Post by Alex Stowell The Venice Chamber is, well, exactly what it sounds like: a group of hustling business owners in the local community.  They have fun mixers the last Wednesday of every month.  And, as I have attended several, I can tell you first hand that the food and drink are always great and the raffle alone is worth the price of admission.  It cost $5 for members and $20 for non-members.  However, first time...more

Los Angeles Smoke-free Outdoor Dining Outdoor dining now comes with a side of fresh air in the City of Los Angeles! As of March 8, 2011, smoking will be prohibited in outdoor dining areas in the City of Los Angeles, including restaurant patios, cafes, food courts, and the public space surrounding food carts, food kiosks and mobile food trucks.This new smoke-free outdoor dining law will protect patrons and workers from the dangerous health effects of breathing...more

Los Angeles Smoke-free Outdoor Dining Outdoor dining now comes with a side of fresh air in the City of Los Angeles! As of March 8, 2011, smoking will be prohibited in outdoor dining areas in the City of Los Angeles, including restaurant patios, cafes, food courts, and the public space surrounding food carts, food kiosks and mobile food trucks.This new smoke-free outdoor dining law will protect patrons and workers from the dangerous health effects of breathing...more

Venice Family Clinic: Providing free, quality health care to people in need through eight sites in Los Angeles County Artist Cards Our popular artist-designed greeting cards are perfect for all occasions, including holidays, birthdays, tributes and offer a unique selection for individual and corporate greetings. All cards carry a message indicating "Proceeds from the sale of Venice Family Clinic Artist Cards provide free, quality health care to people in need"...more

Here is a message from Feed the Beach and Fruit Gallery owners, Nina and James Merced. Dear Friends, Unfortunately, the Feed the Beach event will not happen this year. Due to issues regarding the Los Angeles Health Department, our personal liability from this event has been threaten. The Fruit Gallery can no longer host this event from here on out. Each year has been a struggle to make this event possible. The...more

Check out the "Best Venice Holiday Gift Ever!!)  Adopt a bulb and get on the Venice Sign Placque!   For more info, contact bdbooks@aol.com...more

Venice mascot Austin, the Fly N Lion, has gone missing.    Please help him find his way home.  310.484.8750.  Thank you....more

In this photo:  Far right:  French Market Cafe's Patrice and Agnes. My heart cries for the family, friends and patrons of French Market Cafe. Yesterday, I received a phone call. My heart sank after hearing the news that French Market Cafe owner Patrice Martinez died instantly in a motorcycle accident in South America. My first thought after hearing the news was,  Agnes, his wife, how is she doing?    I can only imagine how it might feel...more

Building upon its tradition of unity and taking advantage of the family atmosphere of Venice Beach, the VBL founded: The Kids Venice Basketball League (KVBL) in 2007. This is a non-profit, 501©3 collaborative committed to empowering the under-privileged children of Los Angeles. It is essential we provide a healthy lifestyle and fundamental basketball skills for our kids. Being a part of the “Natural Leaders Camp for Kids,” children from various parts of Los Angeles are bussed...more

The  Venice Library needs your help. ---------- Here is the message from Friends of the the Venice Library Board member Kathy Owens. The Friends of the Venice Library and other Westside libraries  are working hard to get the word out to vote YES on Measure L. If Measure L does not pass the residents are going to see closures of their branch libraries. Attached is the ad and editorial that we ran last week...more

Local Alex Rose is a Venice Paparazzi correspondent and American Red Cross disaster response planner. He is fund raising to support their humanitarian mission by running in a 5K this weekend alongside many other local Red Cross volunteers. Alex and the Red Cross work every day to support our local communities preparedness for tsunami's, earthquakes, floods and the daily house fires that displace our neighbors. You can support the Red...more

THANKS TO YOVENICE.COM FOR THIS POST. This past Saturday, in an effort to raise awareness on skateboarding safety, Councilman Bill Rosendahl presided over a free helmet giveaway at the Venice Skatepark. Rosendahl was joined by Margaret Heron, whose son died of head injuries from a skateboard accident, Jesse Martinez of the Venice Skateboard Association and Chris Terins of the S-One Helmet Company. Councilman Bill Rosendahl- Pictures by Ray Rae! The use of helmets, elbow pads and knee pads...more

Venice Arts’ mission is to ignite youths’ imagination, mentor their creativity, and expand their sense of possibility through high quality, accessible media–based arts education programs. Venice Arts also serves as a catalyst for people of all ages, living in low–income or underrepresented communities, to create and share personal and community stories through photography, film, and multi–media. View their Strategic Plan for 2008-2011(pdf 2.1mb) For more info,...more

Dear Friend of Venice, When Abbot Kinney officially introduced the world to Venice-of-America in 1905 he did it in style.  Across Windward Avenue at Pacific (then Trolley Way), 3-foot high letters glowed to electric life and spelled out the place to be on that 4th of July - in VENICE.  Historic Windward Avenue with its Italianate architecture and colonnade began life as the entrance to the wonderful amusement pier.  Today it remains our gateway to the remarkable...more

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