S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
July 8 – July 14, 2022 Volume CXLVIII, Issue 152
INSIDE
Santa Monica City Council Approves Ballot Measure That Would Increase Hotel Bed Tax
PAGE 4
Santa Monica City Council Looking Into Using Beachfront Land for Homeless Veterans Council votes to review title of 1888 deed of land just north of Jonathan Club BY DOLORES QUINTANA Santa Monica City Council recently voted to look into providing services for homeless veterans on a beachfront lot next to an exclusive private beach club. On June 28, the Santa Monica City Council voted on a motion proposed by Councilmembers Oscar de la Torre, Phil Brock and Christine Parra to allocate $10,000 to the City Attorney to pay for a title review on the deed of March 3, 1888, by Arcadia Bandini de Baker. De Baker, who was central development of Santa Monica, granted the property just to the north of the Jonathan Club, “specifically and permanently for the healing and enjoyment of disabled veterans of the United States,” according to the motion. The three councilmembers want to “ensure that land and funds promised to support veterans actually reach the intended recipients.” The property, located at 772-798 Pacific Coast Highway, is currently being used a City-operated parking lot and playground. If the title is found to have been fully and properly executed by de Baker in 1888, the
motion’s language calls for informing the State of California of this. “A municipality that was, against the language of the Deed, allowed to control this beachfront property by the State of California, that also violates the Deed, must do the legal, moral, and ethical thing and, like the City of Manhattan Beach, acknowledge the deed exists and inform the State of California that this is land with the specific purpose to having a ‘pavilion and a beach-house’ for the ‘residents’ of the “’home’ (WLA),” the motion reads, referring to the 525 acres of land where the West Los Angeles Healthcare Campus now stands donated by de Baker and Senator John P. Jones. “America’s moral obligation to genuinely care for her defenders belongs here, permanently, and the beachfront property is an integral part of the vision to keep that obligation alive.” During the City Council meeting, a number of veterans gave public comments on the issue. Francisco Juarez likened the situation to the recent case where the city council of Manhattan Beach voted to return Bruce’s Beach to the rightful heirs of Willa and Charles Bruce after the land was stolen from them through the exercise of eminent domain. He stated that because of the Bruce’s Beach precedent, the active National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers veteran declares that the beachfront property under discussion exists specifically, permanently and exclusively for the enjoyment of disabled veterans. He called upon the City of Santa Monica to exercise its
The parking lot and playground at 772-798 Pacific Coast Highway.
“ethical integrity” to acknowledge the deed’s terms, conditions, spirit and intent of this “veteran beachfront property.” Veteran Rob Reynolds, who helped get homeless veterans inside the West Los Angeles Healthcare VA Campus, spoke about how de Baker had a vision when donating the
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
land in 1888. “She donated land in West Los Angeles and she donated land in Santa Monica to be a home for veterans and a place to help them heal when they come back from combat. It’s
Homeless Veterans, see page 7
VP Kamala Harris Visits Santa Monica Fire Station Vice President and husband Doug Emhoff stop by Santa Monica Fire Station #2 on Monday BY SAM CATANZARO Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff visited a Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) station on the Fourth of July. On Monday afternoon around 1 p.m., Harris arrived via motorcade at Santa Monica Fire Station #2, located at 222 Hollister Avenue. Harris and Emhoff spoke to 14 firefighters for around seven minutes and then posed for a photo with them. Harris then addressed the deadly shooting at a July Fourth parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.
“So the president and I have been in close coordination and we are being briefed on what’s happening right now in terms of the active shooter situation. We are sending federal resources to local law enforcement folks on the ground to make sure that we can help them in terms of the capture of the shooter and any investigation that will follow,” Harris said. “I am going to travel to Chicago tomorrow morning to address the National Association of Educators NEA...And I was just sharing with some of our heroes, our local firefighters that part of what I’m preparing, sadly I was preparing it before — it’s resonant every day — is a whole section on what our teachers go through. They go to school to learn how to teach our children to inspire their ambition to create the future generations of leaders and our teachers are also in training to deal with an active shooter.” Harris also talked about supporting local firefighters. “We’ve had to be evacuated a couple of times. I’m a California kid where you
Photo: Facebook (Gage Skidmore)
know about drought and what that means. And the climate crisis and what that means in terms of creating an environment that is hazardous. Particularly for you, who are on the front line,” she said.
Harris, who was in town for six days at her Brentwood home, was set to speak in Chicago on Tuesday at the National Education Association 2022 Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly.