Final OPA Meeting of the Year
Tonight/Monday: This month’s meeting will be at the Ocean Park Library (@ 2601 Main St.), starting with food and mingling at 6:00pm. We will also be hybrid on Zoom. Here’s the Zoom link, here’s the full agenda, and here’s the schedule:
- 6:00 – 6:30: Food, refreshments and mingling
- 6:30 – 6:45: SaMo Police Department
- 6:45 – 7:00: SaMo Fire Department
- 7:00 – 7:30: Carey Upton (SMMUSD)
- 7:30 – 8:30: Board business, including elections, upcoming calendar of events (12/7 holiday party, etc.)
The Blue Notebook – A Weekly SMPD Recap – October 19-25: Here is the weekly police recap of activity.
Quarterly Update from Councilmember Dan Hall: This update touches on a variety of subjects, including his take on how the “Realignment Plan” marks a turning point for SaMo and sets “a clear direction for our community’s future, focused on safety, expanded economic opportunity, and a renewed sense of civic pride,” Offsite Affordable Housing Production Pilot Program, the New Signature Events Program, The Future of the Civic Auditorium, and more.
Ready to volunteer for the 2028 Olympics? Here’s how: This LA Times article details the “plan to recruit a volunteer army that they say will start earlier and do more than those at all the Olympics that came before. Starting today, people from around greater Los Angeles can register their interest in volunteering at LA28.org. With events scheduled across the region, volunteers will likely be needed wherever L.A. needs a good scrubbing, literally or figuratively. With the Games still more than 2½ years away, the initial volunteer efforts will focus on improving the look and feel of the city.”
Assembly District 51 2025 Community Excellence Awards Honors Several SaMo Leaders for Actions During the Palisades Fires: Among the awards issued by Assemblymember Rick Zbur, are “Civic Leadership Community Excellence Awards” given to City of Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis, Councilmembers Barry Snell, Natalya Zernitskaya, Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin and Jesse Zwick; Chief Resilience Officer Lindsay Call, Public Works Director Rick Valte, Transportation Director Anuj Gupta, Fire Chief Matthew Hallock and Interim Police Chief Darrick Jacob; Dr. Lizzy Moore, SMC Foundation President. This YouTube link is queued to the SaMo dedicated part of the event and you can watch the full video here. And this link shows where the event also honored SMFD and other fire departments as “Assembly District 51 People of the Year.” Kudos to all of them!
LA Council Unanimously Approves Fee Waiver for Dine LA Participants: The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday instructed the Department of Tourism to waive participation fees for restaurants in the Dine LA program. “I want to just emphasize how important it is that we continue to uplift, promote and support the food scene that truly defines Los Angeles,” Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado said. More details here.
SaMo College Foundation to Feed 2,400 Students at Annual Holiday Event: This SMDP write-updetails “What began nine years ago as a backyard Thanksgiving dinner for 38 homeless and international students has grown into a massive community effort that will provide free holiday groceries to more than 2,400 Santa Monica College students facing food insecurity. Community members can support the effort through financial donations, volunteering or donating winter coats. Volunteers can sign up for shifts online, and financial contributions can be made at foundation.smc.edu/thanksgiving.”
The Street Seen: Ocean Park Arena (Main St. @ Pico Blvd.): “In 1928, the Ocean Park Arena opens in a converted auto dealership building on the eastside of Main St just south of Pico. It becomes a premier venue for amateur boxing and professional wrestling. The Ocean Park Arena burns down in 1937, and the enterprise moves around the corner to a new building on Pico Blvd.” More details here.
KTLA Video Report on SaMo Farmers Market: This video report entitled “A Fresh Take on Shopping and Eating: Santa Monica Farmers Market” does a deep dive on “the largest all-organic farmers market on the West Coast.”
SaMo Holiday Job Fair (Thursday 2:30-5pm): The SaMo Holiday Job Fair (Ages 16+) is your change to meet local employers, discover exciting job opportunities, and take the first step toward career success. Don’t miss this opportunity to make connections that could launch your next chapter. This event is focused on empowering Gen Z & Millennials by connecting them with meaningful work experiences. Remember to bring copies of your resume and dress to impress. More details here.
Recycling Event at City Yards (Saturday 9am – 2pm): The City is hosting a FREE recycling event Saturday, November 15th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Santa Monica residents only. Bring your used mattresses, box springs, electronic waste, and up to five boxes of paper for shredding! Shredding will happen on-site and the paper will be recycled. 2500 Michigan Ave. More details here.
