SANTA MONICA—On Friday, May 3, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced a settlement was reached with Thrive Market Technologies, Inc., an e-commerce membership-based retailer offering natural and organic food products. The company is expected to pay $1.55 million to settle a civil lawsuit alleging it violated the California Automatic Renewal Law and False Advertisement Law.

State law prohibits companies from automatically renewing consumers’ subscriptions without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the subscription terms or without their affirmative consent. State law also prohibits companies from displaying a price that suggests a discount or a deal without support.

Under a judgment negotiated with the company entered on April 30 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court and signed by Judge Colleen K. Sterne, the company was additionally ordered to comply with the following terms:

-Clearly and conspicuously disclose its automatic renewal terms;

-Obtain consumers’ affirmative consent to the terms through a checkbox before charging for an automatic renewal subscription;

-Email consumers a confirmation of the transaction that includes the automatic renewal terms after they pay;

-Allow consumers to cancel their subscription online at will; and

-Avoid making misleading statements regarding its subscription and products.

The company did not admit any wrongdoing. They were cooperative in the investigation and has taken steps to correct the violations.

The case was investigated by the California Automatic Renewal Task Force (CART). The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office formed CART to address rising consumer complaints against online automatic renewal subscriptions. In addition to LADA, CART includes the district attorneys’ offices of Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office.

By Trevor

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—On Sunday, May 5, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call of down wires in the Hollywood region. At 2:05 p.m., the LAFD responded to 1086 N. St. Andrews Place where scaffolding (approximately 4 – 5 stories tall) was swept outward from the building by wind and was resting on wires on the north side of Santa Monica Boulevard.

The LAFD Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) specialists are on scene assessing the situation. Firefighters were keeping pedestrians and motorists out of the area due to the unstable scaffolding, which was not occupied. Motorists were advised to avoid the region as officials dealt with the downed wires. Santa Monica Boulevard would be closed between Wilton and Western Avenues. There were no reports of any injuries.

By Trevor

BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, May 1, the Beverly Hills Police Department announced the start of Bicycle Safety Month. May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and the BHPD is encouraging everyone to get active and safely take bike rides while reminding drivers to be on the lookout for more people biking and walking.

“Everyone deserves to reach their destination safely,” Police Chief Mark G. Stainbrook said. “Unfortunately, there has been an increase in bicycle fatalities and injuries over the last few years. Bicyclists do not have the same protections as people in a vehicle, so if you see a bicyclist — slow down.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 1,105 people killed while riding a bike in 2022, and an estimated 46,195 bicyclists were injured. In 2021, 976 bicyclists were killed (a 1.9 percent increase from 2020), and an estimated 41,615 bicyclists were injured (a 7 percent increase from 2020).

In an effort to keep those biking and walking safe, the Police Department will conduct a traffic safety operation on Tuesday, May 21, focused on driver behaviors that put bicyclists and pedestrians at risk, such as speeding, making illegal turns, failure to yield the right of way, and running stop signs or red lights.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

By Trevor

BEVERLY HILLS—On Saturday, May 11, the city of Beverly Hills will host Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. The event will transpire from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Beverly Hills Fire Department Station #2 located at 1100 Coldwater Canyon. The event is free for the public to attend.

Participants can receive education material and handouts regarding vegetation maintenance, home hardening, fuel modification, and emergency planning.

The city of Beverly Hills indicates on its website that catastrophic brush fires are happening at an increasing rate in the state and across the country. The many hillside communities within Los Angeles are under threat of devastating wildfire. As this risk increases, it is important to plan, prepare, and stay aware.

The “Ready, Set, Go!” program is designed to walk individuals through the steps to take to ensure they are prepared in the case of an approaching wildfire.

Being “Ready” for wildfire starts with maintaining adequate vegetation clearance/maintenance around your home. By following the Beverly Hills Brush Maintenance Program, residents can create an area around their home that is free of dead, dry, and hazardous vegetation. Without this vegetation maintenance, the fire will quickly spread throughout the property and to your home and there is little that can be done to defend it.

In addition to the Brush Clearance Program, individuals can harden the home by using fire-resistant building materials. Flying embers from a wildfire can destroy homes up to a mile away. Individuals should prepare for the possibility of evacuation before the need arrives as a result of a wildfire.

