya responded, “There shouldn’t be.”
Those words would be unsettling coming from any American, but they're particularly disheartening coming from a supposed civil rights activist.
Two weeks ago, we celebrated the semiquincentennial of our country, which seemed more inevitable than remarkable. Perhaps that’s because the focus (especially by our President) was more on where we are today than where we came from. However, 250 years ago there was nothing inevitable about this country’s history. Fifty-six people signed a declaration that was far more likely to guarantee a death sentence than to immortalize them. They risked everything, which is easy to forget, and it makes me wonder, what are we risking today?
What do we risk when we complain about municipal inadequacies or when we demand litmus tests of political virtue? It’s not only the President who wants glory on the cheap. We want our dream of democracy to be manifested without a price tag. We assume that we are owed a functional and fair society, but the truth is that we have to labor—and compromise—to attain it.
Fireworks are great on the fourth of July, because they remind us how spectacular and combustible our country remains.
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### Main Street to close for State of the City celebration
URL: https://www.smdp.com/main-street-to-close-for-state-of-the-city-celebration/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T16:35:24.000Z
Main Street will close to traffic from Ocean Park Boulevard to Hollister Avenue from noon to 10 p.m. Thursday as the city hosts this year's State of the City celebration, "From Realignment to Renaissance," from 4 to 7 p.m.
The free, family-friendly event will take place along Main Street and at the Ocean Park Branch Library, giving residents a chance to explore the corridor, patronize local businesses and take part in activities celebrating the city's progress.
Mayor Caroline Torosis is scheduled to deliver the State of the City address during the event. In a statement, Torosis said the choice of location was deliberate.
"Santa Monica is on stronger footing than we've been in years, and this year's State of the City is about what we do with that," Torosis said. "We're holding it on Main Street, outside the newly reopened Ocean Park Branch Library, because the future of this city gets built in neighborhoods like this one. I'll be sharing where we're headed on housing, public safety and a local economy that works for the people who live and work here."
Santa Monica Poet Laureate Jay Baldwin will also give a reading. The event will feature activations from community partners ESPN, Fever and Goldenvoice.
ESPN, which will launch its ESPN Beach hub at the Santa Monica Pier and Beach next year for Super Bowl coverage, will host a meet-and-greet with NFL Network reporter Taylor Bisciotti, a live broadcast of "The D'Marco and Travis Afternoon Show" on ESPN LA 710AM, and giveaways.
Goldenvoice, a division of AEG Presents, will offer attendees a preview of its inaugural Ocean Way Festival, which will headline The Killers and Olivia Dean alongside Jack White, Khruangbin, Sublime and other acts. Tickets go on sale to Santa Monica residents Wednesday at 11 a.m. and to the public Thursday at 11 a.m.
Fever will give attendees a sneak preview of its upcoming European-style holiday market, planned to open in late November on the Santa Monica Pier parking deck and run through January 2027.
The city will also distribute a limited number of vouchers, redeemable for one eligible purchase per person, excluding alcohol, at participating Main Street businesses while supplies last. Participating businesses include Augie's on Main, CoTo Imports, Dolcenero Gelato, Edgemar, Heartbreak Hill Running Company, Manchego, Rabano, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, Sushi Vegan, Thai Vegan and Zona Little Italy.
A Main Street Entertainment Zone will allow adults 21 and older to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating businesses and consume them on sidewalks between Strand Avenue and Pier Avenue and in the closed section of Main Street, with wristbands required and outside alcohol prohibited.
"This event is a great opportunity to showcase everything Main Street has to offer while welcoming residents and visitors to support our local businesses," said Hunter Hall, executive director of the Main Street Business Improvement Association Board.
State of the City originated 15 years ago as the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce's Economic Sustainability Summit, remaining a paid Chamber event until the city took over as primary host. The event went virtual during the pandemic and returned in 2025 as a community celebration at Miles Memorial Playhouse and Reed Park, drawing more than 700 residents. This year's iteration ties into the city's promotion of the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LXI and the 2028 Olympics.
### Appian Way to close for bridge demolition
URL: https://www.smdp.com/appian-way-to-close-for-bridge-demolition/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T16:03:48.000Z
Appian Way, which provides vehicle access to the south side of the Santa Monica Pier parking lot, will close from Monday, July 27, through Monday, Aug. 3, the city announced.
The closure is part of the Santa Monica Pier Bridge Replacement Project and will allow crews to safely demolish a portion of the existing Pier Bridge over the roadway. It will be limited to the area beneath the bridge, north of Seaside Terrace.
The Pier will remain open throughout the closure, including all restaurants, shops, attractions and other businesses.
Vehicle access to Parking Lot 1 North will remain available from Pacific Coast Highway during the closure. The city is also directing visitors to nearby public parking options, including Beach Lot 4 South, Beach Lot 3 North and Parking Structure 8.
Marked parking, pedestrian routes and wayfinding signage will guide visitors to the Pier, and pedestrian access to the Pier and Ocean Front Walk will remain open throughout construction.
Public transit and rideshare services will also remain available. Several Big Blue Bus routes and the Metro E Line serve downtown Santa Monica, a short walk from the Pier, and designated rideshare pickup and drop-off locations near the Pier will stay accessible.
City officials are urging visitors to plan ahead, allow extra travel time and follow posted detour, parking and pedestrian signage while traveling to and from the Pier during the closure.
The bridge replacement project will replace the nearly 90-year-old structure that serves as the Pier's primary vehicle access point. Officials say the project is intended to improve safety, accessibility and long-term reliability of the connection while maintaining Pier access throughout construction whenever possible.
### Santa Monica ranks in top 3 highest value cities in the county
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-ranks-in-top-3-highest-value-cities-in-the-county/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T18:59:59.000Z
Santa Monica's assessed property value climbed to nearly $55 billion this year, making it the third-highest valued city in Los Angeles County behind only Los Angeles and Long Beach, according to the 2026 Assessment Roll released by the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office.
The city's total assessed valuation reached $54.96 billion in 2026, up from $52.93 billion the previous year — a 3.8% increase, or about $2.03 billion, according to figures released by Assessor Jeff Prang's office. Santa Monica trailed only Los Angeles, which posted $926.1 billion in assessed value, and Long Beach, at $84.5 billion.
Santa Monica's growth came in below the countywide average, as the 2026 Assessment Roll for all of Los Angeles County reached a record $2.272 trillion in total net taxable value, a 4.42% increase, or $96 billion, over the prior year. The increase marks the 16th consecutive year of growth for the county's property tax base.
By comparison, Malibu — another Westside coastal city grappling with recovery from the January 2025 wildfires that devastated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas — saw its assessed value grow 3.5% to $25.63 billion, an increase of about $871 million over 2025.
"Despite one of the most challenging years in recent memory, marked by the ongoing response to the devastating wildfires that swept through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities and a cooling real estate market," the Assessor's office said, the countywide roll still posted its 16th straight year of expansion.
"When I presented the forecast to the Board of Supervisors in May, I emphasized 2025-2026 was a challenging year, and the impact of January's devastating wildfires will be felt for years to come," Prang said in a statement. "Even so, Los Angeles County's economy continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Not only did we maintain value growth, we exceeded our May forecast of 3.9%, finishing the year at 4.42%."
The countywide increase is projected to generate more than $27 billion in property tax revenue to fund public education, public safety, healthcare, libraries, parks and other local government services across the county, according to the Assessor's office.
Property transfers — meaning sales and other changes in ownership — were the single largest driver of growth, adding $49.1 billion to the roll, or 2.17 percentage points of the overall increase, according to figures included with the release. The median home sales price countywide climbed to $982,000, a modest increase from the prior year, even as the broader real estate market cooled and single-family sales volume remained flat compared with 2024.
The annual inflation adjustment mandated under Proposition 13 also played a major role. Because the California Consumer Price Index exceeded the constitutional limit this year, the Assessor's office applied the maximum allowable 2% inflation factor, adding roughly $42.7 billion in assessed value countywide.
New construction added another $12.1 billion to the roll, while personal property and fixtures — bolstered in part by new software the Assessor's office acquired to identify previously unassessed taxable aircraft — contributed $11.6 billion. Officials said the software helped uncover more than 1,000 aircraft that had escaped assessment in past years. Special property use types, including oil refineries, mining and water rights, and mobile homes, added just over $1.2 billion.
Those gains were partially offset by significant declines in the downtown Los Angeles office market, where officials said many properties lost more than half their value upon sale, and by continued relief granted to victims of the 2025 wildfires. Combined, declines in value and other adjustments removed nearly $9.8 billion from the roll.
After exemptions, the assessment roll's net local increase totaled $96.175 billion, or 4.42%, according to a breakdown provided by the Assessor's office.
Countywide, the roll includes nearly $95 billion in total property tax exemptions, translating to more than $948 million in tax savings for property owners. Those exemptions include roughly 891,000 homeowners' exemptions totaling more than $6.3 billion, more than 9,100 disabled veterans' exemptions totaling $1.6 billion, and about 15,000 institutional exemptions — covering religious institutions and nonprofits — totaling $87 billion.
Despite the countywide growth, officials emphasized that most property owners will not see a corresponding jump in their tax bills. Under Proposition 13, most assessed values are limited to a maximum annual inflation adjustment of 2%, meaning the majority of the roughly 2.25 million parcels in the county will see only that modest increase.
The fastest-growing cities in the county by percentage were Irwindale, up 15%; Vernon, up 13.3%; and Hidden Hills, up 11.7%.
The 2026 Assessment Roll reflects the value of all taxable property in the county as of Jan. 1, 2026, as required under the California Constitution, and includes 2,399,978 taxable real property parcels, 157,195 business property assessments, 31,938 boats and 3,566 aircraft. To compile the roll, the Assessor's office said staff processed 220,000 deeds, assessed 105,000 property transfers, enrolled more than 32,000 new construction events, reviewed about 9,000 decline-in-value parcels and prepared more than 15,000 Assessment Appeals Board cases.
Property owners who disagree with their new assessed value may file an appeal before the Nov. 30, 2026, deadline. Applications can be filed online at lacaab.lacounty.gov.
The full 2026 Assessment Roll is available at assessor.lacounty.gov.
### Malibu Receives Regional Award for Sensory Swim Program
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-receives-regional-award-for-sensory-swim-program/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T18:59:59.000Z
The City of Malibu Community Services Department has won the 2026 Southern California Public Pool Operators Association Innovative Program Award for its Sensory Swim program, which expands access to aquatic recreation for people with sensory sensitivities and diverse needs.
"This award recognizes Malibu's commitment to making recreation welcoming and accessible for everyone," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. "The Sensory Swim program reflects our belief that every member of our community deserves the opportunity to enjoy the many benefits of swimming in an environment where they feel safe, supported, and included."
Silverstein said the city was proud of its Community Services staff for bringing the program to Malibu.
The program is offered through a partnership with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the Malibu Esperance Center, helping expand inclusive recreational opportunities and strengthen community connections for participants and their families.
Designed for participants of all ability levels, Sensory Swim provides a supportive aquatic environment where individuals can enjoy the physical, mental and social benefits of swimming. Through accommodations and trained staff support, the program aims to create a safe, welcoming space where everyone can participate regardless of ability.
City officials said Malibu is committed to providing innovative recreation programs that promote health, wellness and inclusion for residents of all ages and abilities.
Sensory Swim hours for summer 2026 are 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday through Aug. 5\. To learn more about Sensory Swim and other aquatics programs at the Malibu Community Pool, visit MalibuCity.org/Aquatics.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### SMMUSD adopts 2026-27 budget, braces for deficit spending
URL: https://www.smdp.com/smmusd-adopts-2026-27-budget-braces-for-deficit-spending/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T18:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education has adopted a 2026-2027 budget in which spending is projected to outpace revenue, approving a [plan district](https://www.smdp.com/in-a-policy-paradox-council-pushes-density-into-single-family-neighborhood-to-delay-statewide-housing-law/) leaders say protects classroom programs while preserving long-term financial stability.
The board approved the budget on a 6-0 vote, with one member absent, during its June 23 regular meeting. The spending plan calls for about $226.2 million in total revenues and $237.9 million in total expenditures across the district's unrestricted and restricted funds.
Officials said the budget was developed over months of planning and analysis and aligns the district's resources with its priorities, including academic achievement, special education, maintenance of facilities and operational excellence. They said the gap between revenues and expenditures was anticipated and accounted for in a multiyear financial strategy.
"The adoption of this budget reflects months of careful planning, analysis and collaboration," said Gerardo Cruz, the district's assistant superintendent of business services and chief financial officer. "Our focus remains on maintaining fiscal solvency while continuing to support high-quality educational programs and services for students. While expenditures are projected to exceed revenues during the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the District has planned for this through its multiyear financial strategy and will continue monitoring expenditures, reviewing revenue projections and identifying efficiencies to maintain long-term fiscal sustainability and reduce deficit spending."
The budget includes about $142.4 million in Local Control Funding Formula revenue. The district's finances are also supported by local property taxes, Measure R parcel tax revenue, joint use agreements, community partnerships and other local funding sources that officials said continue to strengthen educational opportunities for students throughout Santa Monica and Malibu.
Total instructional spending is projected at about $169.7 million, covering classroom instruction, educational services, special education, school site operations and student support programs.
The district projects enrollment of about 8,548 students in 2026-2027\. The budget was built using state and local funding assumptions, including a 4.31% cost-of-living adjustment and continued support through local revenue sources and community partnerships.
As part of its long-term planning, the adopted budget maintains the state-required reserve for economic uncertainties and sets aside additional board-designated reserves intended to support future financial obligations and preserve stability during changing economic conditions.
District staff noted that schools across California, including Santa Monica-Malibu, continue to face financial pressure from rising operational costs, growing employee health and welfare expenses and the expiration of pandemic-era funding sources.
Despite the projected deficit spending, the district said the adopted budget demonstrates it is on track to meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year and the following two fiscal years. District leaders characterized the plan as evidence of a continued commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparency and strategic financial planning.
