Kids, adults agree on wellness during Mental Health Awareness Month
Locals of all ages and backgrounds have come together this month in the name of mental wellness. May marks Mental Health Awareness Month across the nation, and McKinley Elementary School staff and students delivered messages about mental well-being during the May 2 meeting of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education. Board members were given information on a host of enrichment activities and clubs at the school aimed at nurturing “all aspects” of a child, including intellectual, social-emotional, physical, creative and cultural needs.
Foster youth flourishes in animation internship thanks to local group
Chrisie Morris, a rising senior at Cal State University Long Beach, made a major step in the animation industry in 2023 with an internship at DreamWorks Animation, working on shows like Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight. Morris landed the role with help from Santa Monica-based Ready to Succeed LA, an organization dedicated to assisting foster youth and first-generation college students gain internships and work experience.
14,000 gallon sewage spill closes beaches, Santa Monica unaffected
Earlier this month, approximately 14,400 gallons of untreated sewage poured forth into Ballona Creek and out into Santa Monica Bay, with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials warning people to stay out of the water and the wet sand from Ballona Creek and to one mile north of Venice Beach and one mile south of Dockweiler. Beach Water Quality Advisories were still green after the spill for the beaches of Santa Monica, with the small exception of the water around Santa Monica Pier which has its own unique set of issues.
Families fired up for Fire Service Day activities
The Santa Monica Fire Department opened up Fire Station 1 on May 11 to locals excited to learn more about its vital role in the community. During the open house for Fire Service Day, firefighters and other fire department staff let children and families explore fire engines and take a fire station tour to gain insight on day-to-day operations. Other local and regional partners were present as well, with the American Red Cross providing hands-only CPR and emergency preparedness information, along with other information booths hosted by UCLA’s Stop the Bleed emergency response initiative and the California Army National Guard.
City’s tallest apartment building could come to 6th and Colorado
On the evening of May 13, a community meeting was held over Zoom to enable local residents to listen to and comment on the mixed residential-retail project proposal set for 601 Colorado Ave. The project covers two lots and measures approximately 150 ft by 150 ft., and is set to be positioned between 6th Street and 6th Court facing onto Colorado Ave. opposite the Big Blue Bus depot. Currently there is a row of abandoned outlets in that location that are frequently used by the homeless as illegal, makeshift shelters.
Main Street’s board game twist a boon for local restaurants
Main Street restaurants passed “Go” over the weekend, collecting business from local patrons with a board game twist. The ninth annual traversing of the Monopoly board took place Sunday as popular bars and eateries took part in the “MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street” event that’s continued to bring the board game to life. Locals headed into 20 locations like Jameson’s Pub, Tavern on Main, Rabano and Ashland Hill, taking part in a food or drink sampling that gave participants a “stamp” of their dedicated game board.
Youth council adds vitality to local employment services nonprofit
On May 11, the Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) of the Chrysalis nonprofit hosted its inaugural Cheers to Changing Lives cocktail party at Expert Dojo, eclipsing a $40,000 fundraising goal by bringing in $50,195 for the organization. The YPAC was founded in 2019 with a primary goal of building the next generation of advocates and donors for Chrysalis, which is dedicated to serving individuals navigating barriers to workforce entry to find and retain employment. In its first five years, the YPAC has built a young professional membership base from Fortune 100 companies, hailing from industries ranging from venture capital and real estate to entertainment and technology.
Cyclist and pedestrian safety boosted as Council votes to prohibit harassment and provide legal protections
At the May 14 meeting of Santa Monica City Council, council members voted unanimously 7-0 to hear and approve a new ordinance (Section 3.75) of the Santa Monica Municipal Code that will prohibit harassment of bicyclists and provide a private right of action in civil court for violations. The ordinance would not be enforced by City officials and would not require the expenditure of City resources, other than potentially some educational efforts. For this section, the definition of “bicycle” is expanded to include not only vehicles propelled solely by human power, but also those propelled by a combination of human and electric power.
Rock gods, comedy icons support local clinic’s mission at gala
The Venice Family Clinic hosted its inaugural HEART (Health + Art) Gala at 3Labs in Culver City on May 11, a star-laden evening of entertainment that raised $2.7 million for the clinic’s innovative health services. The clinic, which includes locations in Santa Monica and Venice, provides services and health programs to more than 45,000 people in need in Los Angeles County. The clinic wouldn’t be in its prominent position without the aid of art, as the organization’s first Art Walk and Auction in 1979 helped save the clinic. A host of musical icons and comedy legends took part in the evening, including U2 guitarist The Edge, who received the HEART Award alongside wife and artist Morleigh Steinberg.
Westside Ballet showcases 50th anniversary of movement mastery
The 50th anniversary of the Westside’s premiere ballet theater company paid homage to an iconic ballerina with two stunning shows, featuring one dancer who recently brought national glory to the company’s legacy. Over the weekend at the BroadStage, Westside Ballet of Santa Monica presented the “Masters of Movement” series for its 50th anniversary spring performances, set around a tribute to the legendary Patricia Neary, one of the 20th century’s pioneering ballerinas. The showcases culminated with Neary receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for her remarkable career.
Gilbert’s celebrates five decades of culinary and cultural significance
Gilbert’s in Santa Monica celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday with a throwback menu, entertainment and a community party focusing on the history that has built up within its walls. The restaurant’s current iteration came to be in the mid 1970s, but the man behind the legend, Gilbert Rodriguez Sr, was born significantly earlier. Born on August 31, 1928 in Texcoco, Mexico, Rodriguez eventually moved to the United States to work in the fields, but due to cold weather, he switched to working in various restaurants in Santa Monica.
Poetry, film merge to form unique festival atmosphere
Two art forms that continue to resonate on the Westside combined this past month in an affair crossing all genres and generations. In April, Beyond Baroque in Venice hosted the third International Poetry Film Festival Los Angeles, dedicated to bringing poems to life through the visual medium. Ranging from student films to professional productions, various poems were used as scripts for filmmakers, creating their own short-form interpretations of the written works to a rousing reaction from the Beyond Baroque audience.
Homeless man drags woman across the beach path by her hair
Malcolm Jimmy Ward, Jr, age 48 was arrested on May 13 for assaulting a woman on the beach. Ward is accused of grabbing the woman by her hair and dragging her toward the restrooms. Bystanders stepped in and Ward was subsequently arrested.
Mid-City Cypress project in the works while another gets shot down
Mid-City Santa Monica may be on the verge of adding a prominent housing location, while another proposal for the area was recently shot down by the city’s Architectural Review Board (ARB). Two buildings at 1801 and 1819 Santa Monica Blvd. are currently in the process of being approved by the ARB, with the side-by-side projects planned to be two eight-story projects consisting of 288 units, including 30 affordable housing units. The project is yet another potential undertaking submitted by Cypress Equity Investments, which has been heavily involved in Santa Monica development in recent years. Another Cypress submission, a proposed eight-story mixed-use apartment complex at 2025 Wilshire Blvd, was temporarily struck down by the ARB during its April 29 meeting due to issues like the project looking like an office building instead of a residential complex.
thomas@smdp.com