Preserving Our Diversity (POD) Expanded Eligibility Criteria and Upcoming Office Hours: The POD program helps eligible low-income, long-term Santa Monica senior renters (65+ years old) with monthly cash assistance of up to $986 (1-person household) or $1,724 (2-person household) to meet their basic needs. City staff will be hosting Office Hours for POD on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 11 am – 1 pm at Virginia Avenue Park. More details here.
Bergamot Area First-Last Mile Connection Improvement Project Nears Completion: The Bergamot Area First-Last Mile Connection Improvements Project has reached its final phase. The project improves safety and connects local communities to transit facilities, bikeways, schools, parks, and employment opportunities. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvements were implemented along the following corridors and key intersections, which were among those identified in the City’s Local Roadway Safety Plan as having the highest incident rates of fatal and severe collisions.
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Things to do This Week:
- Veterans Day Celebration (Tuesday 11am): The city of Santa Monica will join the U.S. Army for a Veterans Day ceremony on the Santa Monica Pier. The event will feature exciting performances, distinguished guests, and more. The ceremony, which will take place on the Pier’s west parking deck, is free and open to the public. More details here.
- Plastic People Documentary Film Screening & Panel Discussion (Tuesday 7pm): Plastic People is an award-winning feature documentary that chronicles humanity’s fraught relationship with plastic and one woman’s mission to expose shocking new revelations about the impact of microplastics on human health. FREE. @ Laemmle Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd St. events.humanitix.com/plastic_people
- Pie with the Police (Wednesday 2:30 – 4:30pm): Come More details in the image below.
- Final SaMo Dem Club Meeting of the Year (Wednesday 6:30pm): Joining the meeting is SaMo City Manager Oliver Chi, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs (Lieutenant Governor candidate), Asm. Al Muratsuchi (Superintendent candidate), Asm. Mike Gipson (Board of Equalization candidate), and Eric Strong (LA Sheriff candidate). Live and zoom. More details here.
- Giant Puppet Making Workshop (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday nights) Nov 12, 13 and 14): Want to make giant puppets for protests or parades, or just to keep around the house? Henry Lipkis is a puppet master artist. He will be offering giant puppet worksips where you create giant puppets that you can wear that are huge. @ Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill St. More details here.
- The Porch: A Public Conversation (Thursday 6pm): More outdoor dining? Benches on traffic medians? Community coffee in garages? Join SM Artist Fellows Frances Anderton, Nicola Goode + Jona Frank to talk about “porch-like” spaces, real and imagined, at Annenberg Beach House.
- SaMo Conservancy Preservation Awards – Thursday, November 13 (4:30pm reception; 5:45pm awards): Santa Monica Conservancy hosts the annual Preservation Awards at Miles Playhouse, recognizing exceptional efforts in local heritage conservation, celebrating the arts, history, and culture that define Santa Monica. More details here.
OPA and City Meetings
- OPA Connects Meeting (Wednesday 12pm): Here is the Zoom link.
- Library Board Meeting (Wednesday 6pm): More details & agenda here.
- Disabilities Commission Meeting (Wednesday 6:30pm): More details & agenda here.
- Rent Control Board Meeting (Thursday 6pm): More details & agenda here.
Upcoming Calendar of Events
- November OPA Meeting (Monday 11/10)
- Pie Baking 101 (11/15 10:30 AM-12pm): Join Lissa and Tess for Pie Baking 101! We are planning to make pie pastry using this ridiculously easy recipe from the 1978 Betty Crocker cookbook (flaky! cheaper! takes 10 minutes start to finish! less packaging waste! vegan! delicious!) and wanted to invite anyone who wants to get a jump on their holiday baking to come on over for Pie Baking 101. You don’t even need a rolling pin, and you can refrigerate or freeze the pastry no problem. We’ll also have a homemade pumpkin pie to eat afterward because, you know, pie! We’ll be making crust together, so even if you’ve never set foot in a kitchen before, we will guide you through it. Experienced bakers are also welcome! RSVP to samosocialclub@gmail.com
- OPA Holiday Party (Dec. 7)
- Upcoming OPA Book Club Meetings: Planned dates are December 3, January 7, February 4, March 4, April 1. emailalexabarrett@gmail.com for more info.
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