The adopted budget will be submitted to the [Los Angeles County Office of Education](https://www.lacoe.edu/?ref=smdp.com) in accordance with California law.
### Road rage incident sparks 100 mph police chase
URL: https://www.smdp.com/road-rage-incident-sparks-100-mph-police-chase/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T17:15:52.000Z
A Santa Monica road rage investigation erupted into a 45-minute, multi-jurisdiction police pursuit Tuesday morning, as a suspect fled officers and led law enforcement across Los Angeles-area freeways and city streets at speeds exceeding 100 mph before being taken into custody.
Santa Monica Police Department investigators attempted to arrest the suspect around 7 a.m. Tuesday in connection with a road rage incident that had occurred a couple of weeks earlier, but the driver fled the scene in a black Range Rover, police said.
The California Highway Patrol was called in to assist at approximately 7:17 a.m. and picked up pursuit of the SUV on the southbound 405 Freeway just south of the 118 Freeway near Pacoima.
The chase continued through central Los Angeles and onto the 101 Freeway before moving onto surface streets. The driver then traveled down Vermont Avenue and merged onto the eastbound 10 Freeway.
Aerial news footage showed the SUV crossing into oncoming lanes at several points during the pursuit and narrowly avoiding collisions as it reached speeds topping 100 mph.
The pursuit ended around 7:55 a.m. near San Gabriel Boulevard and Hill Drive in South San Gabriel, when an officer used a patrol vehicle to push the SUV to a stop. The driver surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
The underlying investigation stems from a road rage incident reported on July 3 at approximately 8:25 p.m. near 18th Street and Broadway in Santa Monica. According to police, the driver of a black sedan fired a single round at another driver during the confrontation, striking the victim's vehicle. The victim was not struck or injured.
The suspect fled before officers arrived at the scene that night, and SMPD investigators worked in the weeks since to identify and locate the driver, leading to Tuesday's attempted arrest and pursuit.
The suspect's identity and potential charges had not been released as of Tuesday.
The Westside Current contributed to this report.
### Santa Monica's Big Match Day Ends in a Draw
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monicas-big-match-day-ends-in-a-draw/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T15:44:59.000Z
Santa Monica hosted its COAST open streets event last weekend alongside World Cup watch parties on the Third Street Promenade, and while the day produced some roaring goals, it also revealed the city has forgotten some basic lessons on how to run a match-day operation.
Goal!
The Promenade was the star of the match. The watch party wasn't for everyone — it was packed under the midday sun — but for those who wanted the communal atmosphere of a supporters' section, it delivered. There were post-game activities for adults and kids alike, restaurants were full, and for the first time since the pandemic, the Promenade played like it's back to its pre-2020 form. The north end remains the weak link on the roster, still hobbled by its string of vacant storefronts, but overall it was a great day to be on Third Street.
Red Card: Traffic Management
The city's traffic plan was sent off in the first half. Thousands of fans tried to exit the city after the final whistle, and the city failed to account for the vehicle flow that gridlocked streets from Pico Boulevard to Wilshire Boulevard. It plays like there's no institutional memory of how to manage a match-day crowd. Major events that used to call the city home, like the Los Angeles Marathon and the old Thursday concert series, had this figured out.
Since no one at City Hall appears to have given the problem so much as a moment's thought, here's a set piece for next time: Close 2nd Street at Colorado Avenue and make traffic one-way heading north. Cars exiting the parking structure would turn right, then right again on Wilshire Boulevard, then right again onto Lincoln or 14th to those freeway on-ramps. Fourth Street should also be right-turn-only out of the parking structures, sending that traffic to the Fourth Street freeway on-ramp. Splitting the pitch that way would keep an overwhelming number of vehicles from flooding the poorly designed intersection at Fourth Street and Olympic Boulevard.
Yellow Card: COAST
COAST earned a caution, not a red card. It played well for the drinking crowd and poorly for families with kids. Closing Ocean Avenue and giving the Promenade crowd overflow space was a smart tactical substitution, and the portions of COAST tied to the World Cup were genuinely fun.
The east side of Ocean Avenue had the better squad on the field, with a couple of music stages, large screens showing the match and the Michelob Ultra tent. Grab an Entertainment Zone beer — maybe one from the Stella Artois engraved-chalice booth outside Barneys — then head to the salsa stage, and you'd have had a great time.
But the park side of the street was benched. It offered a disappointing lineup of booths selling items that belong in a 2 a.m. infomercial on an off-brand cable channel. There was no community feel to it, and no strategic reason for it to look the way it did. That's the most frustrating part, because it would have been an easy pass into an open net to make it a celebration of sport following the World Cup: batting cages, penalty-kick shootouts, a putting green, an ultimate Frisbee course and, given the heat, a Santa Monica Fire Department misting station or splash pad.
Coming after the lackluster performance at the Tongva Park event following the Fourth of July, the city needs to take a hard look at how it's drawing up these game plans. If Santa Monica wants a reputation for something more than an outdoor home shopping channel, it needs to substantially raise its level of play.
### World Cup ends with a celebration in Downtown Santa Monica
URL: https://www.smdp.com/world-cup-ends-with-a/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T15:44:31.000Z
Santa Monica hosted watch parties and the COAST open streets event on Sunday. Fans of the game were able to partake in several outdoor screenings that included street food enjoy several blocks of Ocean that had been closed to traffic.
### Soundwaves series presents two emerging composer-performers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/soundwaves-series-presents-two-emerging-composer-performers/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T20:15:26.000Z
The Soundwaves new music series will present groups led by two composer-improviser-performers on Tuesday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Westside Music Conservatory.
Local Occurrence is led by tuba player Henryk "Harry" Golden, with Corey Fogel on percussion, Myra Hinrichs on violin, Michael Matsuno on flute and Tomoko Ozawa on piano. Born in Warsaw, Golden has studied, performed and had his compositions played across Europe and the United States, most recently spending two years at USC. The group emphasizes repeat performances of pieces so players and composers can develop the music in depth.
Violinist Lisa Yoshida recently completed her doctorate in integrated improvisation, composition and technology at UC Irvine, where she won the concerto competition with her interpretation of Alban Berg's violin concerto. She has participated in the Banff, Nief-Norf and Darmstadt institutes. For Soundwaves, she will present an autobiographical work incorporating voice and electronics, joined by an ensemble of saxophone, keyboard, bass and drums.
A $20 donation is suggested. The Westside Music Conservatory is at 12424 Wilshire Blvd., at the southeast corner of the intersection with Centinela.
Soundwaves concerts take place on the third Tuesday of each month, bringing Los Angeles' experimental music communities to the Westside.
For more information, visit[ ](http://soundwavesnewmusic.com/?ref=smdp.com)[soundwavesnewmusic.com](http://soundwavesnewmusic.com/?ref=smdp.com).
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA County Updates Collection Costs for Delinquent Property Taxes
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la-county-updates-collection-costs-for-delinquent-property-taxes/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T18:59:59.000Z
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector Elizabeth Buenrostro Ginsberg has updated the collection costs for recovering delinquent unsecured property taxes to reflect actual costs, the department announced.
The changes take effect Sept. 1, 2026, starting with unsecured property tax bills due in fiscal year 2026-27\. Delinquent unsecured property taxes will incur a 10% penalty and a $12 Notice of Enforcement collection cost — down from $20 — if not paid by the delinquency date.
After 90 days from the delinquency date, outstanding taxes will incur an additional $93 Notice of Lien collection cost, up from $29, plus penalties at a rate of 1.5% per month until paid in full. The department will also institute enforcement proceedings, which include recording a tax lien against the assessee of record if payment is not received on time.
Property owners who pay on time will not be affected.
Unsecured property tax bills can be viewed at ttc.lacounty.gov/request-unsecured-bill, and mail and in-person payment instructions are available at ttc.lacounty.gov/pay-your-property-taxes-unsecured. Delinquent unsecured property taxes cannot be paid online.
Property owners can find answers to most questions or submit inquiries at ttc.lacounty.gov/unsecured-public-inquiries, call the Unsecured Property Tax Section at 1-213-893-7935, or visit 225 N. Hill St., First Floor Lobby, Los Angeles, CA 90012, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding county holidays.
Spanish-language assistance is available by calling 1-213-974-2111 during the same hours.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Celebratory weekend ends with murder by the Pier
URL: https://www.smdp.com/celebratory-weekend-ends-with-murder-by-the-pier/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T17:03:35.000Z
A man was shot and killed early Monday in a parking lot near the Santa Monica Pier, police said, capping a weekend that drew the city's largest crowds in recent memory.
Santa Monica police officers responded at about 12:32 a.m. Monday to a report of a possible shooting in Parking Lot 1 North, located at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway. Officers arriving at the scene found an adult with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
A preliminary investigation indicates a physical altercation broke out between two groups shortly before the shooting, police said. The circumstances leading up to the incident remain under investigation.
The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. No suspect information was available Monday, and the suspect or suspects remain outstanding. Santa Monica police detectives are actively investigating.
Video from ABC7 showed officers investigating the scene in the early morning hours following the killing.
No further details about the incident had been released as of Monday morning.
The shooting came at the close of one of Santa Monica's busiest weekends in recent memory. The city hosted an open streets festival in downtown alongside large public watch parties for the World Cup final. Thousands of visitors flooded the downtown area ahead of the match's noon kickoff, and while many crammed roadways trying to leave after the game, large crowds persisted through the rest of the day.
This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is asked to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491\. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
### Santa Monica teen cellist earns Carnegie Hall spot
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-teen-cellist-earns-carnegie-hall-spot/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T10:00:18.000Z
Maxwell Prado, a 14-year-old cellist and incoming [Santa Monica High School](https://samohi.smmusd.org/?ref=smdp.com) freshman, has been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall this summer through the Honors Performance Series and chosen for featured solo passages — a distinction drawn from nearly 10,000 nominations submitted from around the world.
Prado will perform with the Honors Orchestra, an ensemble of top-rated young musicians chosen through a competitive audition and review process, on July 23\. He was also tapped to play featured cello solos during the performance, including passages in "Elegy" and a work by Vivaldi.
He learned of the opportunity in stages. His middle school orchestra teacher at New West Charter School, Sally O'Neill, quietly nominated him in October 2025\. On Dec. 10, 2025, an email confirmed his acceptance as a finalist for the 2026 Middle School Honors Performance orchestra.
"It felt like everything stopped for one moment," Prado said.
The news carried extra weight for him. "I remember when I was younger and I started playing piano," he said. "My parents would ... tell that corny joke, 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.' And now I am actually having the opportunity to play this renowned stage." He added that it "feels absolutely surreal being able to play on such a stage as a 14-year-old ... given such a great opportunity where many amazing musicians have played before me."
Prado began on piano before discovering the cello in fourth grade, just as pandemic lockdowns were easing at Edison Elementary School in [Santa Monica](https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-artist-turns-mermaids-and-octopuses-into-ocean-advocacy/). During a music class showcasing different instruments, he was captivated by a video of Jacqueline du Pré performing Elgar's Cello Concerto.
"I knew at that moment that I wanted to play the cello," he said. When he finally held one the following week, "it felt so natural, like I had always been playing the cello. ... This instrument was the instrument I was born to play."
He has focused on the cello for five years, training under sought-after instructor Betsy Rettig, and has been part of Santa Monica-based Elemental Music since he began the instrument in fourth grade. He has performed with the Elemental Academy Philharmonic for three years, serving as first-chair cellist for the last two, and has spent three years in the organization's Chamber Music Institute.
Prado also studies with The Colburn School's youth orchestra and chamber programs, and this year he performed in LA Opera's production of "Noah's Flood" at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Beyond the concert hall, he volunteers his time playing for others, including residents in the memory care unit at Ivy Park assisted living community in Santa Monica.
"Music transcends ages," Prado said. "It doesn't matter if you're young or you're old. Music just makes people feel." He recalled that at Ivy Park, "some of them clapped, some of them sang along, and ultimately, they all seem to smile." Music, he said, "is really the most amazing language."
O'Neill said she has enjoyed watching him mature during his middle school years. "It has been wonderful watching Maxwell develop not only as a musician, but also as a leader and a well-rounded cellist," she said. "His dedication, humility, and love for music truly stand out."
As he heads to high school, Prado said he expects the same balancing act as his classmates. He will have daily orchestra rehearsals at Santa Monica High while continuing his work with Colburn, Elemental Music and Rettig.
"Like every incoming freshman, I know there will be an adjustment period," he said. "We all have to learn how to balance school, music, friends, family and time to recharge." He added: "Where there's a will, there's a way, and for me, that way is through music."
Finalists will travel to New York City to rehearse under internationally recognized conductor Kurt Mosier before the performance.
"Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing," said Marion Gomez, music director for the series. "We processed nearly 10,000 nominations this year and selected some of the most talented student performers from around the world. Working with these conductors and performing at these renowned venues is a once-in-a-lifetime experience these musicians will never forget."
The Honors Performance Series, presented by the educational travel organization WorldStrides, was created to showcase accomplished student performers in world-renowned venues under master conductors. The July 23 concert is open to the public, with tickets available through the Carnegie Hall box office.
### Santa Monica council sends rent-control eviction protections to November ballot; new-occupant measure splits vote
URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-council-sends-rent-control-eviction-protections-to-november-ballot-new-occupant-measure-splits-vote/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T10:00:19.000Z
The City Council voted Tuesday to place three proposed rent-control charter amendments on the November ballot, advancing a package of expanded eviction protections that drew a wave of impassioned opposition from small landlords even as council members split over how far the changes should go.
Three of the proposals — a state-required environmental finding, a set of administrative updates to the Rent Control Board paired with a reaffirmation of the city's just-cause eviction laws, and a prohibition on evictions over relatively small rental debts — were adopted together, 6-0\. A separate measure, which would bar evictions when tenants add new occupants to a household, passed 4-2, with Council Members Lana Negrete and Barry Snell opposed. Council Member Jesse Zwick recused himself because of his employment as Southern California director of the Housing Action Coalition.
