January 17, 2026
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SMa.r.t.- Sustainability: Who Carries the Load? Pt. 2

In last week’s article we reviewed Santa Monica’s water supply, and mentioned that the total residential sector has shown the greatest decrease in water usage. From 2005 to 2013 residential water usage dropped 6 percent […]

A Problem For Needed Bail System Changes

By Thomas D. Elias There are plenty of problems with the kind of one-party government California now has, with every statewide office in the hands of Democrats, who also hold two-thirds majorities in both houses […]

Steve Stajich, Columnist

Is Decorum Finally Dead?

By Steve Stajich Concern about the decay of civility and decorum are cyclical, coming with each new seeming violation of propriety, etiquette, and taste. Sometimes a quaint souvenir of past struggles remains, such as parental […]

Thomas B. Elias, Columnist

Newsom: Spread the Wealth a Basic Belief

By Tom Elias Gavin Newsom has a reported net worth of more than $10 million, an ownership interest in more than a dozen businesses from wineries to hotels and a steadfast, almost lifelong friendship with […]

At the Movies Film Review: Lady Macbeth

By Beverly Cohn Beginning with a fascinating screenplay by Alice Birch and pitch perfect direction by William Oldroyd, this is not Shakespeare’s 16th Century Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is considered one of the most powerful […]

SMa.r.t.- Sustainability: Who Carries the Load?

Part 1. A couple of years back, a SMa.r.t. column on sustainability compared the City of Santa Monica’s residential and commercial sectors’ progress towards the City’s sustainability goals. Initially, it appeared that the residential sector […]

Boy Scouts Is Not an Anachronism

 By Steve Stajich   Santa Monica has a proud heritage of producing Eagle Scouts. As recently as June of this year, Santa Monica’s Troop 2 saw four local teen agers receive the highest rank one […]

Mirror columnist Barbara Bishop.

Good Taste: Art That Speaks to Me

By Barbara Bishop I’m really excited. I just bought my first piece of original art for my new home. And for me, it was from the most unlikely place. But it was really the perfect […]

SMa.r.t. (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow). Thane Roberts AIA, Architect, Robert H. Taylor AIA, Mario Fonda-Bonardi AIA, Daniel Jansenson Architect, Samuel Tolkin AIA, Phil Brock, Santa Monica Arts Commission.

SMa.r.t.-Urban Thinkers and their Words, Part 2

Continuing last week’s article, this week we present additional quotes from architects, designers, and philosophers who have thought deeply about the city environment. “City life is not the only environmental option; a regional solution can […]