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 April Featured Articles

Consider the Effects of
 Earth Day

By Michelle Li

Earth Day didn’t actually start as the global “plant-a-tree” day we know it as today. Back in 1970, it was essentially a massive national “teach-in” on the environment. Senator Gaylord Nelson started the movement after witnessing the absolute devastation of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. 
It’s hard to imagine now, but at the time, we didn’t have the EPA, the Clean Air Act, or the Clean Water Act. There were basically zero legal rules or regulatory mechanisms protecting the planet from industrial damage.
   That first year, 20 million Americans (which was about 10% of the entire U.S. population at the time) hit the streets to demand change.

Rotary Club of Santa Monica 2026
 Annual Wine Fest Fundraiser Benefits Several

Imagine Moulin Rouge and Can-Can dancers, attendees dressed in feathers and bangles, all complemented by fine wines and fantastic auction items, and you’ll get a sense of the Santa Monica Rotary Club’s 2026 Wine Fest. Wines were generously donated by California Wineries Arnot-Roberts, Enfield Wine Company, and Limerick Lane. Guests enjoyed a delicious meal while being entertained by rising pop star Elle Baez, the LA Follies Dancers, and lively auctioneer Larry Snyder, capped off by a heartfelt speech from the head of the featured charity, School on Wheels. The Wine Festival is the Club’s signature fundraiser supporting multiple local charities and international causes.

Lessons From the Fire: Insurance Actions to Protect Your Assets Before the Next Disaster

By Richard Lombari

One of the hardest lessons my wife Julia and I learned after the fire is that the time to understand your insurance policy is not after a disaster – it’s long before one occurs.
  Like many homeowners, I believed I had solid coverage. I knew my premium, trusted my carrier, and assumed that if the worst happened, the policy would do what it was supposed to do. What we discovered in the months following the loss of our home is that insurance is far more complicated than most of us realize, and the details matter.
 In conversations with neighbors, clients, and others going through similar experiences, a few important lessons have emerged. These are things every homeowner should review now – before the next emergency arrives.

A Life Lesson From an Old English Idiom

By Qin Sun Stubis 

When I first became a student of English literature in the late 1970s in Shanghai, I was obsessed with English idioms. I considered them to be the authentic wisdom of the west, and through them I thought I could discover a different cultural perspective. 
   Among the phrases I copied down in my notebook was the saying, “Honesty is the best policy.” I used to read it aloud again and again, pondering why the Western world thought honesty was a good human attribute. 

Spring Cleaning From the Inside Out

By Cheryl Thode

Every parent has heard the familiar message on an airplane: Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. It’s simple advice, but when you’re raising kids, it can feel almost impossible to follow.
Parents, especially moms, often run on empty. We juggle school schedules, sports, meals, work, activities, homework, birthday parties, permission slips, and the endless logistics of family life. By the time Spring rolls around, many of us are overwhelmed and buried under a mental to-do list that never seems to end.
This is why I’ve been thinking about Spring Cleaning a little differently this year. Not the closets. Not the garage. Not even the toy bins.

Age and Driving: Knowing When to Stop

By Tim Petlin

For many people, car keys represent far more than transportation. They symbolize independence and freedom. When age-related changes begin affecting driving ability, older adults may feel fearful or reluctant to give up the keys because it can mean a major lifestyle change.
As we age, physical changes can affect driving safety. Glare from oncoming headlights may become harder to manage, and eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration can reduce vision. Hearing loss may make it harder to notice horns or sirens. Slower reflexes and joint stiffness can also make it difficult to turn the head or react quickly to road conditions

Serving Beverages at Your Party

By Maureen Molé

Let’s talk about serving drinks. Whatever style or size party you are hosting, from a formal sit-down dinner for six to a casual backyard party for 20, beverages will be available.
For starters, here’s what not to say to your guest, “What would you like to drink?” Surprised? That’s because it is such an open-ended question. The guest may ask for a Tequila Sunrise, and you may not have tequila on hand. Or, they may be too shy to ask for the drink that they really want for fear that you may not have that drink in the house.
A better idea is to offer some suggestions of what you do have available.

Congratulations to Kalina Silverman

By Diane Margolin

At 16, Kalina Silverman became an intern for our paper when she was a student at Santa Monica High School. No matter what the age of a group of people we met, she would engage in fascinating conversations with them. It was such a joy working with her.
She went on to pursue her skills of meeting new people and learning more about them. After graduation from Northwestern University, she became a Fulbright Scholar, went to Singapore, gave Ted Talks, and brought her ideas of having serious conversations with people to a variety of community organizations.

How to be a Smart and Safe Traveler

By Scott Andrews

Becoming a safe traveler in a foreign country before boarding your flight.
Comprehensive preparation involves researching the destination’s local laws, cultural norms, and current safety advisories through official resources like the U.S. Department of State Travel Guidance.
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is vital, as it allows the nearest embassy to contact you during emergencies and provides real-time security updates. Prepare your documents, such as a Passport, and depending on where you go, the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) Visa.

What are Common Health Problems with Ferrets?

By Dr. Frank Lavac, MS, DVM

Q: Ferrets are fun and mischievous pets. What are their unique health problems?
A: Virtually all of the ferrets that are adopted in the U.S. come from a single breeder, Marshall Farms. They are spayed or neutered, and descented at a young age prior to adoption. This early neutering can later predispose them to adrenal gland stimulation.
Increased adrenal hormone production can lead to fur loss over the entire trunk of the body, itching, and muscle atrophy. Currently, there is a slow release hormonal implant, called Deslorelin, that blocks the excess hormone production from the adrenal glands to help control this problem.

Trust and Will – So Confusing!

By Lisa Alexander, Esq.

For most people, their revocable living trust is the centerpiece of their estate plan. They will also have a Will, but it is intended only as a back-up to the Trust. This back-up Will is often referred to as a “pour-over” Will because it is used to pour over to the Trust any assets that aren’t in the Trust when you die.
Without a pour-over Will, the assets not in the Trust will be distributed as if you had no estate plan at all. In a recent case, the decedent left a Trust but no pour- over Will. The assets of the Trust went to a life partner according to the decedent’s wishes.