The proposals grew out of a January directive that council members said was prompted by federal immigration enforcement in the region. Council Member Dan Hall urged colleagues to recall that context, noting that [Immigration](https://www.smdp.com/la-county-delivers-5-4-million-to-small-businesses-hit-by-immigration-enforcement/) and Customs Enforcement raids had left some households scrambling. "Primary tenants were taken into custody by federal immigration enforcement, leaving family members ... in pretty rough straits," Hall said, describing the eviction protections as working "hand in hand as both a financial protection and a household protection."
Chief Deputy City Attorney Romy Ganschow, who presented the measures, said the amendments followed a survey of tenant protections in comparable California cities and multiple public hearings before the Rent Control Board, which recommended them.
The nonpayment measure would prohibit evictions when a tenant owes less than a threshold tied to federal fair-market rent estimates for local ZIP codes. According to the staff report, roughly 75% of eviction lawsuits reported to the city attorney's office since 2024 were for nonpayment, with a median amount of about $6,000 in cases that were filed.
The most contested measure would prevent landlords from evicting tenants who move additional family members or non-family "household" members into a unit, and would let certain occupants remain after the original tenant leaves. Negrete pressed Ganschow repeatedly on whether that could create what critics call "perpetual tenancy," asking whether a series of occupants could each pass the unit along. "That could happen under this regulation," Ganschow acknowledged. "It wouldn't preclude that."
Negrete, who said she lives in a rent-controlled building, described fielding calls from small landlords who felt blindsided. "I don't think ... they don't not want to be involved. They're just not getting these notifications," she said, asking whether the vote could be delayed. She also worried about effects on "small mom and pop good landlords" who might conclude, "God, I can't handle this anymore. I'm going to put it up for sale."
Mayor Caroline Torosis defended the measure by pointing to situations she said she had seen on the Rent Control Board. "You have ... an elderly parent passes away, child is not on the lease, lives with the parent as a caretaker," she said. "We're talking about someone's pocketbook versus ... a roof over someone's head and an exacerbating homeless crisis."
Snell, who said he is a renter and a business owner but not a landlord, supported the other measures but balked at the occupancy provision, citing concern for landlords unable "to dictate who's in the place on a serial basis." He successfully moved to split that resolution off for a separate vote, a procedural motion that carried 5-1.
Council Member Ellis Raskin, who carried the main motion, invoked the Rent Control Board's independent authority. "There's been a lot of hard work that's gone to this," he said. "Our elected experts to the rent control board have been hard at work at this over the last six months." He added that the council was "not making law tonight," because "it's the electorate that decides."
Written comments submitted before the meeting ran heavily against the package, particularly from landlords and the [Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles](https://aagla.org/?ref=smdp.com), which warned the occupancy language was vague and "ripe for abuse" and could invite litigation. Supporters, including a resident who works a tenant hotline, said the nonpayment protection could buy the city time to connect struggling renters with relief funds before eviction proceedings begin.
The council then voted 6-0 to authorize members to draft ballot arguments in favor of the measures — Hall for the administrative updates, Torosis for the nonpayment protection and Raskin for the occupancy measure. No member filed arguments against any measure. Ballot arguments are due within 14 days.
### Malibu Council Unanimously Curbs New Cell Sites Near Homes
URL: https://www.smdp.com/malibu-council-unanimously-curbs-new-cell-sites-near-homes/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T10:00:00.000Z
The City Council voted unanimously Monday to bar most new wireless facilities in Malibu's residential neighborhoods, approving a pair of resolutions that supporters hailed as a long-sought first step toward keeping cell equipment away from homes.
The vote enacts what officials have called Phase 1 of a "residential fix," prohibiting new wireless installations in residential areas except where federal law requires the city to allow them. Because the changes were adopted as resolutions rather than ordinances, they took effect immediately and apply to any application submitted after the vote.
"It's a marked departure from the way things used to be," Mayor Bruce Silverstein said before the vote. "The residents have been clamoring for this for many years now, and every time it's been raised, it's been deferred."
Under the new standards, the siting restriction applies on private property in residential zoning districts and, in the public right-of-way, to any location within 300 feet of a residential parcel fronting the roadway. The required spacing between wireless facilities in the right-of-way near homes increases from 600 feet to 1,000 feet. The rules steer carriers toward Pacific Coast Highway and arterial roads, which remain the preferred locations.
The restrictions apply only to brand-new facilities and to modifications that fall outside federal limits. Senior Planner Patrick Achis told the council the city must still approve qualifying "eligible facility requests" — changes to existing sites that meet [Federal Communications Commission](https://www.fcc.gov/?ref=smdp.com) criteria. Achis said Malibu has approved 39 wireless applications in the past 12 months, all of them eligible facility requests, and that the last brand-new facility was approved about three and a half years ago.
Staff also pushed back on a comparison, raised repeatedly in public comment, to the city of Calabasas, which some residents believe regulates wireless equipment more strictly. Achis said Malibu's rules are the tougher of the two. Calabasas permits new facilities in residential and open-space zones if they are screened, and approves them administratively without a public hearing, he said. Malibu, by contrast, requires discretionary review, a public hearing and, where applicable, a coastal development permit.
Assistant Community Development Director Tyler Eaton said Malibu's process has at times proved so demanding that applicants abandoned their projects. "We've had a few of those that have not made it through the process," he said.
Much of the council's discussion turned on the tension between limiting equipment and maintaining reliable service in a fire-prone community with frequent power shutoffs. Councilmember Marianne Riggins said she shared residents' [health concerns](https://www.smdp.com/los-angeles-to-bake-under-mid-week-heat-wave/) about 5G technology but stressed that Malibu cannot afford coverage gaps during emergencies.
"We have gone through two major fires on each end of town and not had proper coverage so that people can get accurate information for evacuations," Riggins said. She recounted a recent outage at her own home: "The power was out for 10 days, and I didn't have service in my house. I happen to live on Cliffside on Point Dume."
Councilmember Steve Uhring urged staff to monitor how carriers respond to the new rules and report back quickly. "Telecom companies — they've demonstrated they're very powerful," he said. "They got great lobbyists. If it isn't working, we've got to tweak it. Let's tweak it earlier versus later."
Several members said the more consequential work lies ahead. "The real meat on the bones is going to come in Phase 2," Councilmember Doug Stewart said, pointing to installation and maintenance standards. "The engineers can do a great job to put it together, but if it isn't installed properly, it's a mess."
Phase 2, targeted for August or September, is expected to focus on fire safety, equipment upkeep and enforcement. Silverstein floated requiring periodic inspections of wireless sites every few years — paid for by the carriers — to check for degradation and fire hazards. Interim City Attorney Trevor Rusin said the city could likely justify such a rule if it established a clear rationale and kept the requirements proportional, and agreed to research the question for the next round of amendments.
Riggins said she would support mandatory checks tied to maintenance and power shutoffs, noting that backup batteries at some sites fail to work after prolonged outages. "Is there something that we can add in for periodic maintenance and/or checks after a PSPS season?" she asked. "I would absolutely support having that."
### Ottobock Named Official Paralympic Repair Provider for LA28
URL: https://www.smdp.com/ottobock-named-official-paralympic-repair-provider-for-la28/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T18:59:59.000Z
Ottobock, a global MedTech company specializing in prosthetics, neuro-orthotics and exoskeletons, has been named an Official Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Wheelchair Repair Service Provider and Official Supporter of the LA28 Paralympic Games.
The designation formalizes a role Ottobock has filled at the Paralympic Games for nearly four decades. Its technicians operate free repair and maintenance workshops on-site, servicing prostheses, orthoses, wheelchairs and other assistive devices when athletes need urgent attention.
"We are proud and excited to continue our Paralympic journey in Los Angeles. For us, this partnership is about much more than technical service — it is about trust, reliability and helping athletes perform at their very best on the world's biggest stage," said Peter Franzel, head of global events, exhibitions and sports at Ottobock.
Ileana Rodriguez, a Paralympian and LA28 vice president of Paralympic strategy and relations, said the company's four-decade commitment to the Paralympic Movement makes it a natural partner. "This partnership goes beyond technical service; it is about a mutual mission to expand access to movement for all," she said.
The announcement came during Ottobock's Full Circle Movement event at the Angel City Games, a series of free, inclusive community experiences for people of all ages and mobility levels living with limb loss or limb difference. Participants can try prosthetic technology, train with adaptive sports coaches and connect with others.
"The U.S. is one of the most dynamic markets for innovation in mobility and adaptive sport, but what truly drives our engagement here is the community," said Jan-Philip Rahmann, executive director of marketing and digital sales at Ottobock North America. He called such events "an essential bridge on the road to the LA28 Paralympic Games."
Paralympic champion Ezra Frech, an Ottobock ambassador and co-founder of Angel City Sports, linked the company's grassroots work to the Games.
"Los Angeles has an incredible opportunity to show the world what inclusive sport can look like from grassroots participation all the way to the Paralympic stage," Frech said. "Partnerships like this create visibility, opportunity and belief, helping the next generation see what they can achieve through sport."
Ottobock said the expanded partnership reflects a shared belief that sport can change perceptions and strengthen inclusion for people with disabilities at every level.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Community Collective Inaugural Builders Breakfast coalition to help turn the World Cup, Olympics and global events into economic opportunity
URL: https://www.smdp.com/community-collective-inaugural-builders-breakfast-coalition-to-help-turn-the-world-cup-olympics-and-global-events-into-economic-opportunity/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T09:59:59.000Z
More than 50 civic, business and community leaders gathered for the inaugural Community Collective Builders Breakfast at 1212 Santa Monica on the Third Street Promenade, focusing on partnerships, downtown revitalization and Santa Monica's global future.
The monthly breakfast series aims to position Santa Monica to capitalize on upcoming global sporting events, bringing together leaders from government, business, design, development, tourism, construction, culture and community organizations to strengthen the local economy and activate public spaces beyond the Games.
Santa Monica City Councilmember Dan Hall opened the program and joined a panel with city Economic Development Manager Jennifer Taylor, Santa Monica Block Fest producer Peter Trinh and Ryan Bowling, CEO of Local Action Marketing.
The discussion tied momentum from recent World Cup activations to downtown revitalization, economic development, international partnerships, mobility infrastructure and the continuing recovery from the Palisades and Eaton fires.
A central theme emerged: Santa Monica is shifting from "managing decline" to "betting on itself." "We have two years of opportunity where the eyes of the world are on us," said Hall, a West Point graduate and Army veteran elected in 2024\. "This is an opportunity that we can leverage to show the world that Santa Monica is not doing business like it used to."
Hall said city leadership is working to replace a historically restrictive culture at City Hall with one centered on collaboration and transparency. "How do we get to yes?" he asked. "How do we activate and use the amazing potential that this community has?"
He acknowledged ongoing challenges — retail vacancies, public perception issues, declining domestic overnight tourism and lingering effects of the pandemic and wildfires — but pointed to targeted investment and data-driven governance as evidence of progress. He cited city data showing Part One crime down 12.5%, while prosecution conviction rates have risen from about 65% to more than 80%.
That transformation has become visible downtown, where World Cup viewing parties, cultural programming, wellness events and Block Fest have drawn thousands of residents and visitors back to the Promenade.
Taylor said the World Cup tested how well city departments, event producers and businesses can collaborate on large-scale events. "It's really helped us test what we can do and continue to move the boundaries around really big events," she said.
She said the city's economic development team is working with representatives from about 17 countries exploring hospitality houses, cultural programming and brand activations tied to the 2028 Olympics. Because Santa Monica is not an official Olympic venue, she said, the city has more flexibility to serve as a hospitality and cultural destination. Potential activations include a French hospitality house at the Annenberg Community Beach House and a House of Switzerland at the Camera Obscura building in Palisades Park. "We want countries investing here and our businesses and residents benefiting long after the Games," Taylor said.
Bowling said the opportunity extends beyond sports. "This is more than a business moment — it's a pop-culture moment and an opportunity to amplify a message across Southern California, the United States and globally," he said. His firm connects international governments, sporting organizations and global brands with local communities across Southern California. With more than 200 countries expected to engage in the region ahead of the 2028 Games, he said opportunities exist in tourism, trade, diplomacy, investment and cultural exchange. "Don't be late to the Games — start building those relationships now," he said, adding that hundreds of Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be seeking community partnerships before 2028.
Trinh said long-term success depends on creating memorable experiences rather than marketing campaigns. "Cities don't build brands through slogans — they build them through experiences, through safety, through hospitality, through great programming and vibrant public spaces," he said. He described Santa Monica as a city rediscovering its identity through food, culture, entertainment and outdoor experiences. "The city is cool. We just need to remind everyone that the city is cool," he said, adding that the city's future depends on consistent year-round programming, not just marquee events.
That strategy is being supported through the city's newly established Major Events Team, which Taylor said is coordinating programming across city departments, Downtown Santa Monica Inc., the Pier, event producers and community partners. The city also plans to expand wellness programming, farmers market partnerships and smaller "surprise-and-delight" experiences downtown, at the beach and in public parks.
Hall also pointed to the newly announced Ocean Way Festival, produced by Goldenvoice, as another chance to boost hotel stays, support restaurants and retailers, and strengthen Santa Monica's reputation as a cultural destination.
Audience discussion touched on housing, bicycle infrastructure, school safety, downtown revitalization and plans to transform the 192-acre Santa Monica Airport property into a regional arts, culture and recreation destination.
Attendees included Downtown Santa Monica Inc. CEO Debbie Lee, Gensler Managing Director Kelly Farrell, PacQuest CEO and founder Fred Cordova, Every Fire Survivors Network founder Joy Chen, Santa Monica Arts Commission Chair Susan Jain, James Cummings of London & Partners and Shawmut Design and Construction Executive Vice President Greg Skalaski.