Stay informed by following local media and your Beverly Hills Nixle Alerts via text to BEVHILLS to 888777 to receive text message alerts.

By Trevor

WESTWOOD—On Tuesday, April 30, at approximately 10:45 p.m., the tension at the University of California (UCLA) campus escalated. Pro-Palestine protesters and counter protesters broke out into a brawl. A Pro-Israel group also stood in sodality. Fighting, fireworks, and pepper spray were used in what administrators had earlier suggested would be a peaceful protest. Police reportedly were briefly on the scene Tuesday night and then left the student-led demonstrations to their own devices.

On the afternoon of April 30, UCLA President Caroline Folt spoke to those who had established a Palestine Solidarity Encampment on the UCLA campus. Before the demonstrations escalated to violence, Folt demanded that protesters disband immediately, forewarning students who continued their demonstrations could face expulsion.

According to UCLA spokesperson and Chancellor for Strategic Communications, Mary Osako, indicated that the protesters remained peaceful until Sunday.

On Tuesday, April 30, Osako made the following statement:

“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid and support. We are sickened by this senseless violence, and it must end.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom remains under scrutiny for ignoring the ongoing violence. Newsom first told KNBC that he and other state officials were “working with,” UCLA trustees.” Newsom cited the students right to protest saying, “We want to maintain the right to protest without hate.”

Reminder, UCLA’s main commencement ceremony has been canceled. Canyon News reported on April 26, that the UCLA 2024 main commencement ceremony has been canceled due to the extreme safety measures in place following the Gaza War Pro-Palestine protests happening on campuses nationwide. USC will not be able to manage the crowd as graduation ceremonies at UCLA have the potential to draw crowds of 65,000 or better.

By Sharon

BEVERLY HILLS—The city of Beverly Hills will be hosting its Building Safety Event as part of Building Safety Month. The event will take place on May 22.

The Building Safety Event, ‘Mission Impossible 2024’ will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public will be able to discover services available, participate in Q&A sessions, enjoy refreshments, and win prizes.

The public will get the opportunity to connect with Plan Review Engineers, Building Inspectors, other Building and Safety experts and Beverly Hills’ Building Official.

May is Building Safety Month, and the opportunity to highlight the importance of keeping the City of Beverly Hills safe. Building Safety Month is an international campaign celebrated in May to raise awareness about building safety. For more than 43 years, Building Safety Month reinforced the need for the adoption of modern, regularly-updated building codes, and helps individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures.

It will be held at the Beverly Hills City Hall – Municipal Gallery located at 455 N. Rexford Drive on the Second Floor.

By Trevor

MALIBU—The city of Malibu disclosed on its website that crews are currently working between Big Rock and just north of Las Flores with one north lane closed, needed as three separate crews are working on site (utility investigation/boring operations/fiber installation), as part of the Traffic Signal Synchronization Project on Pacific Coast Highway.

Crews were unable to implement the alternate traffic control (shifting the lanes to the center to keep two lanes open) due to safety reasons, existing infrastructure, and specific locations of ongoing work.

The goal of the project is to synchronize all the traffic signals along an approximately eight-mile section of PCH, between John Tyler Drive and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Improvements will include new closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras at each intersection, replace existing signal poles with new signal poles, street improvements and ADA upgrades, ATCS sensors, and changeable message signs. Mid-block sensors will enable Caltrans to monitor traffic flow and speed, then remotely adjust signal timing in the moment.

As of January 25, in response to community concerns, the City of Malibu Public Works Department has adjusted traffic management plan on the PCH Traffic Signal Synchronization project. The new plan aims to enhance traffic flow while balancing project timelines. The revised measures will allow two lanes of traffic in each direction by shifting one travel lane into the center median, when and where possible. The adjustment is designed to address congestion issues, while maintaining production and safety levels for the construction workers and motorists.

Motorists can expect delays during the week between 6 a.m. through 3 p.m. with alternating lane closures in both directions, mostly on the right-hand lanes. The project is on track for completion as planned by the end of 2024. Summer work hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day) will be Monday through Friday 7 a.m. through 4 p.m., with some nighttime work.

