| LOCAL SPOTLIGHT SUBMISSIONS NEEDED: Have a favorite business in the ‘hood you want to share with the community? Reply to this newsletter with the business name and a couple of sentences about what makes it great/special and we will try to highlight it in a future newsletter. |
| City Council to Consider Parcel Tax Measure: “The City Council Tuesday will decide whether to ask voters in November to approve another tax to help the cash-strapped municipal government make ends meet. The potential $540-per-parcel tax would raise an estimated $12 million a year to “maintain funding for homelessness, firefighters, 911 emergency services, and libraries…” The measure — which requires a two-thirds (66.7%) super-majority — would also preserve City funding for Santa Monica’s public schools “to retain quality teachers and improve education quality.” A survey found underwhelming support for the potential measure among Santa Monica voters, who have approved a total of seven local tax measures in the last two general elections….” More details here. |
| Downtown Santa Monica Appoints Debbie Lee as CEO: Lee brings deep experience in civic leadership and public service, including her tenure as Chief Communications Officer for the City of Santa Monica, where she led citywide communications strategy, public engagement, and emergency response messaging. Earlier in her career, Lee held senior leadership roles at Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., giving her a firsthand understanding of the district and its operational, economic, and community dynamics. More details in this SMDP article. |
| Palisades High School Sets Return Date to Campus: Palisades Charter High School, which has been operating out of the former Sears building in downtown SaMo for the past year, will return to its home campus on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The school is encouraging families, alumni and neighbors to gather along Temescal Canyon Road near Bowdoin Street at 8 a.m. Tuesday to cheer as students and staff arrive. More details here. |
| Downtown Santa Monica Gets a Glow-Up: $60M Realignment Plan Kicks Off: This brief SaMo Mirror video report highlights some of the work underway, including new landscaping and sidewalk repairs. |
| The Street Seen: The Doctor is In (147 Fraser Ave): As nice as it is, we can’t spend all of our time at the beach. We will be back – but there are some houses on Fraser Avenue in the South Beach neighborhood that we need to look at. In 1906, a summer cottage is built for retired Pittsburgh physician Dr. B.F. Dake at 147 Fraser Ave. From 1908 to 1940, the house is occupied by Dr C.G. Shipman and family. The Jarvis family are there from 1944 to 2002. More details here. |
| Santa Monica Expands MODE Transit Service Hours for Seniors, Disabled Residents: Santa Monica’s MODE transportation service for seniors and people with disabilities is expanding hours starting January, including weekday service until 6 p.m. and the restoration of Sunday service that was suspended during the pandemic. More details here. |
| Santa Monica Reads (February 2 to March 14): This is one of the longest-running community-wide reading programs in the U.S., offering a unique opportunity for individuals to come together, read a shared book, and participate in enriching discussions and events. What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama is the 2026 book selection. Free copies are available at all library locations, while supplies last, courtesy of the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library. More details and selections from past years are listed here. |
| Peter Greenberg’s Hidden Gems: The legendary CBS Travel Editor and host Peter Greenberg highlights our 8.3-square-mile beach city in his latest episode of “Hidden Gems,” focusing heavily on Route 66 and exploring the many fun facts about Santa Monica that audiences may not know. Watch Peter take a ride along the historic Route 66 in a cherry red convertible, spotlighting the people, places and experiences that make our city shine. Watch the feel-good episode here. |
| Message from OPA Gold Member My Gym: Create Moments that Matter at My Gym Santa Monica: Our variety of programs for kids 4 months to 10 years old shape skills and build confidence to help children be active, healthy, social and, most of all, happy kids! More details here. |