The optimism was tempered by reminders that rebuilding neighboring communities remains urgent. Chen said her network now represents more than 10,000 fire survivors and continues pushing for insurance accountability. "Our purpose is not anti-industry. It is pro-market integrity," she said, inviting attendees to an Aug. 22 survivor and ally pickleball festival. "This recovery will take all of us."
The next Community Collective Builders Breakfast is set for Sept. 14 at 1212 Santa Monica, where organizers plan to introduce sector-focused working sessions on development, design, government, tourism, mobility, culture, business and community impact.
### COAST 2026 caps Santa Monica’s World Cup celebration with a look toward LA28
URL: https://www.smdp.com/coast-2026-caps-santa-monicas-world-cup-celebration-with-a-look-toward-la28/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T18:59:59.000Z
After more than a month of welcoming the world, Santa Monica is preparing for one final celebration that reflects how global sporting events can transform a city.
On Sunday, the city will close out its six-week World Cup programming with COAST 2026, a free open streets festival that will transform more than a mile of downtown into a pedestrian-first celebration of soccer, music, culture, wellness and community.
Stretching across Ocean, Arizona and Colorado avenues, Third Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier, COAST invites residents and visitors to walk, bike and explore downtown through live entertainment, interactive art, wellness programming, family activities and public watch parties for the FIFA World Cup Final.
More than simply celebrating the tournament’s championship match, COAST reflects a broader vision for Santa Monica’s future—one where public spaces become gathering places, local businesses thrive and major global events leave a lasting civic legacy as Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The festival revives Santa Monica’s beloved COAST open streets event, which had been paused since the pandemic, and returns this year thanks to funding from Metro’s Open Streets Program. Produced by Revel Republic in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, COAST brings together public agencies, local businesses, artists, performers and community organizations for the city’s largest World Cup celebration.
Throughout the past six weeks, Santa Monica has embraced the World Cup through activations that transformed Third Street Promenade and the surrounding downtown into one of Southern California’s premier fan destinations.
Helping bring that vision to life has been Revel Republic, the experiential production company behind COAST 2026 and much of Santa Monica’s World Cup programming. For Sunday’s finale, Revel Republic is coordinating more than 80 vendors and activations across downtown, including partnerships with Red Bull, Therabody, Verizon and AI Wellness, creating an immersive celebration that blends sports, culture, music, wellness and local business.
The scale of participation reflects more than just a festival. It demonstrates how major sporting events can create meaningful economic opportunities for local businesses while transforming public spaces into vibrant places where residents and visitors gather together. “One of the best things about the World Cup is the way it brings people together,” said Debbie Lee, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. “Throughout the tournament, Downtown Santa Monica has become a place where residents, visitors and soccer fans from around the world can gather, celebrate and create lasting memories.”
Lee said COAST builds on that momentum by transforming downtown into an all-day celebration. “COAST 2026 builds on that energy by filling our streets with music, entertainment and experiences that invite people to spend the day exploring Downtown Santa Monica,” Lee said. “When people come together like this, our local businesses benefit, our community comes alive, and our downtown continues to grow as one of Southern California’s most vibrant destinations.”
Mayor Caroline Torosis said the festival represents more than the conclusion of the World Cup, it signals Santa Monica’s continued resurgence as an international destination. “Hosting the world this summer has been a preview of what’s ahead for Santa Monica,” Torosis said. “The World Cup brought thousands of visitors to our businesses and our beach, and the grand finale caps a month that showed our comeback in full swing. When the world comes to Los Angeles, Santa Monica is where they come to celebrate.”
Throughout the Promenade, each block offers a distinct World Cup experience. The 1400 block, dubbed “The Warm Up,” features community yoga, youth soccer activities, outdoor games and the FIFA Pop-Up Store. The 1300 block, “The Tailgate,” gets fans match-ready with World Cup face painting, photo opportunities and interactive activations. Arizona Avenue’s “Grandstand” serves as the festival’s primary outdoor watch party with a large viewing screen, fan seating, food vendors and interactive experiences, while the 1200 block’s “Huddle” pairs live music from Jam in the Van with outdoor match viewing and dining from local favorites including 1212 Santa Monica, Cabo Cantina, Casa Martin and Ugo.
Thousands of fans are expected to gather around multiple LED screens throughout downtown to watch the FIFA World Cup Final together, with viewing available at the Grandstand, the Santa Monica Stage near Ocean and Arizona avenues and participating businesses throughout downtown.
One of this year’s featured partners is Red Bull, whose North American headquarters is based in Santa Monica. The company will debut an interactive Energy Zone where fans can enjoy live DJ sets from the Red Bull Event Vehicle, test their soccer skills and grab an ice-cold Red Bull before joining festivities across downtown. “With Red Bull North America’s headquarters based in Santa Monica, supporting COAST 2026 is an opportunity to show up for the community we call home and help create an unforgettable experience for fans visiting and from the city,” the company said.
Therabody will also bring recovery and wellness experiences to COAST, complementing programming that includes guided breathwork, movement classes and meditation in Palisades Park’s Superbloom Garden and reinforcing wellness as a central part of the festival experience.
Music and performance will unfold across four stages throughout the day. The Main Stage at Ocean Avenue and Broadway will feature Bomba Borikén, Masanga Marimba, Sangre Nueva and Esther Anaya before transitioning into a community salsa celebration curated by Salsa Way’s Cesar Romero following the World Cup Final.
The Indie Stage will spotlight emerging musicians and DJs, while the Santa Monica Stage will serve as both a primary viewing location for the championship match and home to afternoon performances from Funky House Collective.
Families will have their own dedicated destination at the Kids Stage, where programming curated in part by Nicole Blaine and The Crow will feature comedy, live music, youth performances, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Jason Mesches, Rangeela Dance Company and The Crow’s Kid Rock Band.
Visitors can also experience “Memory World” at the Camera Obscura Art Lab, participate in community art projects, enjoy family activities and explore dozens of local businesses participating throughout the festival footprint.
COAST also reflects Santa Monica’s commitment to creating people-first streets and encouraging alternative transportation. Visitors are encouraged to arrive by Metro’s E Line, Big Blue Bus, bicycle or on foot, while free bike valet stations and temporary street closures allow thousands to experience downtown without cars.
When the final whistle blows Sunday afternoon, COAST will mark more than the end of the FIFA World Cup. It will celebrate six weeks in which Santa Monica welcomed the world, demonstrated the power of community partnerships and reimagined its streets as places of connection.
If the World Cup showcased what Southern California can accomplish on the global stage, COAST offers a hopeful reminder that some of the tournament’s most meaningful victories happened not inside the stadiums, but in the communities that came together around them.
### A Detailed Walkthrough: How to Serve via Publication Summons
URL: https://www.smdp.com/how-to-serve-by-publication-summons-step-guide/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T17:29:02.000Z
You’ve done everything you can to track down the defendant, but now it feels like they’ve disappeared into thin air.
It’s tough to be in this situation. You’re eager to keep things moving, but if you can’t serve the other party, the Court won’t act. It’s like you hit a wall.
This is exactly why **serving by publication summons** exists. It’s a court-approved method where you can move your case forward, even if the other party is nowhere to be found. This isn’t a loophole or trick. This is your right, and you can exercise it to keep your case on track.
## 1\. An Introduction to Service by Publication Summons
If you can’t locate a defendant through the usual methods like personal delivery, mail, or handing them the papers in person, the Court might allow you to notify them through a published notice in a newspaper.
This process is called **service by publication**. You publish the summons in a newspaper that covers the area where the defendant last lived or did business. Even if the defendant never actually sees it, the law treats that as official notice.
According to [Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/service%5Fby%5Fpublication?ref=smdp.com), service by publication is a backup plan for delivering legal documents. It’s what’s known as constructive notice, which means the law acts as if the defendant has been informed, even if you couldn’t hand them anything directly.
People use this method in cases such as divorce, property disputes, debt collection, or situations involving missing heirs or parties who cannot be found.
## 2\. Service by Publication Summons: Key Requirements
Getting approved for service by publication isn’t as simple as the process itself. To get permission for this, you need to show that you genuinely tried every other option first.
Here’s what’s typically required:
- **Proof of due diligence:** You must prove that you put in effort to locate the defendant. You can do that by checking their last known address, contacting their relatives, and searching public records. Document every attempt you make to find them.
- **A court order**: In case you can’t find the defendant, you can’t directly publish on your own. A judge must first authorize service by publication before you move forward.
- **An affidavit**: Your attorney (or you) must file a sworn statement explaining why normal service failed and why publication is necessary.
- **A qualifying newspaper**: The notice must appear in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the defendant’s last known address is, or where the action is filed. Santa Monica Daily Press serves as a qualifying publication for cases right here in Santa Monica.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure [§ 415.50](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=415.50.&lawCode=CCP&ref=smdp.com), the Court must be satisfied that the defendant cannot be served in another manner before granting the order.
## 3\. How to Get a Court Order for Service by Publication?
This is the part that overwhelms most people, but the process is straightforward once you know the steps.
**Step 1: File a Motion**
Start by submitting a motion to the Court. In this document, you’ll need to explain your case and describe why you haven’t been able to locate the defendant despite your efforts.
**Step 2: Attach Your Affidavit**
Your affidavit should include details of every attempt you made to find and serve the defendant. Include the specific dates and ways you tried to reach them.
**Step 3: Await the Court Order**
A judge will review your motion and either approve or deny it. If approved, the order will specify the newspaper in which you must publish the notice and the required number of times.
**Step 4: Publish the Summons**
Once you have the court order, you contact a legally adjudicated newspaper to run the notice. Under the [Government Code § 6064](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes%5FdisplaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=6064.&lawCode=GOV&ref=smdp.com), the summons must be published once a week for four consecutive weeks.
**Step 5: File the Affidavit of Publication**
After the final publication, the newspaper will give you an affidavit of publication. You file this with the Court as proof that service was completed.
## 4\. Why is This Process Designed So Carefully?
Courts don’t take service by publication lightly, and there’s a good reason for that.
[***Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co.***](https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/339/306?ref=smdp.com)remains the legal standard for service by publication in the United States. The Court ruled that notice must be “reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties of the pendency of the action.”
You can only use a newspaper when you’ve done everything you can to find the person and failed. If you know their address, publishing isn’t enough. That’s why courts ask for a detailed affidavit before letting you publish.
This process protects everyone involved.
## 5\. How to Publish a Summons in a Newspaper Legal Notice
Once you have your court order, the actual publication process is simpler than most people expect.
Here’s what you need to do:
- **Contact a legally adjudicated newspaper** in the county specified by the Court. Not every newspaper qualifies. Make sure the newspaper meets the specific legal criteria under the California Government Code.
- **Submit the summons language** exactly as the Court approves it. Don’t change the wording.
- **Confirm the publication schedule.** The notice should be published in California for four consecutive weeks, once per week.
- **Receive your affidavit of publication** after the final run. This is your proof that the notice ran the required number of times.
- **File the affidavit of publication with the Court** promptly. Until it’s filed, your service is not legally complete.
[The Santa Monica Daily Press](https://www.smdp.com/) is a legally adjudicated newspaper serving Santa Monica. It meets all California requirements for publishing legal notices, including service by publication summons. Just send us your legal notice, and let us handle the rest.
## 6\. What Happens After Service Is Complete?
After we provide your affidavit of publication and you file it with the Court, your service is officially considered complete. In California, that happens on the 28th day after your notice first appears, according to Government Code section 6064.
From there, the defendant gets 30 days to file a response. If no response is filed by the deadline, you have the option to ask the Court for a default judgment. That means the judge can decide your case in your favor, even without the defendant present.
Your case can keep moving forward with service by publication.
## Overcoming Delays Caused by Absent Defendants
Service by publication was made for situations like this. You’ve followed every step, but the defendant can’t be found, and that’s keeping your case stuck.
The process does require patience, but it works.
If your case is in the Santa Monica area and you’re ready to file a legal notice, our team at the Santa Monica Daily Press is here to help.
[Send us your legal notice](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/), and we’ll handle it from start to finish.
Your case deserves to move forward. This is how you make that happen.
## Your Publication Summons FAQ
**What does it mean to serve by publication summons?**
Serving by publication means you publish a legal notice in a newspaper that the Court approves. This is how you let a defendant know about a lawsuit when you can’t find them any other way. The law counts this publication as official notice, so your case can move forward even if you never hand anything to the defendant directly.
**When can I use the service by publication?**
You can only use this method after you’ve convinced a judge that you tried everything else. First, you need to show the Court that you did your best to find and personally serve the defendant. If those efforts don’t work, then and only then, the judge may let you serve by publication.
**What are the service by publication summons requirements in California?**
You need to file a motion with the Court, include an affidavit showing your due diligence, and wait for a judge to sign off. Then, publish the summons in a court-approved newspaper once a week for four weeks in a row. When that’s done, file the newspaper’s affidavit of publication with the Court.
**How long does service by publication take?**
In California, the minimum publication period is 28 days (four weekly publications). After that, the defendant has 30 more days to respond. The full process typically takes 60 to 90 days from the court order.
**What is an affidavit of publication for a summons?**
That’s a sworn statement from the newspaper confirming all the details of your published notice, including the dates it ran. You’ll file this affidavit with the Court to prove you completed service by publication.
**Does service by publication satisfy due process?**
Yes, but only when you’ve followed every step and honestly can’t find the defendant’s address.
**Which newspaper can I use to publish a summons?**
It has to be a legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation in the county where your case is filed or where the defendant last lived. The Santa Monica Daily Press is fully adjudicated and qualified to publish legal notices here in Santa Monica.
### Democratic Club fails to endorse City Council candidates
URL: https://www.smdp.com/democratic-club-fails-to-endorse-city-council-candidates/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T15:37:51.000Z
The Santa Monica Democratic Club declined to endorse any candidate in the City Council race after two rounds of voting, with the top vote-getter falling short of the required 55% threshold and club rules barring further balloting.
