PACIFIC PALISADES—The LAFD reported on July 18 at 4:39 p.m. that the successfully extinguished a brush fire located at 1000 N Palisades Dr.

Firefighters arrived to find approximately one-eighth of an acre of medium brush with approximately 10 mph onshore winds. There were no structures threatened during the blaze. Crews quickly surrounded the fire with hose lines and extinguished the flames by ground attack.

There were no reported injuries during the incident. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

By Trevor

WESTWOOD—On July 21, Regency Theaters announced that they would be closing the historic Bruin theater located at 948 Broxton Avenue and the Village Theater at 961 Broxton Avenue. According to Regency Theaters the lease for both theaters will expire this Thursday, July 25th.

The Olde Bruin Theater was designed by the movie theater architect, S. Charles Lee. It opened for the first time on January 1, 1937. According to their website, the theater originally had glow-in-the-dark stencil designs. The name Bruin was chosen for the UCLA mascot, Joe Bruin.

In 1973, Mann Theaters took over the lease of the property. Then, in 2009 Mann Theaters announced that both Bruin and Westwood Village Theatre’s leases would expire. Regency took over the operation of both theaters in 2010.

The Regency Village Theater was built in 1931. It is best known for its 170-foot tower along with the neon FOX sign. Many famous movies had scenes filmed at the aged-old theater, including, but not limited to, “Batman,” “Shrek,” “Harry Potter,” and some of the James Bond films.

The presence of both theaters brought some nostalgia to the historical section of town. There is no indication that another company will be assuming the leases.

By Sharon

SHERMAN OAKS—It was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter that songwriter Jerry Fuller died at the age of 85 on July 18. Fuller died at his Sherman Oaks home and the cause of death was a battle with lung cancer, his publicist Bobbi Marcus informed The Hollywood Reporter.

Fuller crafted a ton of hits during his career which included: “Travelin’ Man” via Rickey Nelson and “Show and Tell” via Al Wilson which topped #1 on the Billboard music charts in the 1970s. “Show and Tell” sold over 3 million copies. Other hits for the songwriter included “Young Girl,” “Little Green Apples,” “Lady Willpower,” “Over You” and “I Still Long to Hold You Now and Then.”

He collaborated with musicians like Glen Campbell as well as Sam Cooke during his career, in addition to Reba McEntire and Ray Price. He established the group the Fuller Bros., with his brother Bill at the age of 11. He released his first album, “Teenage Love” in 1958. He was born in 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas. He is survived by his wife Annette, and their two kids, Adam and Anna.

By Trevor

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—On Sunday, July 21, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported at 11:22 p.m. that they extinguished a fire located at 7230 W. Franklin Avenue.

The LAFD reported Firefighters discovered fire affecting four total units of a three-story apartment building. Crews coordinated interior fire attack with roof ventilation, and all flames were extinguished in 41 minutes by a total of 56 firefighters.

Two patients were treated for smoke inhalation. Crews remained on scene for overhaul. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were no reports of any other injuries.

By Trevor

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Saturday, July 20, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department received a call of an armed robbery in process in the 1100 block of Gardner Street near the 7-11 located at 7950 Santa Monica Boulevard in WEHO.

Reports indicate that at approximately 5:40 p.m., LASD deputies arriving at the scene attempted to approach and subdue the suspect when he pulled a knife on them. The suspect was then shot by at least one officer.

The suspect was taken to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The following statement is what was posted the X social media page of the LASD West Hollywood Station.

“The suspect was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. No deputies were injured during the incident. There is no additional information available at this time.” This is an ongoing investigation.

By Sharon

BEVERLY HILLS—On Thursday, July 18, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office disclosed that Boxer Ryan Garcia has been charged with allegedly vandalizing the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in the city of Beverly Hills on June 8.

Garcia, 25, is charged with one misdemeanor count of vandalism of $400 or more in damage or destruction of property. It is further alleged that the amount of defacement, damage and destruction was $400 or more. He is expected to be arraigned on August 7 in Dept. 72 of the Airport Courthouse.