The project will make PCH a safer “Smart Corridor” by installing communication lines between the existing traffic signals on PCH from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to John Tyler Drive to synchronize the signals to existing traffic conditions. It will allow signals to be controlled remotely by the Caltrans Traffic Management Center to lower traffic speeds and reduce congestion.

The new equipment will capture real-time traffic data and send it to the traffic signal controllers, which will use state-of-the art software to adjust the traffic signal timing to actual traffic volume. Vehicles going the speed over the speed limit will encounter red lights, while those going the speed limit will encounter green lights. The project will also include new closed circuit TV cameras at each intersection, replace existing signal poles, street improvements and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades, Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS) sensors, and changeable message signs.

According to CalTrans, PCH at Malibu Canyon Road handles roughly 4,600 cars per hour, or approximately 40,500 vehicles per day during peak hours in the summer months. About 1,215,000 vehicles pass through Malibu on PCH every month during the summer.

The $34.6 million project is fully funded through Measure R funds administered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and is expected to take about one year to complete.

Residents can expect noise, lights, vibrations, and dust related to the work. Watch for workers and work vehicles in and around the roadway and altered traffic patterns. Under California law, traffic citations are doubled in construction zones.

For more information, visit the project webpage. The project is funded by Measure R Highway Operational improvements.

By Trevor

WESTWOOD—Demonstrations in Royce Quad on the UCLA campus in Westwood turned violent on Tuesday, April 30. Protestors in support of Palestine clashed with counter-protestors during the nighttime hours on Tuesday that resulted in the Los Angeles Police Department being called to the campus.

Counter-protestors arrived on campus with loud-speakers shortly after 10 p.m. Individuals were seen being beaten and plywood boards were used to attack each other.

Independent Journalist Anthony Cabassa who was on the UCLA campus, posted the following statement on X:

“UCLA UPDATE 🚨: Still ZERO law enforcement present, dozens of people needing medical assistance, and this man appears to be bleeding profusely from his right arm. Security ordered to stand down, no LAPD presence. A Jewish woman said multiple men assaulted her, no security help.”

Individuals were maced during the incident, and a barricade separating those in support of Palestine and those supporting Israel was destroyed. Video on social media showed fireworks being setoff against the groups on Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning.

UCLA cancelled classes Wednesday as a result of the violence that transpired Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Protestors were threatened by officers from the LAPD who arrived in Swat Gear to disperse or face arrest.

Chancellor Gene D. Block from the UCLA released the following statement on April 30:

“This past Thursday [April 25], a group of demonstrators — both members of the UCLA community and others unaffiliated with our campus — established an unauthorized physical encampment on part of Royce Quad, joining those who have set up similar presences at universities around the country.

Many of the demonstrators, as well as counter-demonstrators who have come to the area, have been peaceful in their activism. But the tactics of others have frankly been shocking and shameful. We have seen instances of violence completely at odds with our values as an institution dedicated to respect and mutual understanding. In other cases, students on their way to class have been physically blocked from accessing parts of the campus.

UCLA supports peaceful protest, but not activism that harms our ability to carry out our academic mission and makes people in our community feel bullied, threatened and afraid. These incidents have put many on our campus, especially our Jewish students, in a state of anxiety and fear.

In response, we’ve taken several immediate actions. We have significantly increased our security presence in the area, including adding greater numbers of law enforcement officers, safety personnel and student affairs mitigators. We have also engaged law enforcement to investigate the recent acts of violence.

The barriers that demonstrators used to block access to buildings have been removed, and we have staff located around Royce Quad to help ensure that they will not go up again. With regard to these incidents, our student conduct process has been initiated, and could lead to disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion.

We continue to encourage anyone who experiences discrimination to report it to our Civil Rights Office. If you feel you are in danger, contact UCPD.

I recognize that the suffering in the Middle East has had a profound impact on our campus, and we continue to hope for a peaceful resolution. While Bruins hold a variety of perspectives on this conflict, we must all protect the wellbeing of our peers and maintain an environment safe for learning. This is a commitment I call on our community to uphold as we navigate the weeks ahead.”

Mara Vaill posted on Facebook, “UCLA, this is reprehensible behavior. Every one of the student protesters should be expelled. No return on tuition. No coming back. They are breaking campus rules. I will never donate to UCLA ever again. It’s sad too because UniCamp was such a happy childhood memory for me.”