In the final round of voting, 324 individuals cast ballots for Council endorsements and no candidate received the 179 votes necessary to secure a nomination. Under club rules, when no candidate qualifies during any given round, candidates who receive less than 20% of the vote are eliminated and a new round of voting is held. However, when all candidates fall below 55% but above 20%, the vote process is considered a stalemate and ends with no endorsement.
"There are no endorsements in the city council race because nobody can drop off from this list," said Club President John Katz.
While the number of votes changed across two rounds of voting, the top three candidates remained Lana Negrete, Caroline Torosis and Doug Trussler. Ashley Oelsen was consistently fourth. Negrete and Torosis are the only two incumbents running but the full field has yet to be set as candidates have until mid August to fill out their official nomination paperwork.
The outcome prompted criticism from some club members who based their argument on “bullet votes” or ballots that only voted for one candidate. As voters could vote for up to three candidates club vice president Sean Kolodji argued that voters who only backed one of three possible candidates may have been confused about the impact of their vote. He also implied single-candidate voting undermined the Club’s impact in the election and that some additional voting should occur.
“I do think that because of this electoral defect we should take another bite at the apple and try to figure out how to have, come to, some resolution where our club can have its voice heard in this council election vote,” he said.
Other members weighed in on both sides. Some suggested bullet voters likely acted intentionally. Others urged the board to prioritize the integrity of the process and consider another vote with proper notice. One member raised a separate question, asking whether the board might consider a fresh vote on the City Council race later, once the candidate filing deadline had passed and the full field was se
Katz said he had explained the voting mechanics to candidates beforehand and that the process was clear to everyone involved. After the meeting, he reiterated the integrity of the process and said there will be no further rounds of voting nor will the Clubs board make its own endorsements.
“More broadly, I think the outcome reflects what the Santa Monica Democratic Club has become. This was the largest endorsement vote we've held in at least the past 16 years that I've been involved, with a much larger and more diverse membership than we've had historically. Members brought a wide range of perspectives and were deeply engaged in evaluating an exceptionally strong field of candidates. While no City Council candidate reached our 55% threshold for endorsement, I view that as a reflection of the breadth of viewpoints within our Club and the seriousness with which our members approached the responsibility of making an endorsement,” he said.
While the council race produced no endorsement, the club backed candidates in several other local races. Heather Thomasson won a Rent Control Board endorsement as did Sue Himmelrich and Kurt Ganska.
For the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, Alicia Mignano, Stacy Rouse and Robbie Stainberg were endorsed.
In the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees race, Luis Barrera Castanon, Kira Blade Snell, Tom Peters and Sion Roy all won endorsements.
The club also voted to support Better Neighbors LA's push to enforce Santa Monica's short-term rental ordinance in the coastal zone, and endorsed Assembly Bill 2465, which would cut off tax breaks for companies that contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
### Puppy Yoga Studio to Reopen in Santa Monica, with Ticket Proceeds Aiding Rescues
URL: https://www.smdp.com/puppy-yoga-studio-to-reopen-in-santa-monica-with-ticket-proceeds-aiding-rescues/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T15:29:35.000Z
Puppy Sphere, a wellness events company that pairs yoga with puppy playtime, will open a new studio in Santa Monica this month, returning to a [Los Angeles](https://www.smdp.com/los-angeles-to-bake-under-mid-week-heat-wave/) market its founders say holds a special place in the company's story.
The studio opens July 18 at 2400 Main St., steps from the beach. To mark the return, the company said it will donate $1 from every ticket sold during the studio's first month to local animal rescues.
"Los Angeles holds a special place in our story, and Santa Monica is the perfect home for what we do: wellness, play, and connection, all in one," co-founders Francesca Albo and Lea Burbidge Izquierdo said in a statement. "We cannot wait to welcome the city back into the Puppy Sphere."
The studio's signature offering is a 75-minute session called Wellness Puppy Yoga, which combines a 45-minute yoga flow with 30 minutes of what the company calls puppy chill time. Each guest receives a yoga mat, and a cart of sparkling drinks is available during the session. The company said themed and seasonal events will roll out over the course of the year.
Albo, the company's chief executive, said the format was the product of extensive testing.
"We were convinced movement and puppy time each had their own kind of power for mental well-being, so we wanted guests to get the full dose of both, no shortcuts," she said. "After a ton of trial and error, 45 minutes of yoga into 30 minutes of puppy time turned out to be the magic ratio."
The company traces its origins to the founders' own experiences with stress and burnout in demanding corporate jobs. Burbidge Izquierdo, the chief operating officer, said their dogs, Nala and Hershey, helped them through difficult periods.
"Not everyone can have a dog, but everyone deserves to feel that," she said, describing the daily comfort the animals provided. "So we built Puppy Sphere to bottle that magic ... without the commitment of owning one."
The company frames the experience as more than a novelty. It describes its aim as nervous system regulation and meaningful connection, positioning time with puppies as a gentler approach to mental wellness for people who are unable to own a dog. Albo said the yoga-and-puppy format remains the core of the business even as it has expanded into offerings such as Simply Puppy Yoga and Puppy Pilates.
"That format is the heartbeat of everything we've built," she said. "But the mission hasn't budged an inch: help people reconnect, recharge, and smile a little more."
The founders said the animals' welfare is central to the experience, not an afterthought. Each class is staffed by two to three dedicated puppy care workers in addition to the instructor, with a pet first aid-certified supervisor on-site at all times, according to the company. The puppies receive at least 45 minutes of rest between sessions, water on demand and regular wellness checks.
"Puppy well-being isn't a checkbox for us, it's the whole point," the founders said. The company said the socialization also helps the puppies grow into more confident animals as they await adoption.
Founded in 2021, [Puppy Sphere](https://thepuppysphere.com/?ref=smdp.com) describes itself as a global wellness events company operating across corporate wellness, mental health and experiential events. It says it has hosted more than 500 private events and raised $16,000 for animal rescues. The company has partnered with Google, TikTok and The New York Times, and has counted Sabrina Carpenter, Simu Liu, Alessia Cara, Mr. Beast and Travis Scott among its guests.
Albo was named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2025, and both founders were named to Inc.'s Female Founders 500 in 2026, recognition the company attributed to its growing brand and celebrity partnerships and its fundraising for rescues.
Burbidge Izquierdo said Santa Monica was a natural fit and signaled more expansion to come.
"The whole city breathes wellness, community, pets, good living, basically everything Puppy Sphere is about," she said. "But this is just chapter one, more studios are coming!"
More information is available at thepuppysphere.com.
### Traffic Stop Leads to Loaded Firearm Arrest
URL: https://www.smdp.com/traffic-stop-leads-to-loaded-firearm-arrest/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T01:18:12.000Z
A routine traffic stop near the 300 block of Pico Boulevard led to the recovery of a loaded firearm and the arrest of a passenger, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
Officers stopped a vehicle at about 11:25 p.m. on July 7 after observing traffic violations, police said. During the investigation, they found a loaded Glock 22 concealed in the front passenger's waistband. The firearm had a round chambered and was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 21 additional rounds.
Officers also recovered marijuana and a ski mask from the passenger, according to police.
The passenger was arrested on weapons-related charges. The driver was cited for the traffic violations and released.
Police said traffic enforcement continues to play a role in identifying illegal firearms in the community.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### 13 Independent Bookstores to Launch First Los Angeles Indie Book Crawl
URL: https://www.smdp.com/13-independent-bookstores-to-launch-first-los-angeles-indie-book-crawl/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T01:20:34.000Z
Thirteen independent bookstores across greater Los Angeles will join forces July 24-26 for the inaugural Los Angeles Indie Book Crawl, a free weekend event inviting readers to explore the region's literary scene.
The crawl, held during regular store hours, stretches from Manhattan Beach to Montrose and from West Hollywood to Pasadena, with stops in Studio City, Santa Monica, Culver City and beyond. Organizers modeled the event on popular book crawls in San Diego and Seattle.
To participate, readers visit any of the stores between July 24 and 26 and make a first purchase of at least $10\. That earns a Book Crawl Passport and a first stamp. Visitors then travel to the remaining stores, in any order, making a purchase of $10 or more at each stop. Prizes and exclusive merchandise are available at every location.
The more stores participants visit, the more prizes they collect. People who get their passports stamped at all 13 stores will receive a goodie bag full of fun bookish treats, and be entered into a drawing for the grand prize - $25 gift cards at each store - totaling $325 in value.
Each store has listed nearby Los Angeles landmarks and neighborhood gems that visitors can add to their itineraries.
"Independent bookstores are having a resurgence," said Jennifer Caspar, founder and owner of Village Well Books & Coffee, a bookstore and cafe in downtown Culver City that opened in 2020\. "They are the third places people need more than ever in this era of digital optimization which can be very alienating and lead to loneliness."
Organizers said supporting independent bookstores keeps money in the local economy and sustains vital community spaces that offer human-curated recommendations and serve as hubs for local authors, book clubs and civic engagement.
Participating stores are Annabelle's Book Club LA, The Book Jewel, Book Soup, Chevalier's Books, Children's Book World & CBW Teens & Adults, diesel, A Book Store, Malik Books, Once Upon A Time, pages: a bookstore, The Ripped Bodice, Skylight Books, Village Well Books & Coffee and Vroman's Bookstore.
Participants are encouraged to use public transit. Store hours, descriptions and weekend schedules are at[ ](https://www.laindiebookcrawl.com/about-5?ref=smdp.com)[https://www.laindiebookcrawl.com/about-5](https://www.laindiebookcrawl.com/about-5?ref=smdp.com). More information is at[ ](https://www.laindiebookcrawl.com/?ref=smdp.com)[https://www.laindiebookcrawl.com/](https://www.laindiebookcrawl.com/?ref=smdp.com) and on Instagram @laindiebookcrawl.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Around Town: Massive COAST World Cup Event, National Ice Cream Day, & More!
URL: https://www.smdp.com/around-town-massive-coast-world-cup-event-national-ice-cream-day-more/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T20:48:41.000Z
SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes the massive COAST 2026 World Cup finale, expanded downtown entertainment zones, fresh culinary debuts, and hot summer concert series, and much more!
**Annenberg Beach House Sunset Picnic - Route 66 Edition:** Bring your own picnic and enjoy a relaxed night by the ocean. Come with friends, family, or on your own and join a communal table. There's live music, ocean views, complimentary s’mores (while supplies last) & board games. **Thursday, July 16, 5-8p.m., 415 PCH** [eventbrite.com/e/sunset-picnic-route-66-edition-tickets-1987961278699](http://eventbrite.com/e/sunset-picnic-route-66-edition-tickets-1987961278699?ref=smdp.com)
**Fun Guy Summer Series:** Have fun with your health at this wellness party at Likeminded Studios, where you can detox with communal sauna, cold plunge, local DJs, and free doses of Fun Guy Flow or Chill. **Thursday, July 16, 8-10p.m., 116 Washington Blvd., Venice** [instagram.com/p/DZay6gGyVXx](http://instagram.com/p/DZay6gGyVXx?ref=smdp.com)
**Fridays at Calamigos Ranch’s Gentry Market:** A new Jazz Night is coming to Malibu for the summer. 🎶 🎺Every Friday evening you can expect wood-fired pizza, drinks from the bar, and live music under the Malibu sky. **Fridays, 6 - 9p.m., 327 S Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu** [instagram.com/p/DamD-TdJeVV](http://instagram.com/p/DamD-TdJeVV?ref=smdp.com)
**Luft x Forta - 5k, Matcha, & Make-Up:** Join a 5k run/walk followed by pastries, matcha, and charms. **Sunday, July 19, 9a.m., 1930 Lincoln Blvd., Venice** [luftlosangeles.com/products/luft-x-forta-5k-matcha-make-up](http://luftlosangeles.com/products/luft-x-forta-5k-matcha-make-up?ref=smdp.com)
**COAST 2026:** The revival of the COAST Open Streets festival will serve as the grand finale for Santa Monica’s soccer celebrations. Spanning from the Promenade and Metro E Line station across to Ocean Park, Colorado, Arizona and the iconic Santa Monica Pier, the city will come together for an unforgettable day of music, food and culture. **Sunday, July 19** [santamonicacup.com/events/coast-2026-0zc31](http://santamonicacup.com/events/coast-2026-0zc31?ref=smdp.com)
**State of the City** **Event:** The City is breaking tradition by turning this into a free, open-street celebration directly on Main Street. This is expected to be a fun celebration of community, with live entertainment, kids’ activities, food, drinks and more, this year at Ocean Park Branch Library and Main Street. **Thursday, July 23, 4 – 7 p.m., 2601 Main St.** [https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4kt3ycyd022dxr8xah6fsy4fcr/202607231600](https://www.santamonica.gov/events/4kt3ycyd022dxr8xah6fsy4fcr/202607231600?ref=smdp.com)
**ONGOING:** [Museum of Illusions](https://moisantamonica.com/?ref=smdp.com); [The CUBE VR](https://www.thecubeevents.com/santamonicaexperiences?ref=smdp.com); [Splatter Studio](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/?ref=smdp.com); [Wellness & Waves @ the Pier](http://wellnessandwaves.eventbrite.com/?ref=smdp.com) (Saturdays through 10/17)
**What to Eat & Drink?**
**Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen Grand Opening:** The Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurant is coming to Santa Monica. Created by Chef Imran Ali Mookhi, the restaurant showcases elevated Pakistani and Indian cuisine, handcrafted mocktails, and bold South Asian flavors made with exceptional attention to detail. **Thursday, July 16, 7p.m.,** **115 Santa Monica Blvd.** [khansaaboc.com](http://khansaaboc.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**The Lobster Celebrates 27th Anniversary:** Enjoy freshly-made pizzas by Chef Govind Armstrong, a live DJ, drink specials, and happy hour pricing all night as the iconic oceanfront restaurant toasts 27 years in Santa Monica. **Thursday, July 16, 6 - 9p.m., 1602 Ocean Ave.** [thelobster.com/events](http://thelobster.com/events?ref=smdp.com)
**The Infatuation's "The Best Ice Cream In LA" includes multiple SaMo Spots:** It says many of the scoops at Rori's Artisanal Creamery (910 Montana Ave.) "are so crammed with chunky mix-ins that they’re almost miniature sundaes." Also included are Bacio Di Latte (331 Santa Monica Blvd.) and McConnell's (1456 3rd St. Promenade) along with multiple Venice spots (Jeni’s, Wanderlust, Salt & Straw). [https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-ice-cream-los-angeles](https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-ice-cream-los-angeles?ref=smdp.com)
**Sunday, July 19 is National Ice Cream Day:** Yes, this is a thing! And it’s just the escapist thing we may need right now!
