This week, the local League of Women Voters invites you to the organization’s annual meeting, at which Santa Monica Director of Planning David Martin will speak. Also, come celebrate 150 years of the end of slavery in the United States at Virginia Avenue Park and get ready for Make Music Day.
League of women voters of santa Monica Annual meeting
This Saturday the City’s Director of Planning and Community Development David Martin will present an overview of his department’s major projects to the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica (LWVSM) and guests at the Ken Edwards Center.
“We are pleased to offer community members a chance to hear from an expert about the policies that are involved in managing big changes to our City,” said LWVSM President Ann Williams. “However you feel about these changes, it is important to know all the facts.”
Topics to be discussed include: arrival of the Expo Light Rail and the implementation of the 2010 Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), including the Zoning Ordinance Update, the Downtown Specific Plan and some of the proposed development projects. The LUCE emphasizes transit-oriented development and sustainable planning practices, and implementation efforts include the recently completed Bicycle Action Plan and Pedestrian Action Plan.
A light sandwich and salad lunch will be available for a suggested $20 donation. To make a reservation for lunch, go to www.lwvsantamonica.org/calendar.html and to R.S.V.P. for the presentation alone, contact Pres@lwvsantamonica.org
There will be time for questions. The location is well-served by the Big Blue Bus.
When: Saturday, June 20 at 12 p.m.
Where: The Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th Street
Celebrate Juneteenth at Virginia Avenue Park
The city of Santa Monica will host the 23rd annual Juneteenth Celebration at Virginia Avenue Park on June 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to honor of what has become America’s “2nd Independence Day.”
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the actual end of slavery in the United States. It dates back to June 19, 1865, when the last remaining slaves were freed in Texas – over a year and a half after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is recognized as an official holiday by 44 states across the US, reminding us of this critical moment in American history.
To celebrate, actress Juanita Jennings will MC a day filled with music, dance, food, and fun. Performances on the main stage include Grammy-nominee Ray Brooks & the Blues Masters Band; Motown, R& B, and soul by Route 101; reggae by Island Rhythm Production; samba with Samba Samba Dance; and the participatory Lava Bai Drum Circle. Crafts, face painting, and games for kids will be found at the Kids’ Zone. A pop-up legacy museum will highlight the history behind the Juneteenth Celebration. The festival will also include a cultural arts marketplace, Texas-style BBQ, and other favorite foods.
Find more information about this free community event online at www.smgov.net/vapark and Virginia Avenue Park’s Facebook page (vapark), or call 310-458-8688.
When: Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Virginia Avenue Park
Make Music Day
Sunday is Make Music Day L.A. and there will plenty of offerings of free music in parks around Santa Monica to celebrate.
The Santa Monica Daily Press has published some of the tentative lineups here.
Colorado Center Park at 26th and Broadway will feature concerts from 11:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will also be concerts in Palisades Park at Inspiration Point (San Vicente at Ocean Avenue) and at the Rose Garden from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information, including a comprehensive list of venues, visit makemusicla.org.
When: Sunday, June 21 all day
Where: Throughout Santa Monica and Los Angeles
