By Krista Schwimmer There is a storm brewing in Venice, blown in by the winds of change. Some say these winds originated from a statement made in Gentleman’s Quarterly, calling Abbot Kinney Boulevard the coolest street in the United States. Some say these winds arose when the titan, Google, landed in town. Wherever they come...

By Holly Mosher On December 18 I attended my first ever Land and Planning Use Meeting in Venice. I was there because I had heard about the proposed hotel that developers want to put up directly across the street from Westminster Elementary School on Abbot Kinney.  When I realized that the hotel I’d been hearing...

Dear Pardee Properties: Please stop tearing down  beautiful craftsman homes and putting up these monster structures that cut off our sunshine,air and beach breezes. Think about where you live and if you would like a huge structure to be built and cut off the light and air for you. I ask you, if this is...

By Brian Connolly I ran up the sidewalk to the Starbucks on Navy & Main near Venice Beach, California. It was still dark out at 6:10 AM, but I had to get to my new job with the Salvation Army. I’d been sleeping on the sidewalk nearby for the last few months, homeless. I’d lost...

By Laura Shepard Townsend On December 11th, 2013, L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin stated in a letter to the Venice Neighborhood Council that he is authorizing a voluntary storage program for those participating in the emergency winter shelter program I would say it is about time since up to now all unattended belongings have been...

By Laura Silagi The latest is that the city of Santa Monica is suing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish the city’s right to control the future use of the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) property after the 1984 agreement with the FAA is terminated in July of 2015. The lawsuit, filed in federal court...

By Rene Kraus My buddies and I have been meeting every morning at the local coffee house, from what I can remember, since the mid 90s. It’s a good way to start your day. Most of the time we  discuss world affairs for 20 minutes a pop, before we move on to one of  the...

By Timothy Trygg Municipal code LAMC 42.15 was established to stop the selling of commercial items on Ocean Front Walk (OFW) so that there would be more space for the artists and the stores would have less competition. Venice has been known for its free speech zones, musicians, jewelry makers/wire wrappers for years. Since the...

By Peggy Lee Kennedy There has been an upsurge of homeless deaths reported this winter, especially with the recent cold snap we had in November and December.  There should be distress and horror regarding this happening here in Los Angeles, but not surprise. Los Angeles has for years carried the shame of being the Homeless...

Suffer By Ronald McKinley Am I to hurt all the time? The beginning and ending. Is it an unchecked line? One point leading to another. Why is it so? No magic elixir to cure me. No thought or process to find me. Some idea to trick me. This unpleasant moodful thing. Held together by need...