**\--> Rori's Artisanal Creamery:** Buy any single scoop and get it upgraded to a double scoop for FREE. **910 Montana Ave.** [instagram.com/roriscreamery](http://instagram.com/roriscreamery?ref=smdp.com)
**\--> McConnell’s:** Get a free extra scoop when you buy a single cone or cup. **1456 3rd Street Promenade** [mcconnells.com](https://mcconnells.com/?ref=smdp.com)
**\--> Salt & Straw:** “Serving Scoops for Local Charities”: A portion of the day’s proceeds will go to the organization that receives the most mentions. **1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd.** [saltandstraw.com/blogs/news/national-ice-cream-day-serving-scoops-for-local-charities](http://saltandstraw.com/blogs/news/national-ice-cream-day-serving-scoops-for-local-charities?ref=smdp.com)
**Origins Culinary Series: Shake, Sip & Savor with Ghost Tequila:** Discover the story behind Ghost Tequila while learning the inspiration, techniques, and flavors that make each cocktail unique. Throughout a hands-on mixology class, you'll shake, sip, and craft multiple signature cocktails while enjoying thoughtfully paired bites created by Chef Gemma. **Wednesday, July 22, 6 - 9p.m., 13534 Bali Way Marina del Rey** [More details here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/origins-culinary-series-shake-sip-savor-with-ghost-tequila-tickets-1992866811279?ref=smdp.com).
**LA Mag Profiles New West Side Oyster Club:** "A new addition to Santa Monica’s dining scene is putting a fresh spin on coastal seafood. Expect an approachable menu centered around oysters, shellfish, caviar, and seasonal cocktails, all served in a space inspired by classic beach-town charm. 🦪🌊" **1355 Ocean Ave.** [instagram.com/p/DaLaDi-E9gH](http://instagram.com/p/DaLaDi-E9gH?ref=smdp.com)
**Further Afield:** **The Great Ice Cream Fair at Smorgasburg:** In celebration of National Ice Cream Day, the weekly Sunday food-fest is hosting The Great Ice Cream Fair as part of their ongoing Ice Cream Alley celebration. The event will feature sweet treats from specialty vendors including SadGirl Creamery, Bernie’s, Moom Maam, Churros El Bochito, Boutcha Gelato, Sweet Lady Jane, Swrlies, and Innamorata Gelato. **Sunday, July 19, 10a.m. - 4p.m., 777 Alameda St., LA** [instagram.com/smorgasburgla](http://instagram.com/smorgasburgla?ref=smdp.com)
**Looking Ahead:** [National Night Out](https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2026/06/30/santa-monica-police-department-invites-community-to-national-night-out-2026?ref=smdp.com) (8/4); [SaMo Oceanfront Arts Festival](http://eventbrite.com/e/art-on-ocean-palisades-park-arts-festival-tickets-1991599772532?ref=smdp.com) (8/8); [A Pierfect Benefit](http://santamonicapier.org/apierfectbenefit?ref=smdp.com) (9/19)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly to me at [sean@smdp.com](mailto:sean@smdp.com).[ ](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com)[Here](https://smdp.com/author/sean/?ref=smdp.com) are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on **Around Town: Around Town: Massive COAST World Cup Event, National Ice Cream Day, & More!**
### The Killers, Olivia Dean to Headline First-Ever Santa Monica Beach Music Festival
URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-killers-olivia-dean-to-headline-first-ever-santa-monica-beach-music-festival/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T18:05:59.000Z
Goldenvoice announced Thursday that The Killers and Olivia Dean will headline the inaugural Ocean Way Festival, the first major music festival to be held on the city's shoreline on Sept. 26-27.
The complete lineup is 54 Ultra, Alvvays, Austin Millz, BLOND:ISH, Carlita, Coco & Breezy, DJ Harvey, Durand Jones & The Indications, EREZ, Good Neighbours, Heidi Lawden, Hiatus Kaiyote, Hot Chip DJ set, Jack White, Khruangbin, Nala, Olivia Dean, Poolside DJ set, SG Lewis, Sublime, The Killers and Vandelux DJ set.
The festival will feature a main stage hosting five acts per day, a second stage designed for a more intimate setting, and a mix of standing-room and open blanket areas intended to reflect how people typically spend a day at the beach, organizers said.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Thursday, July 23, at 11 a.m. Pacific time at oceanwayfestival.com. A presale for Santa Monica residents begins Wednesday, July 22, at 11 a.m. Hotel packages and access to the festival's Proper Beach Club went on sale Thursday, July 16.
Two-day general admission passes start at $399 and include access to all general admission areas, both stages, shaded seating areas and food and beverage vendors. Two-day Premium Pit passes start at $749 and add access to a dedicated bar, flushable restrooms and an elevated viewing deck near the main stage. Payment plan options are available, and hotel packages bundling tickets with lodging and transportation are also being offered.
The Proper Beach Club, a beachfront hospitality area developed with Proper Hotels, will include a private lounge designed by Kelly Wearstler Studio.
The festival is designed as a transit-first event with no on-site parking. Metro's E Line stops near the festival entrance, and Big Blue Bus and shuttle service will also be available, along with bike valet and other micro-mobility options.
Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents, was selected by the City of Santa Monica through a competitive process to develop the festival as part of the city's Realignment Plan, a civic investment effort focused on public safety, business growth and cultural programming valued at more than $60 million. City officials said the festival will serve as the cultural anchor of "The Sandbox on the Beach," a newly designated beachfront district for major civic events that will also host activations tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Super Bowl LXI and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"Santa Monica is in the middle of a renaissance. The city is welcoming the world to its shores, and Ocean Way Festival is how we're making sure our own community is at the center of it," Mayor Caroline Torosis said in a statement.
Nic Adler, Goldenvoice's vice president of regional festivals, said the company's history in Santa Monica — including early shows the company produced at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium — shaped the decision to bring a new festival to the city.
"Santa Monica has an incredible music history, and Goldenvoice has been fortunate to be part of that story," Adler said. "From legendary shows at the Civic Auditorium to the origins of Ocean Way Recording just steps from the beach, there's a creative legacy here that's unlike anywhere else. Ocean Way Festival is our opportunity to celebrate that history while building something that feels authentically Santa Monica for years to come."
The festival takes its name from Ocean Way, a street near the Santa Monica Pier where Ocean Way Recording got its start in a three-car garage before relocating to Hollywood, where it went on to host numerous recording artists over four decades.
Brad Korzen, CEO of Proper Hospitality, said the beach club concept was meant to complement the festival experience rather than compete with it.
“Music and design have always been at the core of what we do at Proper. Proper Presents has been a big part of that journey, and the Proper Beach Club at Ocean Way Festival feels like a natural next step. To bring our approach to hospitality to an event of this scale, right here in Santa Monica, takes everything we've built to a whole new level,” said Korzen.
The Santa Monica City Council approved preliminary agreements last year to partner with Goldenvoice on the festival.
The festival footprint includes the beach, the Pier parking deck and portions of adjacent beach parking lots, with the main stage positioned at the base of the Pier facing south. The event will be held entirely on the sand and is separate from the city's Twilight Concert Series, which is based on the Pier.
Planned elements include a food lineup featuring Westside restaurants, a "beach club" area in place of a traditional VIP section, a farmers market-style vendor strip, a high school day and college day connecting students with industry professionals, free concerts at Reed Park and Tongva Park, and beach cleanups conducted with Heal the Bay. Organizers said the festival's sustainability measures exceed city requirements, pointing to partnerships with waste-reduction company Three Squares and battery company Overdrive for solar-charged stage power.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, organizers said they will hold free events throughout Santa Monica, including concerts, beach cleanups, leadership programs for local high school and college students, and youth surf and water safety programming, along with partnerships with local businesses.
Ocean Way Festival is produced by Goldenvoice, which also produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach: California's Country Music Festival, and operates venues including the Fonda Theatre, The Roxy Theatre, El Rey Theatre, The Novo, Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, The Regency Ballroom and The Warfield. The company promotes more than 2,000 concerts annually across California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska and Canada.
Additional information on tickets and the festival lineup is available at oceanwayfestival.com.
### In a policy paradox, council pushes density into single family neighborhood to delay statewide housing law
URL: https://www.smdp.com/in-a-policy-paradox-council-pushes-density-into-single-family-neighborhood-to-delay-statewide-housing-law/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T09:59:59.000Z
The Santa Monica City Council voted 5-1 early Wednesday to pursue upzoning of single-family neighborhoods near the Metro E Line's Expo/Bundy station rather than adopt a planning staff recommendation that would have increased density on multifamily parcels, reversing course on how the city plans to temporarily shield the area from a new state housing law.
The council's decision, reached after nearly an hour of technical debate over acreage, density formulas and displacement risk, directs city planners to return with options for upzoning some or all of the roughly 212 R1-zoned parcels near the Expo/Bundy station — property records show many are around 5,500 to 6,500 square feet — rather than the 65 parcels zoned R2 and R3 that planning staff and the Planning Commission had recommended for increased development standards.
R1 designates single-family residential zoning, permitting one detached dwelling unit per lot. It typically sets standards for lot size, setbacks, height limits, and density, prohibiting multi-family or commercial use. Beyond R1, common designations include R2 (duplex/two-family residential), R3 (multi-family, low-density apartments or condos), R4 (high-density multi-family), and RMH (mobile/manufactured home parks), with each successive category generally permitting greater density and building intensity than the last.
Councilmember Ellis Raskin said he settled on the single-family approach because it carries little practical effect on how much housing could ultimately be built while avoiding what he called the greater displacement risk of upzoning apartment-zoned parcels.
"In those R1 parcels you don't have the displacement risk because it's the owners of those buildings — for the most part those are owner-occupied," Raskin said, adding that the change amounts to "really just paper upzoning anyway," since state laws already in effect, including SB 684 and SB 9, allow similar density on single-family lots.
Planning Director Jing Yeo confirmed under questioning from Raskin and Councilmember Natalia Zernitskaya that R1 upzoning would need to apply to all 212 qualifying parcels, rather than a smaller subset, because singling out individual lots could not be legally justified. City Attorney's office staff said zoning law generally requires that similarly situated parcels be treated alike, calling it a bar to what would otherwise resemble spot zoning.
Councilmember Lana Negrete cast the lone dissenting vote, saying she preferred the Planning Commission's original recommendation to upzone the multifamily parcels instead. She argued the single-family approach could invite speculative buying.
"My concern is that it actually creates a more speculatory process, and properties become more vulnerable to be sold by corporate predators that come in," Negrete said, adding she wants staff to research which R1 parcels have ever been subject to rent control before a final decision.
SB 79 and the exclusion option
The debate stemmed from Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, which took effect statewide July 1 and requires cities to allow greater height, density and floor-area ratio for qualifying housing developments within a half-mile of designated transit stops. In Santa Monica, the law applies near six qualifying "Tier 2" stops: three Metro E Line stations, three downtown bus stops, and, partially, the Expo/Bundy station in Los Angeles whose transit-oriented development zone extends into the city.
Under SB 79, cities may temporarily exclude sites from the law's requirements until one year after adoption of their 7th Cycle Housing Element, expected in Santa Monica around 2029 — meaning eligible sites could be shielded from SB 79 standards until roughly 2030\. To qualify for that exclusion, a TOD zone must have at least a third of its parcels already permitting at least half of SB 79's density and floor-area standards, among other criteria.
City planners told the council that five of the city's six TOD zones already meet that threshold and can be excluded outright. The Expo/Bundy zone falls short: only about 19% of its 381 parcels currently meet the capacity test, largely because a majority of the zone lies in Los Angeles and because commercially zoned parcels on the Santa Monica side are unusually large, leaving fewer individual sites to count toward the 33% requirement.
The debate over how to close the gap
Planning staff had recommended increasing density standards on 59 R2-zoned and six R3-zoned parcels — 65 total — raising them to roughly 1.25 floor-area ratio and 40 dwelling units per acre, a level staff compared to the city's existing R3 and R4 standards. Staff said an analysis found low or no displacement risk for most of those parcels, citing existing rent-controlled and affordable units, ownership housing, and vacant lots.
Council members pressed staff on alternatives. Yeo said planners had also studied whether upzoning could be limited to parcels within a quarter-mile of the station, which would offer a "rational basis" tied to geography, but that option fell well short of the 33% threshold. Staff said including nearby Los Angeles parcels in the calculation would not close the gap either, since the city's Technical Assistance request to the state housing department found Los Angeles parcels sat just over 34% on their own — not enough combined benefit to help Santa Monica.
Zernitskaya noted that on a typical 5,500-square-foot R1 lot, SB 79 could allow about five new units, only marginally more than what state laws such as SB 9 or AB 1123 already permit, while carrying far less displacement risk given that most R1 properties are owner-occupied.
Mayor Caroline Torosis and Councilmember Dan Hall raised the possibility of narrowing which R1 parcels would be upzoned by distance to the station entrance or by using streets as boundaries, though staff and the city attorney's office cautioned any such approach would need further legal review to avoid arbitrary distinctions between neighbors.
