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Fireworks Cap Big Day of Bla Bla as Santa Monica Pier Turns 100
What was hyped for months (with an Internet count-down clock no
less) finally occurred Wednesday, Sep 9. The coming of the second
century for Santa Monica Pier was ushered in with convocations,
ribbon cuttings, guitarist Dick Dale of 1960's Beach Party movies
fame and fireworks shot from 3 barges afloat off the end of the
pier. But if City fathers were expecting a shot in the arm for
midweek shopping on the Promenade, they were likely disappointed.
Judging from the meager band of denizens wandering the pedestrian
mall at the conclusion of festivities, the boom of a good fireworks
display, albeit smoky, translated into a bust at retail
establishments who kept their doors open late in anticipation of the
surge.
Big Biker is Watching You
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If you see someone skulking about a Westside street corner with a
clipboard between Sep 22 & 26, fear not. It's probably one of 200
volunteers enlisted to record the activity of bikers and pedestrians
in what is being billed as the first-in-20-year LA Bike Count.
According to Dorothy Kieu Le, Los Angeles County Bikers Coalition
(LACBC), the event will yield "vital data." However the exact use of
the findings was noncommittal. Says Councilman Bill Rosendahl, "The
bicycle and pedestrian counts will provide the data necessary to
demonstrate the City’s need to invest in walking and cycling as
legitimate modes of transportation." It's safe to say, that need was
demonstrated a long time ago.
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