Garcia started boxing at the age of seven and won his first professional fight at the age of 17 against Edgar Meza with a TKO. He was expelled from the World Boxing Council in July 2024 after using racial slurs against African Americans and making remarks about Muslims via a social media live video. He holds a record of 20 boxing wins via knockout, and one loss via a knockout against Gervonta Davis.

On June 8, Garcia allegedly damaged and destroyed property at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. He was accused by staff of causing more than $15,000 in damage at the establishment.

A second individual, Celeste Cardio, was arrested following the incident. Cardio’s case was declined to be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.

If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of one year in county jail. The case was investigated by the Beverly Hills Police Department.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Friday, July 19, the city of Santa Monica posted on its Facebook page that two hotel projects have been approved to move forward on development. The Miramar Hotel and the Ocean Avenue Hotel Project, are moving forward that is aimed to bring economic growth and cultural vitality.

The Miramar Hotel will undergo a redesign featuring 301 rooms, 60 condos, public gardens and affordable housing, banquet facilities, retail space and a spa and will also incorporate new areas for public access and enjoyment, including 14,000 square feet of Public Garden Terraces, with programmed events, public art, and new food and beverage offerings. The Architectural Review Board signed off on the project design this month and the next step is a public hearing at the Landmarks Commission later this year.

The Ocean Avenue Hotel is a mixed-use hotel, residential and cultural uses campus designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The project includes a 120-room hotel, 100 residential rental units, 25 percent of which will be deed-restricted affordable units, a 34,000 square foot cultural uses campus and a publicly-accessible observation deck. It is set to go before the Architectural Review Board later this year.

The redevelopment of the Miramar Hotel will take the next steps forward with the city of Santa Moncia Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Commission reviewing the design this summer and fall.

At the end of May, world-renowned design team Pelli Clarke Partners submitted the Design Review Application for the renovation of the Miramar hotel complex, which will build on the historic identity of the property to revitalize this key site at the northern end of the downtown.

It will also provide significant community benefits, including 42 units of vital new affordable housing, new union construction and hotel jobs and significant new annual revenues for the city’s general fund.

The city’s Architectural Review Board, or ARB, reviewed the project at its July 15 meeting and made a unanimous positive recommendation to support the final project design. The Board appreciated the way the design has progressed since the City Council approved the development agreement in 2020 and commended the design team for its commitment to integrating historic preservation principles with high-caliber architecture and an outstanding landscape plan for the 4.5-acre site.

Next, the Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing for the application, anticipated for the fall, with special attention paid to ensuring protection of the Landmark Moreton Bay Fig Tree and the Landmark Palisades Building. The project Development Agreement was approved by the Santa Monica City Council in September 2020 and by the California Coastal Commission in March 2022.

The Ocean Avenue Hotel Project is the name given to Worthe Real Estate Group’s mixed-use hotel, residential and cultural uses campus designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.

The Ocean Avenue Project Development Agreement was approved by the city in July 2022 and by the California Coastal Commission in December 2023. The project was negotiated based on community-identified priorities that were gathered through an extensive community engagement and city review process.

In January 2024, the city’s Landmarks Commission conducted and approved the design of the museum campus, including the treatment of two city-designated historic Landmark buildings. The Architectural Review Board’s public hearing to review the remainder of the project site is set to be scheduled later this year.

By Trevor

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On July 15, the city of West Hollywood disclosed that the nomination period for candidates running for the West Hollywood City Council opened on Monday, July 15 at 8 a.m. The deadline for filing nomination papers is Friday, August 9 at 5 p.m. pursuant to the State Elections Code.

West Hollywood residents who are interested in running for City Council should contact the City Clerk’s office to schedule an appointment to receive nomination papers and to review the requirements and deadlines for becoming an official candidate.

The City Council candidate nomination process requires a potential candidate to gather between 20 and 30 signatures by voters registered in West Hollywood. Potential candidates must be at least 18 years old, residents of West Hollywood, and registered voters within the city.

There are two West Hollywood City Council seats that will be decided in the upcoming General Municipal Election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 5. West Hollywood Councilmembers each serve for a term of four years and are elected at large. Each year, City Councilmembers select one of their members to serve as Mayor for a year, with the term beginning after the City Council reorganization, which occurs once every year.

