Village of the Damned

By John Davis
It has been about 16 years since the Playa Vista Development was plopped into the wetlands by a giant bird called the City Council of Los Angeles in two phases.
The Phase Two Environmental Impact Report (EIR) certified in 2004 by the Los Angeles City Council was shut down by the Court of Appeal. [...]

Growing Up in Oakwood

By Lisa Marguerite Mora
Winding down from an afternoon of errands, I make a right onto Electric and drive parallel to Abbot Kinney and Main Street. This was my old neighborhood when I was a child. It wasn’t called Abbot Kinney when I was a kid back in the sixties. It was called West Washington Boulevard [...]

It Did Happen Here: When our Japanese neighbors were sent to concentration camps

By Scott Yuda, Jr.
During World War II, under Adolf Hitler and his Nazi organization’s “rule,” so to speak, ordered for any person 1/8 Jewish or more to be relocated to concentration camps, where they were decimated. Ultimately, approximately six million Jewish citizens were killed in these concentration camps by the order of a crazed dictator [...]

Letters

Sponto - Gina Graham
Heroic Story – maryjanie

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Sponto
Dear Beachhead,
Infinite thanks to your pub for the front page, top shelf stories about Sponto. I knew him 15 years ago, when I was a young, tan, boardwalk skater he invited in for a puff. Now I’m a pasty Oregon mom, but I have never forgotten my afternoons with Sponto, [...]

Venice Affordable Housing Fight Goes to Washington

By Mark Lipman
On Friday March 20, approximately 100 low income tenants and community organizers from the Holiday Venice apartments, also known as Breeze Del Mar, the largest block of affordable housing units remaining in Venice met at the First Baptist Church, to send off eight of their community leaders to Washington DC to meet with [...]

Residents fight back against S.M. Airport

By Karl Abrams
The intolerable noise and sickening jet fuel pollution coming from thousands upon thousands of private jets taking off and landing at the Santa Monica airport yearly has pushed residents to their limit once again. With their hands over their ears, a nauseating metallic taste in their mouth and fears mounting over the unexplainable [...]

Beachhead Women Writers Rock Out at Beyond Baroque

By Krista Schwimmer
On March 8th, as part of the day long celebration of International Women’s Day, the Beachhead presented readings from past and current women writers of the Beachhead at Venice’s poetry haven, Beyond Baroque.
The event started at 7:30 pm with Suzanne Thompson leading the way as emcee. Suzanne immediately charmed the audience with a [...]

New Music Venue in Venice – The Stronghold

By Carol Gronner
Did you know there’s a new live music venue on Abbot Kinney Boulevard? You may not. I didn’t. But I think that’s about to change. You can’t have as great a space as the upstairs of Stronghold and not have the word get out. Yes, the Stronghold (1625 A.K.B.) that sells spendy custom [...]

3 Super-Simple Social Speedways To Save The Earth!

By Amy Dewhurst
We’ve all heard the slogans “Earth Day Everyday” but for those of us lucky enough to live in this beautiful beach side city, where the bulk of our activities are outside; beneath the sun, above the sand, here are 3 Super-Simple, Social ways to Save The Earth.
Eat Local Organic Produce – With the [...]

President Obama and Mr. Abajo

By Jim Smith
Down (abajo) goes the economy. In comes Barack Obama. Can he charm the economy into reviving? Is he embracing Corporate America while turning his back on the left-leaning people who elected him? Is it a trap that the rich have cleverly lured him into?
Half way through his first hundred days in office, Obama [...]