Chumash Ceremonial Elder Matiwaiya blesses the whales at the Santa Monica Pier during Greenpeace's 'Save the Whales' rally on Sunday, May 23, 2010. The rally is part of a statewide/national effort to stop the International Whaling Commission from ending its moratorium on whaling.

Cyclist perform stunts during Santa Monica Public Library's bicycles and cycling iCycle festival on Saturday, May 22, 2010. The festival featured workshops on safety, repairs and maintenance; bicycle registration; BMX flatland, fixed gear and mountain bike demonstrations; children’s crafts, bike rodeo and a parade.



Santa Monica High School Strength and Conditioning coach Kermit Cannon, 41, runs his students through some drills on Monday, May 17, 2010.

Cannon has been working with students and athletes at Santa Monica High School since 1993.  After reading an article on how an overweight teenager died of a heart attack, he dedicated himself to designing youth workouts to help athletes and other youth excel and lead healthier lives.  These unique workouts involve Voodoo balance boards, BOSU balls, parachutes, weighted sleds, reaction balls and other equipment and techniques that can be sport specific and focus on balance, strength, speed, power and agility. 
 
Cannon received formal youth training techniques from Nike SPARQ and Nike Coaches Network.  After receiving lots of requests for training he started his company -Youth Sports Training which works with youth ages 8-17. 
 
A few of the hundreds of athletes and students he has been fortunate enough to work with include: Tyler Skaggs (1stround draft pick of the Angels), Geoff Schwartz (offensive tackle, Carolina Panthers), Max Forer (walk-on center at Oregon played in last year’s Rose Bowl), Jennifer Kotana (Volleyball, Pittsburgh University) and James Cooper (signed by the New York Yankees).  He is currently the strength and conditioning coach for Santa Monica High’s 1st Girl’s Basketball CIF Championship team and the Girl’s Volleyball team. He also run fitness programs for the “at-risk” youth at the Santa Monica Police Activities League.
 
Cannon joined Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! non-profit organization whose goal is to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation and give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.  He also is a member of Men’s Health FitSchools. A non-profit organization which gives schools, teachers, and parents the tools they need to help kids fall in love with fitness.
 
Cannon is putting the finishing touches on his book titled, “The Beast Factory” which is one of the only fitness books on the market designed for high schoolers which includes: airbrushed artwork, motivational quotes, diet, dangers of drugs and steroids, exercise descriptions and 12 weeks of training routines.

Cannon is a  Graduated from Culver City High School where he broke 5 school records in Track & Field, and holds a Business Degree from Cal State Dominguez College.

Beauty Society consultant Diva Jizzona Straynger (left)  shares a laugh with Kai Despyne during Shecky's Girls Night Out at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Thursday, May 20, 2010. Shecky’s Girls Night Out is a five hour shopping event of up and coming designer names from across the country, with complimentary cocktails, mini makeovers and a Shecky's Deluxe Goodie Bag all included in the admission price. Shecky’s is the multi-platform media company keeping you city-savvy and in-the-know with a focus on nightlife, fashion, beauty, and everything fun. Dedicated to daily-brewed online content, Shecky’s also hosts wildly popular events across the country. Don’t know what to do or wear on a Friday night? Shecky’s has those answers and more to keep you informed on the latest and greatest in products, brands, locations, services, and events. Shecky’s is the go-to for where to party, how best to enjoy the city, and how to look good doing it. Currently Shecky’s hosts Shecky’s Girls Night Out events in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Southampton, and Washington DC.

Singer-songwriter John West takes five before playing his set at the Third Street Promenade on Saturday, May 15, 2010.