Welcome to The Santa Monica Star

For years, The Santa Monica Star has been a trusted voice on the Westside – connecting neighbors, celebrating local stories, and fostering meaningful relationships throughout the community. Published monthly in both print and e-newsletter formats, The Santa Monica Star is thoughtfully distributed where life happens – banks, restaurants, medical offices, schools, boutiques, and gathering places across Santa Monica, now extending into Mar Vista and West Los Angeles. Each issue shines a spotlight on the people and businesses that define the area, highlighting our local “celebrities” alongside vibrant coverage of community events. The Santa Monica Star is a platform for connection – helping businesses reach engaged local audiences while keeping the spirit of the Westside front and center.

Our July Featured Articles

Enjoying A Perfect Beach Day on the Santa Monica Bay

Families having fun together create many Summer memories.

By Richard Lombari

Sometimes it takes losing something to appreciate it. Despite living near some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I recently realized I had not spent a full day at the beach in several years. Between the Pacific Palisades Fire, rebuilding our home, work, volunteer commitments, and life’s endless responsibilities, beach days had quietly disappeared from my calendar. Last weekend, that changed.
Julia and I joined my oldest daughter, her husband visiting from Seattle, several of their local friends, my five-year-old granddaughter Aurora, and my infant grandson for what turned out to be one of those rare Southern California days that reminds you exactly why so many people dream of living here.
The day began with breakfast burritos from Country Kitchen in Malibu. Armed with coffee, breakfast, beach chairs, umbrellas, and enough supplies to comfortably support three generations, we headed toward the sand.

You’re Only 100 Once: Celebrating an Artist Who Worked On Iconic Movie & Broadway Posters, Books, and More

By Mark Stubis

Film poster created by Talivaldis Stubis from his large collection. Read his story by his son, Mark Stubis

To celebrate the opening of Santa Monica’s seventh community garden, a block party will be held on 19th Street between Delaware and Pico on June 14,  from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is open to all and will have activities for all ages.
This garden is not only for the community, but designed by the community. The 8,000-square- foot property that the garden now occupies sat vacant for over 20 years. In 2023, the Community Garden Program began holding meetings with neighbors of the property to create a vision for a garden in the space. Over the last few years, numerous workshops were held where participants worked on designing the space. Now, in 2026, the construction of the garden space is complete, and the block party is being held as the official opening of the garden to the public.

Before You Float, Know Boating Safety
in the Santa Monica Bay

By Tim Kiser,
Flotilla 12-42, U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the waves of Santa Monica Bay. With its beautiful landscapes and rich colors, it seems idyllic for all forms of marine activity. However, there are facts you should know before taking to the waves. You do not want to be caught off guard as the westerly winds pick up, a sleeper wave surprises you, or an overcast mist moves across the bay. Be prepared before your float.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will prepare you with the information and material needed to ensure recreational boating safety. The Coast Guard Auxiliary’s foundational goal is to prevent accidents and save lives on the water by offering free, voluntary Vessel Exams; Public Education courses on boating safety, navigation, and water sports; and Marine Dealer Visits, which provide safety literature and regulation information. The USCGA website has downloadable float plans, safety gear requirements, navigation aids, and boating courses.

What’s Coming Up at the Santa Monica History Museum?

By Anne Wallentine

Here are some upcoming events at the Santa Monica History Museum for you to discover.
Santa Monica’s history is all around us – from the trees that shade our streets to the foods and traditions that connect generations of families. The Santa Monica History Museum preserves and shares these stories through exhibitions, programs, and events.
This Summer, visitors can explore our current exhibitions, Roots and Branches: A Tree’s View of Santa Monica and Food & Family: African American and Intercultural Traditions, as well as the wide range of stories in our permanent galleries. You can also attend talks by community leaders and historians to discover new perspectives on the city’s past.

By Cheryl Thode

As our nation celebrates its 250th birthday this July, families across the country will gather for fireworks, parades, backyard barbecues, and community celebrations. Children will wave flags, marvel at the fireworks overhead, and perhaps learn a little about the history that brought us to this moment.
Milestone anniversaries naturally invite us to look back. We remember the people, ideas, and sacrifices that shaped our nation over the past two-and-a-half centuries. But, they also invite us to look forward and consider what kind of country we hope to leave for future generations.