In New York, at Columbia University, authorities arrested over 100 people who broke into Hamilton Hall and refused to come out after creating a tent encampment in protest of the war in Gaza. Officers with the New York Police Department arrived on campus after 9 p.m. on April 30 and announced Hamilton Hall was clear almost two hours later.

Graduation is scheduled for Columbia University on May 15, and authorities have been asked to stay around campus until May 17. Students were asked to shelter-in place as a result of the protests on campus in recent weeks. Tons of furniture inside of Hamilton Hall was damaged during the melee.

Protests have also taken place on college campus Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California, the University of Arizona-Tucson and the University of Utah to name a few.

Many college graduation ceremonies across the U.S. have been cancelled at several universities as a result of the protests and violence on campuses.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On April 29, the Executive Director of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCOSM) Tara Barauskas, announced that on Friday, April 26, they broke ground on Santa Monica’s newest affordable housing development, Berkeley Station.

The 13-unit facility is expected to house Santa Monica residents who are of modest means, veterans, and at-risk young adults aging out of foster care.

According to Barauskas, “Berkeley Station is an exciting, innovative project and represents two firsts for us, our first development specifically for vulnerable youth as well as our first modular development (made in a factory). This is a great example of the type of housing that needs to be built to help alleviate Santa Monica’s affordable housing crisis.”

The City of Santa Monica and the CCOSM are partnering on this project. Community leaders present at Friday’s groundbreaking include Santa Monica Councilmembers, Democratic Caucus Chair, and Santa Monica Assemblymember, Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood-51st District).

Chavez Zbur made the following statement, the full text of which may be seen on his website:

“One of the most cost-effective and compassionate ways of reducing the number of Californians experiencing homelessness is to empower people to stay in their homes.

Chavez Zbur jointly co-authored The California Security Act, AB 2498 with Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-La Palma).

“AB 2498 would create a statewide housing subsidy program to allow some of our most vulnerable people to remain ‘housed,’ while experiencing challenging and often life-altering circumstances. I’d like to thank Assemblymember Quirk-Silva for her leadership in prioritizing homelessness prevention and for her commitment to addressing the housing and homelessness crisis with real solutions,” Chavez Zbur continued.

The following came directly from the press release, the full text of which is posted on the City of Santa Monica webpage:

“Santa Monica continues to be a leader in finding innovative, sustainable, and compassionate ways to address the homelessness and housing crisis,” said Phil Brock, mayor of Santa Monica. “It is so important that our transition-age youth and low-income families have a safe and stable place to live, and Berkeley Station will provide these households with that secure foundation so they can thrive.”

“Berkeley Station is a model of the type of affordable housing we need to be building across California,” said Sen. Ben Allen, (D-Santa Monica). “I want to recognize and thank Community Corporation for its commitment to the most vulnerable here in our community.”

“We are extremely excited to work with Community Corporation of Santa Monica on their first prefabricated development,” said Steve Glenn, founder and CEO of Plant Prefab. “Berkeley Station will be built at our new factory in Tejon Ranch utilizing techniques that offer a more sustainable and time and cost-efficient way to create affordable, temporary, and transitional housing.”

Berkeley Station was reportedly designed to meet LEED Gold Standards with the amenities including a community garden, laundry facilities, a rooftop deck, a community room, Energy Star appliances, and solar panels.

By Sharon

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) will conduct a Bike & Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation with focused enforcement efforts on primary collision factors involving motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists on Friday, May 3.

The SMPD identifies locations where pedestrian and bike collisions are prevalent, along with the violations that led to those collisions. Traffic officers will be on duty patrolling areas where bike and pedestrian traffic and collisions occur in an effort to decrease deaths and injuries. Officers will be looking for violations committed by drivers, bike riders and pedestrians alike that can lead to life-changing injuries. These violations include speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to bicyclists or pedestrians, or failing to stop for signs and signals.

These extra enforcement efforts will take place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“We all have places to be and not everyone gets there by car. Bicyclists and pedestrians have the same rights to the road but face even more risk without the protections vehicles have. We should all be looking out for one another,” the SMPD said in a statement.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

By Trevor