Last week’s Santa Monica stories in one place

Softball success:

The Santa Monica U12 softball team recently returned from the Western National Championships in Salem, Oregon. After a rough start during pool play, the girls found their mojo during bracket elimination play, winning four games and making it all the way to Championship Sunday. They ended up finishing fifth out of 31 teams, one of the best showings for a 12U Santa Monica team in league history.

Pottery palace spins up wellness on the wheel:

The concept of “being present” is often-cited as doing wonders for mental wellness, and few activities are more present than crafting a ceramics piece, something Nicole Peredo has brought to the community at ARTime Barro. The 302 Pico Blvd. location opened three months ago, bridging art and wellness with activities like yoga and sound baths. Peredo noted that these wellness ventures serve Santa Monica’s entertainment industry workers, who often need an escape from constant stressors.

LACOE meeting clears air between Malibu, SMMUSD:

After threats of walking away from a school district unification process, the City of Malibu is now back on board to an originally-planned schedule to form a Malibu Unified School District. At an August 7 Los Angeles County Office of Education County Committee on School District Organization meeting, Malibu attorney Christine Wood stated that the city and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District representatives have made a “considerable amount of progress” on its three key unification tenants : revenue sharing, joint powers and operations. The meeting came after Wood requested the committee set a public hearing on its original 2017 petition for unification, which both parties noted was a temporary impasse. The district Board of Education is planning on voting on a full unification package in October.

Councilmember Christine Parra will not seek re-election, citing family priorities:

Councilwoman Christine Parra has withdrawn from the November election less than two weeks after declaring her intention to run for reelection. Parra said family challenges prompted her decision, such as her mother’s ongoing battle with cancer, which made balancing her Council responsibilities “increasingly challenging.” The news was announced just 10 days after Parra, Mayor Phil Brock and Councilmember Oscar de la Torre announced they would run as a slate. Another sitting council member up for re-election, Gleam Davis, has said she will not run again this year.

Santa Monica Brew Works hosts hit canine-themed charity event:

The Santa Monica Brew Works and Los Angeles non-profit dog rescue, HIT Living Dog Rescue, teamed up with Hot Dog on a Stick to host a charity fundraising event on August 11. Snacks were available for everyone, including milk-bone treats for the canine attendees and hot dogs on a stick for their human companions. In order to raise much-needed funds, event-goers were asked to make a donation to the rescue organization upon which they received a generous cup of refreshing lemonade.

Education Foundation fundraising up over 10% for school district programs:

During the August 15 meeting of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, the Santa Monica Education Foundation (SMEF) gave its annual report on fundraising efforts for the district, highlighting an uptick in community donations. SMEF’s funding for 2024-25 district programs totals $2,409,000; more than $200,000 than last year’s campaign, anchored by a record-setting wine auction event in May. Held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, SMEF raised $435,000 at the wine auction, part of a long-term partnership between the organization and the hotel.

Scents of Santa Monica custom-made by candle wiz:

The latest addition to the Third Street Promenade is Candles on Tap, a hands-on experience where customers can craft a custom candle from about 85 fragrances to choose from. Open for about a month now, owner Chantel Briann brings the bar to the Promenade after a successful run in San Diego. When a customer comes in, he or she can peruse a catalog of single-scented notes, writing down their favorites on a worksheet, followed by selecting a “candle vessel” with different price points depending on the size and style of the jar.

Countdown to 2028: Santa Monica Mayor takes part in LA Olympics hand-off event:

August 11 marked the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, featuring a preview of Los Angeles’ endeavor in 2028, with LA Mayor Karen Bass taking the stage in Paris. Locally, an LA28 event in Inglewood’s new Cosm Los Angeles venue featured a viewing party for the closing ceremony and the Olympic flag transfer. Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock was in attendance, noting that the city is still intended to be the venue for Beach Volleyball and that he is busy “beginning to prepare to make sure Santa Monica shines.” Olympic golfing will also be in the area, officially announced as taking place at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

District TK expansion bucks statewide enrollment trends:

Despite statewide concerns about stagnant enrollment in California Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs, those concerns do not apply to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), as the district’s TK expansion has continued into the upcoming school year. With all districts required to offer the four-year-old grade level beginning in 2025-26, the SMMUSD TK program has added two new classrooms this year and is now at 14 classrooms in total. While the majority of classrooms have general education, two of them have “co-teaching” arrangements featuring a gender-ed teacher and a special education teacher sharing the curriculum and assessment.

Santa Monica startup is offering therapy through an AI-based learning app:

A local Santa Monica startup has developed a unique software application that encourages the user to write a journal, which then allows an artificial intelligence to “get to know you” and offer positive mental health advice. Called Rosebud, it “provides personalized feedback and guidance” as you write, getting to know your life, goals, challenges and relationships. Co-founded by Chrys Bader and Sean Dadashi, they form half off a team of four based in a small office on Main Street. The app recently became available for the first time on iOS and Android through the App Store and Google Play.

Council race takes shape with 11 individuals filing for four seats:

Santa Monica’s options for the November election have mostly taken shape with a combined 21 candidates running for seats on City Council, Rent Control Board, School Board and College Board. As of 5:30 pm on August 14, 11 of the 21 individuals that had initially pulled papers in the race for City Council filed their applications. Four candidates are already running as a slate (Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell and Natalya Zernitskaya). Incumbents Phil Brock and Oscar de la Torre are expected to announce two individuals to join them as a competing slate.

Rent Control Board amends regulation on security deposits, aligning with state lawmakers:

At the end of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s August 8 meeting, the board unanimously revised regulations to align with a new state law, prohibiting landlords from collecting a security deposit on an apartment above one month’s rent. Requiring two or three months of rent as a deposit has been a barrier preventing apartment hunters from finding their abodes, and California is now the 12th state in the nation to limit deposits in this manner. Elsewhere, a bill currently making its way through the state legislature would make several changes on the actual return of security deposits from landlord to renter after their tenancy, holding landlords accountable to provide evidence of repairs if a deposit is withheld.

Santa Monica Rugby Club plays with pride despite tough sevens tournament:

Following qualification for the USA Rugby National Sevens Championship for the first time in six years, the Santa Monica Rugby Club traveled to Madison, Wisconsin this month to play the best in the country. Despite not progressing beyond their group stage, the team finished two places above their seeded position and given the semi-pro standard of some of the squads they faced, it can still be considered a victory. Rugby Club President Steven Johnson said the outing was a positive and is “something to build on for next year.”

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