Raskin also linked the debate to longstanding concerns about the Ellis Act that governs evictions from rent controlled units, saying the city has seen properties removed from the rental market and left vacant for years, and argued that delaying SB 79 implementation on multifamily parcels reduces the incentive for property owners to begin that process early in anticipation of future upzoning.
The vote
The motion directed staff to introduce for first reading an ordinance excluding the five qualifying TOD zones plus the downtown bus stops from SB 79 requirements, while withholding action on the Expo/Bundy zone. Staff was instructed to return with options for upzoning R1 parcels — potentially fewer than all 212, if a legally defensible geographic boundary can be identified — sufficient to meet the 52-parcel threshold needed to qualify the Expo/Bundy zone for exclusion. Zernitskaya asked that staff retain the option of upzoning all 212 R1 parcels as a fallback in case a narrower boundary cannot be justified.
The roll call passed 5-1, with council members Zernitskaya, Snell, Raskin, Hall and Torosis voting yes and Negrete voting no. Councilman Jesse Zwick abstained from the discussion due to a conflict with his employer.
Staff said any resulting ordinance affecting the Expo/Bundy zone would need to return to council for further action before it could take effect.
### Your Public Bid Legal Notice Is Not Legally Valid Until It Appears in the Right Place
URL: https://www.smdp.com/public-bid-legal-notice-newspaper-publication-requirements/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T19:39:22.000Z
You submitted your bid solicitation. You posted it online. You checked every box on your agency's internal list.
Then the winning contractor gets challenged. A competitor claims the notice was not properly published. The entire procurement gets thrown out. Weeks of work, and possibly the project itself, disappear because of one overlooked step.
This happens more than most procurement officers expect. Publishing a **public bid legal notice** is not just a formality. It is a legal requirement tied directly to the validity of your entire bidding process. And in California, that requirement specifically includes publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
SMDP has been publishing records for the Santa Monica and Westside area for over two decades. Government agencies, school districts, contractors, and businesses trust SMDP to publish their **bid solicitation legal notices** accurately and on time. This guide explains why proper publication matters, what the law requires, and how to get it right the first time.
## **1\. What a Public Bid Legal Notice Actually Does**
A **public bid legal notice** is the formal announcement that a government agency intends to award a contract. It invites qualified vendors, contractors, and service providers to submit competitive bids or proposals. Without this notice, the procurement process has no legal foundation.
- The notice identifies the scope of work, the bid submission deadline, and where to obtain bid documents
- It establishes the official start date of the public comment and response period for the solicitation.
- It creates a public record that the bidding process was open, competitive, and legally conducted.
- It protects the agency from legal challenges by demonstrating proper procedural compliance.
California Public Contract Code Section 22037 requires that a notice inviting formal bids be published in a newspaper of general circulation at least 14 calendar days before the date set for opening bids. This is not a guideline. It is the law. See the statute text at [California Public Contract Code Section 22037 (California Legislative Information)](https://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab%5F2151-2200/ab%5F2184%5Fbill%5F20100709%5Fchaptered.pdf?ref=smdp.com).
For help placing your notice today, visit the [SMDP legal notice submission page](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/). SMDP staff are experienced with local agency deadlines and publication requirements across Santa Monica, Venice, Pacific Palisades, and Marina del Rey.
## **2\. Federal and State Rules That Govern Bid Notice Publication**
Both federal and California state law establish clear rules about when and how a **government bid notice publication** must appear. Understanding these rules protects your agency and your project.
At the federal level, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 5 requires that agencies publicize proposed contract actions in a timely way to give all responsible sources a chance to compete. FAR 5.203 specifies that the notice must be published at least 15 days before a solicitation is issued for most acquisitions. See the full rule at [FAR 5.203 Publicizing and Response Time (Acquisition.gov)](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/5.203?ref=smdp.com).
- FAR Part 5 governs all federal agency procurement notifications and sets minimum publication timelines
- California PCC Section 20164 requires cities to publish bid notices at least twice, not less than five days apart, in a newspaper of general circulation before the bid opening date.
- School districts, special districts, and county agencies each carry their own publication deadlines under California law.
- A single missed publication date or an incorrect outlet can invalidate the entire competitive bidding process.
SMDP qualifies as a newspaper of general circulation under California law and serves the Westside jurisdictions where most local agency procurements originate. Reach the SMDP advertising team directly through the [SMDP advertising services page](https://www.smdp.com/advertise/).
## **3\. The RFP Public Bid Legal Notice and What It Must Contain**
An **RFP public bid legal notice** is the version of a bid notice used for Requests for Proposal. Unlike a simple invitation to bid, an RFP notice covers projects in which the agency evaluates proposals based on factors beyond price alone. These include design-build projects, professional services contracts, and technology procurements.
Whether your notice is an RFP or an invitation to bid, it must contain specific information to be legally valid and useful to potential bidders.
- Project description: a clear, distinct description of the work, service, or goods being procured
- Agency name and contact information for the procurement officer handling the solicitation
- Deadline and location for bid or proposal submission, including the date and time bids will be opened.
- Instructions for obtaining bid documents, specifications, and any pre-bid conference information
- Any required contractor qualifications, licensing requirements, or bonding and insurance thresholds
A **request for proposal notice** that omits required information gives competitors grounds to challenge the award and can force an agency to cancel and restart the entire solicitation. Getting the content right before submission saves significant time and legal exposure.
SMDP can publish both standard **bid solicitation legal notices** and RFP notices for government clients across the Westside. Browse past [SMDP community and government coverage](https://www.smdp.com/tag/community/) to see how local government activity is covered. View upcoming [local events covered by SMDP](https://www.smdp.com/event-3/) to understand the depth of community engagement that makes SMDP the right publication of record.
## **4\. Common Mistakes That Invalidate a Bid Legal Notice Publication**
Most bid notice errors are not caused by bad intent. They come from assumptions about what qualifies as proper publication. These are the mistakes that most commonly expose government contracts to legal challenges.
- Publishing in a newspaper outside the jurisdiction: the publication must be a paper printed and circulated within the agency's jurisdiction.
- Missing the minimum lead time: publishing fewer than 14 days before bid opening under PCC 22037 or fewer than 10 days under PCC 20164 invalidates the process
- Publishing only once when two publications are required: PCC 20164 mandates two separate publications at least five days apart for city contracts
- Omitting required notice content: a notice missing the project description, deadline, or procurement contact is legally deficient even if published on time
Agencies that rely on generic online procurement boards without a qualified newspaper publication also risk protest from bidders who argue that adequate public notice was not given.
To avoid these errors, work with a publication that understands local agency requirements. The [SMDP legal notices team](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/) can confirm publication deadlines, issue affidavits of publication, and ensure your notice runs in compliance with California law. Learn more about SMDP's background and community trust at the [SMDP about page](https://www.smdp.com/about/), and explore the SMDP [PDF archive](https://www.smdp.com/pdf-archive/) to see decades of published legal notices in print.
## **5\. Why the Right Newspaper Publication Matters for Competitive Bidding**
A **legal notice publication services** provider that is simply a classified website is not the same as a newspaper of general circulation. The distinction matters legally and practically.
- Wider reach means more qualified bids, which leads to stronger competition and better pricing for agencies.
- Printed publication creates a permanent, dateable record that satisfies legal proof-of-notice requirements.
- SMDP issues certified affidavits of publication, which government agencies need to document compliance in their procurement files
- Local contractors who read SMDP regularly are more likely to respond to a notice than those who must search online databases.
FAR Part 5 for federal procurements and California PCC for state and local procurements both prioritize broad, accessible public notice. A newspaper with real local readership satisfies that standard better than an online-only posting that may reach fewer qualified bidders. Review the full federal publicizing standards at [FAR Part 5 Publicizing Contract Actions (Acquisition.gov)](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-5?ref=smdp.com).
## **One Publication Requirement Missed Can Cost Everything**
The **public bid legal notice** is not paperwork. It is the foundation of a legally defensible procurement. Get it wrong, and the entire contract is at risk. Get it right and your agency is protected, your process is documented, and your project moves forward.
SMDP combines over two decades of Westside community journalism with professional **legal notice publication services** that government agencies depend on for accuracy, compliance, and timely affidavits of publication.
Submit your **bid solicitation legal notice** through the [SMDP legal notices page](https://www.smdp.com/legal-notices/). Stay current on Santa Monica government activity by following [SMDP government and politics news](https://www.smdp.com/tag/government-politics-2/), and subscribe for full access at [the SMDP digital subscription](https://www.smdp.com/signup/).
## **Frequently Asked Questions**
**What is a public bid legal notice?**
A **public bid legal notice** is a formal newspaper announcement that a government agency is accepting competitive bids for a contract, giving all qualified vendors a legal and equal opportunity to compete.
**Why must a public bid legal notice be published in a newspaper?**
California law requires **government bid notice publication** in a newspaper of general circulation to satisfy legal proof-of-notice standards. Online-only posting does not meet this requirement for most public works and government procurement contracts in California.
**What is an RFP public bid legal notice?**
An **RFP public bid legal notice** announces a Request for Proposal, inviting vendors to submit full proposals rather than sealed price bids. It is used for professional services, design-build projects, and technology procurements.
**How many days before bid opening must a legal notice be published?**
California PCC 22037 requires **bid solicitation legal notices** at least 14 days before bid opening. PCC 20164 requires city notices to run twice, with the first publication at least 10 days before the bid opening.
**What must a request for proposal notice include?**
A **request for proposal notice** must include the project description, agency name and contact, submission deadline, bid opening date and location, instructions for obtaining bid documents, and any required contractor qualifications or bonding requirements.
**What are legal notice publication services?**
**Legal notice publication services** are provided by qualified newspapers that publish government procurement notices and bid solicitations per state law. SMDP provides certified affidavits and compliant publications for Westside agencies.
**Can I publish a government bid notice only online?**
No. California law requires **publication of a legal notice** for most public works contracts in a newspaper of general circulation. Digital-only posting may supplement but cannot replace the statutory newspaper publication requirement under California PCC.
**What is an affidavit of publication, and why does an agency need it?**
An affidavit of publication is a signed document confirming that a **bid solicitation legal notice** was published on specific dates. Agencies use it to prove compliance in their procurement file during audits or bid protests.
**How do I submit a public bid legal notice to SMDP?**
Visit the SMDP legal notices page to submit a **public bid legal notice**. The SMDP team confirms your deadlines, publishes your notice per California law, and provides a certified affidavit of publication upon completion.
### Palisades Village to Celebrate Grand Reopening Aug. 15
URL: https://www.smdp.com/palisades-village-to-celebrate-grand-reopening-aug-15/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T18:59:59.000Z
Palisades Village, Caruso's coastal mixed-use destination in Pacific Palisades, will celebrate its grand reopening Saturday, Aug. 15, marking an emotional return for one of the area's most distinctive shopping and dining hubs.
Set in a walkable, open-air environment moments from the Pacific Ocean, the center will reopen with an elevated mix of retail and dining featuring globally recognized brands and celebrated restaurateurs. The reopening follows the 2025 fires that devastated the Palisades community.
"Following the heartbreaking fires of 2025, the Palisades community has worked tirelessly toward this moment of renewal," said Rick Caruso, founder and executive chairman of Caruso. "We promised to come back better than before the fires, and we did. This is a moment to turn the page together ... It's a comeback story for the history books and a love letter to L.A."
Reopening day will feature a full slate of events and immersive experiences, with more details to be announced in coming weeks.
The property will welcome neighborhood favorites such as Loomey's Toys and K Bakery, along with returning names including elysewalker, A.L.C., Erewhon and Zimmermann. Other returning brands include Brunello Cucinelli, Veronica Beard and Blue Ribbon Sushi.
New tenants and first-to-market concepts include Nancy Silverton's Italian steakhouse, Spacca Tutto; the first West Coast location of LESET; and Los Angeles-based brands such as Violet Grey and Xirena.
"Palisades Village is 99% leased, with the majority of tenants returning alongside an exciting mix of new retail and dining concepts, nearly one-third of which are new to the property," said Jackie Levy, chief financial and revenue officer at Caruso.
Corinne Verdery, chief executive officer of Caruso, said the village has always been defined by a curated mix of best-in-class businesses. "We're proud to bring this experience back for the community and to once again set the standard for what a neighborhood village can be," she said.
Beyond retail and dining, the property will host seasonal events, community gatherings and family-friendly programming year-round.
Originally opened in 2018, Palisades Village is home to more than 40 boutiques, dining venues, the historic Bay Theater, a specialty grocer and landscaped green space. It was the first business district in California to be certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council.
A complete list of retailers and restaurants is at PalisadesVillageCA.com. More information is on Instagram @PalisadesVillage.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### LA28 Opens Applications for Up to 60,000 Games Volunteers
URL: https://www.smdp.com/la28-opens-applications-for-up-to-60-000-games-volunteers/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T18:59:59.000Z
LA28 began accepting volunteer applications for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, opening the search for up to 60,000 people to join the Volunteer Crew as the two-year countdown to the Games begins.
Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, who won at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, has been named an official ambassador of the LA28 Volunteer Program, presented by Delta Air Lines.
"I know what it means to compete on the world's biggest stage, and I know firsthand that the magic of the Olympic Games is not just made by the athletes — it is made by the people who show up to support them," Lewis said. "If you want to be part of something historic, apply today. The role of a lifetime is waiting."
Reynold Hoover, LA28 chief executive officer, said the crew working behind the scenes helps make the Games' signature moments possible. "Behind every event, every venue and every moment will be the LA28 Volunteer Crew," he said.
While most volunteer opportunities will be in Los Angeles, the crew's reach will be nationwide, with volunteers supporting Olympic events in Oklahoma City and Olympic soccer matches in New York, Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; St. Louis; San José; and San Diego.
Roles will be available in eight categories: communications, driving, experience, medical, ceremonies, operations, sport and technology. Some positions require specialized skills, such as medical expertise or language translation, which applicants can indicate in their applications.
