The following was written by former Santa Monica resident and activist Ernie Powell. Powell is currently an organizer and consultant with Social Security Works. August 14 is Social Security’s 82nd birthday. All of us, young, middle aged and old, should…
The following is by Susan Cline, city of Santa Monica public works director and Gigi Decavalles-Hughes, city of Santa Monica finance director. Santa Monica City Hall is an iconic and historic building that has served this community well for the last…
The following is a letter sent by a recent Santa Monica resident to the City Council. It is reprinted here with his permission. Dear City Leaders, I am writing regarding the Downtown Specific Plan. Although prior engagements prevent me from…
This post originally appeared on the blog of local community activist and organizer Luke Klipp. It was republished on Santa Monica Next’s sister site, Longbeachize. Klipp serves as a Metro Board Deputy to Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and he is the…
Bergamot Arts Center has been a vital part of the arts fabric of Santa Monica since its inception in the 1990s. On Tuesday night, the Santa Monica City Council will be asked to look at a proposal for Bergamot Arts Center…
Via Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole’s blog, The Long View. There is a dynamic and positive new tone coming from the California Coastal Commission. The California Coastal Commission has had just five leaders since it was created in 1972. Longtime…
The following is the entire response from the city of Santa Monica to a series of questions asked by Santa Monica Next editor Jason Islas following a series of fatal crashes in Santa Monica. The questions were: Just last year, the City…
In the past few weeks, Santa Monica has experienced five more violent pedestrian crashes and almost as many deaths, reminding us all that we are unsafe in our city, whether crossing the street for coffee or going to a local…
The following is a letter from Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer addressing the recent deaths of three young people in the community. I received the devastating news of the tragic circumstances that led to the death of Samohi freshman Andre…
The following letter is by Santa Monica High School principal Dr. Antonio Shelton to the Santa Monica High School community regarding the recent death of a ninth grade student at the school. Dear Santa Monica High School family and community, It…
This piece was originally published on Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole’s blog, The Long View. Santa Monica Next also covered this issue here and here. I recently wrote about the always controversial issue of public employee compensation. In the first post, I welcomed…
Tuesday night, the Santa Monica City Council passed a resolution reaffirming its commitment to an inclusive city and that makes clear the beachside city won’t cooperate with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws. Below is an open letter, published to the city’s…
Via the City of Santa Monica’s website. The following post was written by Garrett T. Wong, a sustainability analyst for the City of Santa Monica. Sustainability is a key value for the City of Santa Monica and its residents. Recently,…
The following is a press release sent out by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District officials. Dear Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District students, staff, parents and communities: I am humbled and delighted to join you as your superintendent. I have great…
The following is a response from downtown community member Babak Mozaffari. For voters in California, the first look at this November’s ballot has often been accompanied by a sense of shock and horror. There are 17 state-wide measures, followed by…