 Aging in Place 101: How to Stay Independent

By Tim Petlin

Think of this as an introductory course in one of the most important subjects facing older adults and their families: staying safely and comfortably at home as the years go by.
• Why Aging in Place Matters:
Nearly 90% of adults over age 65 want to remain in their own homes as they age. The challenge is that most homes were not designed with mobility limitations in mind. A few changes made now can help prevent injuries and delay or eliminate the need to move later.
• The Bathroom: Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults, and bathrooms are a common trouble spot.
-Install grab bars beside the toilet and inside the shower or tub. Make sure they are securely anchored to wall studs. Consider a walk-in shower or, if remodeling isn’t practical, a tub transfer bench.
-Replace loose rugs with non-slip mats or textured flooring, and consider a raised toilet seat or comfort-height toilet to make sitting and standing easier.

When Sisterly Love Turns into Fond Memories

 By Qin Sun Stubis

Every time I pack for traveling, either for a short overnight stay or a long overseas trip, there is always a fear in the back of my head that I have forgotten something: Have I taken everything I need? How about something essential like pajamas? I did once forget to take sleepwear for myself.
For a multidestination journey, I have formed a habit of doing a last-minute departure sweep in my hotel room to avoid leaving something important behind, such as a phone charger, and the inconvenience it would cause me for the rest of my journey.
In spite of my efforts, the travel gods have a way of playing with me so something is misplaced or lost along the way. Over the years, I have become almost fatalistic, learning to do my due diligence while almost anticipating oncoming disasters, although I could never predict what would be lost or missing each time.
This May, my near-blind sister from Shanghai, China, insisted on coming to visit me in Bethesda, Maryland, spending a month with me and my family before her doctor’s prediction that she would lose what was left of her sight became a reality.

Trust Settlement – Not a DIY Job

By Lisa Alexander, Esq.

You may be the “lucky” person named as Successor Trustee by a friend or relative who has just died. This is not the time for do-it-yourself Trustee work.
After dealing with the mortuary and funeral, it is time to reach out to a Trust and Estates attorney to help you review the Trust and Will and inform you of your responsibilities as Successor Trustee. Don’t worry, the attorney’s fees are paid from the Trust, not out of your pocket.
As Successor Trustee, you are required to give a notice with specific language and with a specific size font, in bold, to all the beneficiaries of the Trust, and to the
deceased person’s heirs. The attorney can help you determine who must receive the notice and can prepare the notice for your signature.
A key aspect of the notice is it starts a four-month period during which a Trust contest can be filed. Until the end of the four months and it becomes certain that the Trust has not been challenged, no distributions should be made to the beneficiaries. In other words, the Successor Trustee must not rush to send out checks until it is appropriate to do so.

Beware of Summer Hazards for Pets

By Dr. Frank Lavac, MS, DVM

Here are a few to watch for:
1. Fireworks
Aside from the fear and anxiety fireworks can cause pets, they can also be toxic. Sparklers are the most common fireworks that the ASPCA Poison Control receives calls about. If ingested, they can cause GI upset. Lit sparklers can also cause severe burns. Fireworks contain chemicals that can
be corrosive.
2. Pool chemicals
Pool chemicals, once appropriately diluted, don’t typically cause problems. However, in their concentrated form, they are caustic and can cause serious GI upset if ingested and respiratory difficulty if exposed in a confined space.

One Reframe That Can Change Your Family’s Story

By Frances Barry

Recently, I was driving slowly through a parking garage when a child ran in front of my car. I slammed on the brakes. The child and I stared at each other, frozen, as their parent pulled them away. As I drove away, I imagined the inevitable reprimand: Don’t run in parking lots.
Sound advice – but directions that begin with “don’t” rarely land the way we intend. When a child hears ‘don’t run,’ their mind may inadvertently focus on ‘run’ –
the very thing you want them to avoid. Or they simply tune out after the word ‘don’t.’ Children can better follow directions that tell them what to do rather than what
not to do.
But this shift can be challenging. Our natural instincts are wired towards danger, what we don’t want, not towards desire, what we do want. It takes real mental effort to override that pull. Let’s replay the parking lot scene using a framework I call ORCA – Observe, Reflect, Connect, Act – and see what that looks like
in practice.

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