To mark the milestone, LA28 planned community volunteer events, including a beautification project at Griffith Park with Friends of Griffith Park, a project in Canoga Park with TreePeople, and a cleanup at Zach D. Taylor Park in Oklahoma City with OKC Beautiful. The Griffith Park Zone will host Olympic and Paralympic cycling road events in 2028.
The volunteer program launched in 2025 with more than 25 community events across the Los Angeles region. Delta became the inaugural Founding Partner of the Games in 2020.
Officials said early applicants receive no priority, and an announcement will be made at least seven days before applications close. Prospective volunteers can apply at the LA28 volunteer page, and fans can register for the LA28 Ticket Draw at Tickets.LA28.org.
The Olympic Games run July 14-30, 2028, followed by the Paralympic Games Aug. 15-27.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Gibson Dunn Announces Partnership With LA28 and Team USA
URL: https://www.smdp.com/gibson-dunn-announces-partnership-with-la28-and-team-usa/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T19:00:00.000Z
Gibson Dunn announced Thursday that it has partnered with LA28 and Team USA in connection with the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
The firm will provide legal services to support LA28 as it prepares to host the Games, which will mark the return of the summer Olympics to the United States for the first time in more than three decades.
Founded in Los Angeles more than 135 years ago, Gibson Dunn has long played a role in the city's civic, business and cultural life. The firm said the partnership reflects its commitment to Los Angeles and to initiatives that strengthen the region.
"We are proud to partner with LA28 and Team USA in support of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Barbara Becker, chair and managing partner of Gibson Dunn. "Serving Los Angeles and its communities has been part of Gibson Dunn since our founding here, and this is a special moment to see that commitment extend to a Games that will welcome the world — and benefit the city and the people who call it home."
The partnership builds on the firm's experience advising clients across the sports industry. Its Sports Industry Group represents teams, venues, athletic associations, sponsors, broadcasters, financial institutions, municipalities and other stakeholders on transactional, regulatory, governance, litigation, intellectual property, labor and employment, and commercial matters.
"Preparing for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games requires sophisticated advice across a wide range of legal disciplines, and Gibson Dunn is uniquely positioned to bring together lawyers from across the firm to help LA28 meet that challenge," said Candice Choh and Kahn Scolnick, co-partners in charge of the firm's Los Angeles and Century City offices.
Elisabeth Frienberg, chief legal officer of LA28, said the firm's local roots, industry reach and multidisciplinary capabilities make it well qualified to support the complex legal needs of an event of the Games' scale.
The firm said the partnership also reflects its broader commitment to public service. Through its pro bono practice and support for civic initiatives, Gibson Dunn has helped advance causes across Southern California and is proud to support a Games expected to deliver a lasting economic and civic legacy for the region.
Edited by SMDP Staff
### Divine Vintage adds a food menu to its Santa Monica wine bar
URL: https://www.smdp.com/divine-vintage-adds-a-food-menu-to-its-santa-monica-wine-bar/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T19:00:00.000Z
Divine Vintage, the Montana Avenue wine bar and boutique known for its globally sourced wines and intimate neighborhood atmosphere, has launched an expanded food program built around shareable small plates, artisanal cheeses and meats and a new lineup of signature flatbread pizzas.
The move marks a deliberate step for a business long identified primarily as a wine destination. Founder Jennifer Rush said the decision grew out of what she was seeing at the door.
"We noticed so many people were coming in before or after dinner, and asking for food with our fantastic wines, so we decided to launch a menu that totally complements, is delicious and light," Rush said. Drawing on her background with the Blue Plate restaurants, she added that she was "so excited to create a new menu based on food we love."
At the center of the [menu](https://www.divinevintage.com/?ref=smdp.com) is a collection of flaky flatbread pizzas that have quickly become guest favorites. Standouts include the Funghi & Kale, layered with wild mushrooms, truffle and parmesan, and the Spicy Salami, which pairs tomato sauce, fior di latte and salami with honey for a balance of heat and sweetness. Margherita and Prosciutto & Burrata flatbreads round out the flatbread selection, alongside small plates such as burrata with garden tomatoes, house greens with oregano vinaigrette, Spanish white anchovies, and Italian nachos topped with prosciutto and parmesan.
The food was introduced to complement the wine, but Rush said it has taken on a life of its own.
"We launched it to complement, but we are finding it is a draw on its own," she said. She recalled a family with small children who returned repeatedly for the thin-crust pizzas and tapas — and, for the adults, a glass of wine. "We were excited that they liked the food so much, they came for that specifically," Rush said.
The expanded menu also introduces a rotating specialty cheese program featuring three curated cheeses sourced from around the world each month. Chosen to complement the wines in Divine Vintage's monthly wine club, the cheeses are served with accompaniments such as quince paste, strawberry lemongrass jam and honeycomb, creating a tasting experience that shifts alongside the wine list. A recent addition was a truffle brie the founders discovered in France that Rush said is hard to find in the United States.
The culinary additions build on Divine Vintage's wine club, which has become a cornerstone of the business. For $75 a month, members receive two premium bottles curated by wine expert Nick Dumergue, who selects unusual wines from lesser-known regions and producers. Membership also includes monthly pickup parties, discounts at Divine Vintage and Blue Plate Taco, and access to exclusive wines and educational [tastings](https://www.smdp.com/lula-cocina-mexicana-marks-35-years-on-santa-monicas-main-street/). Dumergue, a Decanter World Wine Awards judge, curates the program with an emphasis on accessibility and exploration.
Rush described the atmosphere she wants guests to feel as something increasingly rare in a fast-moving city.
"Our goal has always been to create a space where people feel encouraged to slow down, discover new wines, and connect over food and conversation," she said. "The new food program brings another layer to that experience. Whether you're stopping in for a glass and a flatbread or spending the evening exploring wines with friends, we want Divine to feel warm, exciting, and endlessly discoverable."
Asked how she creates that feeling, Rush pointed to "good old-fashioned hospitality," noting that the business is regarded by many as a "wine community center" with loyal regulars who have become friends. The back patio, she said, has "a feeling of being on vacation." She has also noticed guests working on laptops during the day over food and wine, prompting an idea for a daytime concept she calls "Wine Works."
Divine Vintage has continued to experiment with events, including pop-ups such as an oyster night that Rush called an homage to the Blue Plate Oysterette, and a monthly sushi and sake class, the next of which is scheduled for Wednesday.
Located in a cottage-style space on Montana Avenue, Divine Vintage pairs its wine program with vintage fashion, jewelry and an eclectic design aesthetic that has made it one of Santa Monica's more distinctive gathering places. The new food menu is available Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 4 p.m.
For more information, visit www.divinevintage.com or follow @divinevintagesm on Instagram.
### Place your bets for the November election
URL: https://www.smdp.com/place-your-bets-for-the-november-election/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T02:09:21.000Z
There’s good news for those who like both horse races and democracy. The first candidate debates for the local fall election took place at the Santa Monica Democratic Club, and no animal cruelty was involved, unless you include the risk to fragile egos. There’s even better news, which is that the debates were surprisingly substantive (and available [online](https://santamonicademocrats.com/?ref=smdp.com)).
The Democratic Club is a private political organization, with a history of some unsavory tactics, so I admit I went in expecting more ingratiation than illumination. But to the credit of Jon Katz, the president of the club and moderator of the events, the questions he posed were meticulous, expansive and mostly even-handed, obligating the candidates to do more than show an aptitude for public speaking (which not all of them possess).
The ten candidates for City Council vying for the club’s endorsement were asked to demonstrate their knowledge of the city’s challenges and the potency of their solutions. This gave the two incumbents, Mayor Caroline Torosis and former Mayor Lana Negrete, a clear advantage.
Torosis exuded confidence as she defended the Council’s achievements and described the work still to be done with equal gusto. “We are working towards a city that is clean, safe, affordable, and fun,” she said, before adding a self-deprecating caveat, “I’m not always the most fun.” She rattled off a list of wins, including decreased crime, streamlined permitting, and new revenue sources. “Are we “mission accomplished”? Absolutely not. But let's stay the course.”
Negrete displayed a winning combination of brio and backbone, reminding people of her steady leadership during turbulent times, while also pushing back on party dogma. “We talk about affordable housing, but we haven't really defined it,” she said. “What is affordable housing? Affordable for who?” Summing up her political philosophy, she said, “We can celebrate our successes while being honest about our challenges because that's how we build trust in government.”
But given the extent of those challenges, there would seem to be a lane available for candidates criticizing the status quo. Doug Trussler, a highly successful private equity investor and much-anticipated entrant to the Council race, expressed alarm about the city’s deficit. He said he had a plan to fix it; however, he didn’t say what his plan was. His business acumen would be a welcome asset on the Council, but it remains to be seen if he has an equal understanding of other topics.
Wade Kelley is primarily a one-note candidate, but it’s a potent note. “I am homeless, I am not certifiable, and I don't have any terrible drug abuse problems,” Kelley said, before quoting Democratic icon Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
It would have been unsurprising if Ashley Oelsen, a passionate environmentalist, had an equally narrow focus. But she didn’t. When asked her number one funding priority, she said the police force, and she conveyed an admirable grasp of the city’s complexity. As did Ericka Lesley, who included code enforcement as an income generator in her answer to the same funding question, reinforcing her willingness to think outside the box.
Brett Morrow showed familiarity with a broad range of subjects, but his comments often sounded like what an AI chatbot would say if programmed to parrot progressive talking points.
Eli Gill offered more personality and eloquence. “I want Santa Monica to be the kind of city that holds on to the people who love it, not one that prices out the next generation before they even get started,” he said.
But he got into verbal fisticuffs with Negrete about development. She questioned using supply and demand theories in a coastal city. (Miami Beach comes to mind.) Gill responded bluntly “we need to get out of developers’ way,” which sounded more like a pitch to deep-pocketed campaign donors than a calibrated response to the city’s competing concerns.
There’s no question that the two incumbents are currently the strongest candidates. So now it’s up to the Democratic Club to show with its endorsements at its July 15 meeting whether its vision for the city is one of unity or pseudo-partisan rancor. I say “pseudo,” because for all the talk about polarization in the city, I don’t come across a lot of Republicans here.
At a time when there has been some discontent and pushback from club members, this is an opportunity for the club to decide if it’s a big tent embracing multiple viewpoints or a narrow bastion of machine politics and cognitive fealty. I’m not holding my breath, but I’m a little hopeful.
There were also debates for Rent Control Board, SMMUSD Board of Education, and the Santa Monica College (SMC) Board of Trustees. The latter was the most cringeworthy. The financial crisis at SMC has resulted in sweeping layoffs and cutbacks, yet the incumbents took no responsibility. Blame was placed on everyone from the governor to the President, but none was apportioned to the people who were actually in charge of the college.
Contrast that behavior with the incumbent at the Rent Control Board debate, Kurt Gonska, who conveyed deep moral commitment to his role. Sue Himmelrich is also an incumbent of sorts, since she brings her depth of experience as a former mayor. Unfortunately, that includes responsibility for the builder’s remedy assaults on our city’s skyline. So the question is whether she’s been forgiven.
The school board debate included two vibrant challengers. One of whom, Robbie Staenberg, is the youngest person running for office. Although that could be a disadvantage, he emphasized that he’s the only candidate who is both a graduate of the SMMUSD schools and an experienced classroom teacher. A compelling argument and a well-crafted political brand.
And they’re off.
Devan Sipher can be reached at [Devan@smdp.com](mailto:Devan@smdp.com).
### Lobster poachers arrested on the Pier
URL: https://www.smdp.com/lobster-poachers-arrested-on-the-pier/
Last updated: 2026-07-14T21:10:42.000Z
Wildlife officers from across Southern California teamed up to catch lobster poachers at the Santa Monica Pier, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday.
Spiny lobster season closed March 18, but that hasn't stopped some people from breaking the law, according to the department.
During the enforcement operation, wildlife officers and their trained canines found lobsters hidden in duffel bags, backpacks, vehicles and a baby stroller. Officers seized 34 lobsters, including several egg-bearing females, and returned them to the ocean alive.
Each female lobster produces one brood of 50,000 to 800,000 eggs a year and carries them for about 10 weeks. Losing an egg-bearing female can significantly harm the lobster fishery and affects anglers who follow the law, the department said.
Six suspects were arrested on charges that included taking lobster out of season, exceeding daily bag limits, taking undersized lobster, taking lobster by hook and line, and possessing more than triple the daily bag limit. Violations carry penalties of up to $1,000 each and up to a year in jail.
California Statewide Law Enforcement Association President Alan Barcelona praised the officers and their K-9 partners for "protecting a valuable marine resource, safeguarding future generations of California spiny lobster, and ensuring those who chose to violate our conservation laws are held accountable."
### Semifinal 2: England vs. Argentina
URL: https://www.smdp.com/semifinal-2-england-vs-argentina/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T14:52:20.000Z
It's hard to oversell today's matchup. Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" in 1986, four years after the Falklands War. David Beckham's red card in 1998\. England and Argentina haven't met at a World Cup in more than 20 years, but the rivalry has never really faded.
England desperately seeks its first World Cup since 1966, still the nation's only title. It hasn't finished higher than fourth since. For the football-mad country that took part in the first international football match in 1872, it has been an excruciatingly long wait. The team wants this. The nation wants it even more.
Argentina won the 2022 World Cup and is trying to become the first since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cups. Lionel Messi turned 39 last month and already has eight goals in this tournament. Perhaps the greatest player the game has ever seen is making a powerful closing argument (though many expect to see him again in 2030).
The Golden Boot, which goes to the top goalscorer, is still in play. Kylian Mbappé is tied for the lead with eight goals, but leads Messi thanks to two extra assists. The only players left who can catch Mbappé and Messi are England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, with six apiece. Expect a lot of offense today.
This could be an instant classic. Sixty years of frustration versus the team that has won all five of their previous World Cup semifinals. The winner meets Spain in Sunday's final.
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