West Hollywood’s elections page, www.weho.org/elections, provides detailed election information and links to the California Secretary of State’s Voter Registration page, the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder’s website, and specific links for polling places and sample ballots.

For more details or to schedule an appointment to receive nomination papers, and to review the requirements and deadlines for becoming an official candidate contact the West Hollywood’s City Clerk’s Office at (323) 848-6409 or send an e-mail message to Alyssa Poblador at apoblador@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call TTY (323) 848-6496.

By Trevor

MALIBU—On July 17, the annual Heal the Bay report card was issuing grades for area beaches, some of which received failing grades. The grades are based on water quality. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has warned the public multiple times in recent months to no avail. Some of our area beaches are still receiving failing grades.

Malibu Beach in the area situated at the breach point of Malibu Lagoon on Malibu State Beach received the failing grade of an “F.” The City of Los Angeles Environmental Department monitors this beach. Know before you go. Checking the water quality of your favorite area beach may be found by searching, Beach Report Card by Nowcast.


Topanga Beach at Topanga Canyon received a failing grade of an F

Santa Monica Beach at the Peir received an F

Castlerock Beach, at the drain, F

Puerco State Beach, at Marie Canyon, D

Marina Del Rey, D

Mother’s Beach, between the tower and the boat launch, D

Mother’s Beach, at the Lifeguard Tower, B

Los Flores State Beach, at Los Flores Creek, A

Will Rogers State Park, passes with flying colors, receiving an A+

Tuna Beach in Malibu, A+

Big Rock Beach, 19948 PCH, A+

Venice City Beach, A+


U.S. News and World Report lists Malibu beaches as #8 on their 2024 report of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. What is not reported is that, while the utter beauty of the beaches is captivating and very inviting,  dangerous bacteria are lurking in the waters underneath.

“This famously beautiful coastal destination west of Santa Monica offers an array of sandy shorelines worth exploring. Zuma Beach extends for nearly 2 miles and features strong surfing waves and whale-watching opportunities.

Meanwhile, Surfrider Beach is one of the most popular spots for surfing and is conveniently located near the Malibu Pier. Just north of Zuma, El Matador State Beach offers striking views of cliff formations. Point Dume State Beach is also a worthwhile stop; if you’re in the area, hike the short trail at the Point Dume Nature Preserve for picture-perfect vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains.”—US News and World Report

On July 21, Malibu Community Services sent out a series of posts on the X social media site encouraging the public to take care of their beaches.

“Earth Friendly Management—The city of Malibu is committed to protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources for future generations. The EFMP focuses on preventative practices, education, and enrichment strategies.

Summer is here! The city encourages safe and responsible use of all public beaches, ensuring that residents and visitors can enjoy the beautiful coastline while adhering to safety guidelines….” The city has links listed on their X social media page to access the suggested guidelines.

By Sharon

MALIBU—On Sunday, July 21, the city of Malibu posted on its Facebook page details pertaining to access to public beaches in the region.

The city of Malibu is encouraging safe and responsible use of all public beaches, ensuring that residents and visitors can enjoy the beautiful coastline while adhering to guidelines that protect both people and the environment.

There are several fully publicly accessible beaches in Malibu that have public parking lots, bathrooms, and staffed lifeguard towers, including Malibu Surfrider, Westward Beach, and Zuma Beach.

In addition, there are various public access paths to beaches that are between homes, where there are no bathrooms, trash containers or lifeguards. The California Coastal Commission website offers a map showing 18 different public access paths in Malibu: https://www.coastal.ca.gov/access/malibuguide2010.pdf.

When using such beach access paths:

• For safety, whenever possible, park on the ocean side to avoid crossing PCH on foot.
• Stay on the path and off of private property (the public beach area generally begins at the mean high tide line, or where the sand is wet).
• Dogs, alcohol and fires are prohibited.
• Do not leave trash or human waste on the beach.
• Be respectful of residents – keep noise to a minimum.
• There are no lifeguards on duty – beachgoers are responsible for their own safety.

By Trevor