Where Are You Going, Santa Monica?
For nearly all of its 133 years, Santa Monica has gone its own iconoclastic way. It was at the epicenter of both the birth of surfing on this continent and the American aviation industry. It is home to such traditional organizations as the Kiwanis Club and the Rotary Club, as well as the absolutely un- traditional Z Boys’ Dogtown. Its first residents were Japanese fishermen who lived in lean-tos on the beach. In the 1920s and 1930s, the beach became “The Gold Coast,”... Read More
Citywide Reads Strikes Out Again
When it was announced several years ago that Santa Monica, like a number of other cities, was going to hold an annual Citywide Reads program, I immediately imagined a month every spring, in which all the people one saw – on the beach, on buses, in cafes, on park benches, – reading the same book and talking about it. I also imagined the books that should be read. Topping my very long list were “The Great Gatsby,” which should be read and reread regularly by everyone,... Read More
Council Has Busy Night
Tuesday night’s City Council meeting was longtime Councilman Herb Katz’s inaugural turn as Mayor. Though his predecessor, Richard Bloom, kept intervening as if he thought he were still the mayor, Katz managed to lead his colleagues through a crowded agenda. They spent a lot of money, authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute a third modification with Black & Veatch for the design of the City Hall seismic retrofit project, and approving an additional... Read More
Red Cross, Firefighters Hold Toy Drive
The American Red Cross of Santa Monica, KABC Channel 7 and Southland Firefighters are holding this year’s “Spark of Love Toy Drive” through Thursday, December 20th. As in previous years, new unwrapped toys, games and sports equipment can be dropped off at the Santa Monica Red Cross, any Santa Monica Fire Department station, CVS Pharmacy and other participating locations. Red Cross volunteers will collect the gifts and distribute them to children in Santa Monica... Read More
Whither the Weather 12/14 – 12/20
By Ava Tramer Beaches Cooler and partly cloudy Highs: 59-65; Lows: 44-50 Inland Partly cloudy with chilly nights Highs: 61-68; Lows: 36-41 Deserts Mostly sunny Highs: 65-68; Lows: 42-49 And Santa Monica… This weekend will be nice and bright, Cooler temperatures will rule the night. But starting Sunday, the sun will go, And clouds will dart to and fro. Come Wednesday next, we might get rain, And certainly that would be a pain. But with the blizzards in the East, We’ll still... Read More
City Process Runs Amuck
When then-Councilman Denny Zane first clapped eyes on Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, he said, “It didn’t look that big on paper.” He was probably essaying a little humor, but the unfortunate truth is that project after project has begun small and/or useful and/or fitting and/or functional and/or aesthetically appealing. But, inevitably, as it goes through the infamous process, it almost always becomes less than it started out to be, but bigger and more costly than it... Read More
Whither the Weather 12/7 -12/13
By Ava Tramer Beaches Mostly sunny Highs: 56-64; Lows: 44-47 Inland Cooler and sunny Highs: 57-64; Lows: 35-43 Deserts Clear and with possible weekend showers Highs: 59-67; Lows: 41-47 And Santa Monica… It is cold and wet and rainy. Temperatures are in the 40s and 50s, and it’s soaking wet out there. The sky is dark, the ground is slippery, and the air is chilly. Little furry animals have hidden themselves away, birdies no longer chirp, and the sun has forgotten how to... Read More
Academic Rigor and Challenge in SMMUSD
Our High School Advanced Placement Program by José J. Escarce One of our key goals in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is to provide high school students with a rigorous and challenging academic experience that will prepare them for success in college. At Santa Monica and Malibu High Schools, we have achieved this goal by developing exceptional Advanced Placement (AP) programs that rank among the best in the nation. AP courses are college-level courses... Read More
Pugh+Scarpa Awarded St. Louis Project
Pugh+Scarpa, a Santa Monica-based architectural firm, has been chosen to design the Laumeier Sculpture Park Fine Arts and Education Center in St. Louis. “Pugh & Scarpa represent an innovative, thoughtful approach to architecture,” said Laumeier Director Glen Gentele. “The first-class team that Pugh & Scarpa have assembled will help us create a visionary sustainable structure that bridges art, architecture and landscape.” Architect Lawrence Scarpa... Read More
Schools Open Their Doors
Public Schools Week starts today, with every school in Santa Monica and Malibu opening its doors to members if the community. The Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs, in collaboration with a partnership of parents, teachers, staff, administrators and students, has organized the week in order to give people a close-up look at public education here and now. All the schools in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District will be open during Public School Week, December 3-7. During... Read More
