Top 5 Westside Stories: New State Senator, L.A. Mayoral Race, Historic Deli

Close out your weekend with a recap of the newsiest and most popular Patch articles from last week. Here are the five stories that topped the headlines on Westside Patch sites:

• For many Westside residents, there's a new state senator in town. Due to California's redistricting, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), who currently represents the 28th District, will also be the state senator for some cities and communities outside the boundaries of the old district, including: Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Westwood, among others. To read more about Lieu, click here.

• Join the conversation: If flight schools at Santa Monica Airport take to the idea, attaching mufflers to some of their planes could make life more peaceful for residents living nearby. The city tested a German-made muffler, called QuietFlight, on a Cessna 172 in December and recorded positive results. At its next meeting, the commission will consider asking the City Council to discount landing fees for aircraft that use mufflers. What do you think of the plan? Read more about it and tell us here.

• The March 5 L.A. mayoral primary and city council election is approaching. This week, mayoral candidates attended a debate at UCLA. Click here to read about it.

• The Annenberg Foundation may build a new interpretive center on the Ballona Wetlands that will house exhibits and conduct educational programs of the area. The plan has upset local nonprofit Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, which advocates for a restored wetlands area that remain free of man-made structures. While it does not oppose the idea of an interpretive center, it believes it should be placed off-site.

• Junior's Deli in Westwood closed in December and will be replaced by Lenny's Deli, which closed in Pacific Palisades last year. The new deli is slated to open in the early to middle of next month.

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