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INSIDE MAN ARRESTED FOR DUI AFTER 91-YEAR-OLD KILLED IN VENICE SCOOTER COLLISION
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
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Jun 4 – Jun 10, 2021 Volume XCI, Issue 96
Applications Open to Fill Vacant Santa Monica City Council Seat June 22 deadline for applications to replace outgoing Councilmember Kevin McKeown By Sam Catanzaro
The application process is now open for a vacancy that will arise when Santa Monica City Councilmember Kevin McKeown retires next week. On Wednesday June 2, City Council held a special meeting acknowledging Councilmember McKeown’s retirement while adopting a resolution declaring a vacant seat. “I very much appreciate your engagement and support over these many years. Thank you. I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me — the privilege and honor of being able to be of service to the city I deeply love,” reads McKeown’s notice of retirement. “With this letter I officially announce my retirement
from the City Council. My last day will be June 11th.” At the June 2 meeting, Council voted unanimously to open an application process that will run from June 3 to noon June 22. Councilmemeber Oscar de la Torre was not present at the virtual meeting, due to a headache. Council voted to hold a special meeting on June 29 to make an appointment from the pool of applicants. To apply for a vacant seat, visit smgov.net/councilappoint or call (310) 458-8211. If Council is unable to choose a replacement at the June 29 meeting, a special election will most likely be held. According to City Clerk Denise Anderson-Ward, LA County estimates such an election would cost $528,000 if combined with the November recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom. The funds for such a special election would come out of Santa Moncia’s general fund since the City only budgets for elections on even-numbered years. The last time Santa Monica City Council failed to fill a vacant seat by appointment
Santa Monica City Hall.
was in 1998, following the departure of Councilmember Asha Greenberg, leading to a special election that was won by nowAssemblymember Richard Bloom. Over the past three years, two Councilmembers have been appointed. Former Councilmember Ana Jara was chosen
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
to replace Tony Vacquez in 2019. In 2020 current Councilmember Kristen McKcown was appointed to replace Greg Morena. The 72-year-old McKeown–first elected to Council in 1998 and has served as Mayor twice including most recently in 2020– first McKeown, see page 4
Artists Featured For SaMo Pride Rainbow Road Art Walk Art walk displayed all month at Third Street Promenade By tImotHy mICHaEL In honor of Pride month Santa Monica Pride (SaMo Pride) will feature a Rainbow Road Art Walk from June 4th- June 30th. Beginning in 2019 The Santa Monica Pier, Downtown Santa Monica, and Santa Monica Place, in collaboration with the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Travel and Tourism organized SaMo Pride to safely celebrate Santa Monica’s inclusive and diverse spirit and raise awareness for the LGBTQIA+ community with a focus on family
friendly displays and activities. Spanning Third Street Promenade, through Santa Monica Place, and leading through the Santa Monica Pier, strollers can appreciate 13 incredible one-of-a-kind art installations by LGBTQIA+ artists throughout Pride month. The art walk is presented in partnership with Allies in Arts, a local nonprofit whose mission is to support womxn, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists who are often underrepresented in creative industries. The 13 artists and a description of their work are listed below: “Rainbows of Resilience” by artist Parisa Parnian. A technicolor, large-scale digital illustration of a fantastical PRIDE parade scene with Santa Monica as its backdrop. It is a celebration of the resilience and ability to continue to find joy that the QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Color)
communities of LA have displayed in the past year. “Chosen Family” by artist Jeromy Velasco x Yaicecream. Too often people in the LGBTQ+ community face rejection and abandonment from their biological families: chosen family can serve as an important method of survival as well as creating loving bonds. The idea of floating dance floors
over the LA skyline came originally from the sentiment that “chosen families uplift one another.” Dancefloors have always been a space for queer people to let loose and be themselves. The artists wanted to transport their traditionally SaMo Pride, see page 5
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