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In the words of Yogi Berra, it was like déjà vu all over again. In 1962 when I was in my 20s and sported long hair and a bohemian look, I spent a few hours sitting in an upper row of a makeshift theatre on a set in Los Angeles, playing an audience member in “Wild Guitar,” a teen-idol/beach party movie starring Arch Hall Jr. I was instructed to make a frenzied run to the stage since I was portraying someone smitten by the lead’s performance as a budding rock star. It was a hoot, but since p...
So here I sit, typing with one hand and shoving chocolate into my face with the other in an attempt to console myself, now that this year's Intergenerational Writing Workshop, has ended. This 10th annual collaboration between senior volunteers and sixth-graders from Turning Point School took place on six Wednesday mornings starting Jan. 23 and concluding March 6, four at the Culver City Senior Center and two at the school. Jill Thomsen, Volunteer Specialist, was the senior center's liaison....
Debbie Cahill's warm, colorful office at the Culver City Senior Center includes a creatively chaotic filing system. "My office is like an archeological dig," she explained. "If you want to know what happened 15 years ago, just go to the bottom of one of the piles and you'll find all the history of what we did." That is about to change, as Cahill is retiring on March 17th. "After 15 years of having the privilege and challenge of the position of Senior Programming Specialist at the Senior Center,...
So here I sit, typing with one hand and shoving chocolate into my face with the other in an attempt to console myself, now that this year's Intergenerational Writing Workshop, has ended. This 10th annual collaboration between senior volunteers and sixth-graders from Turning Point School took place on six Wednesday mornings starting Jan. 23 and concluding March 6, four at the Culver City Senior Center and two at the school. Jill Thomsen, Volunteer Specialist, was the senior center's liaison. Ther...
"You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been." That quote has been attributed to Maya Angelou and others, and it encapsulates the passionate commitment motivating the remarkable woman for whom the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum (MCLM) is named. Black History Month, which takes place in February, became a nationwide celebration in 1976 with President Gerald Ford's recognition during the observance of the United States Bicentennial. Dr. Clayton's legacy, MCLM,...
Dictionary definitions of romance include "a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love," "a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life," and "love, especially when sentimentalized or idealized." How romance can be experienced is a whole other story – a wide variety of stories, in fact, that encompass many subgenres and can be found in the literary buffet and intriguing gift items that greet delighted customers at The Ripped Bodice, a very special b...
Since I am very thankful to be alive and able to write this story, Thanksgiving seems an appropriate time to share an experience that happened this summer. I was going to call it “A Tutorial in Terror” until my publisher, Steve Hadland, expressed his relief that I was well and said he had felt like running a headline saying “She’s baaaack!” I thought that was catchier and I was going to steal it without a smidgeon of guilt. However, a similarly captioned article in the Calendar section o...
What do you get when three unique museums, all within two blocks of each other, join forces to present free tours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 as the kick-off event of the Culver City Cultural Corridor? That's easy – an enlightening, inspiring and enjoyable experience to remember, thanks to its sponsors: Advocates of The Culver City Cultural Corridor and the Culver City Arts Foundation. The Cultural Corridor is a 1.4 mile stretch centered along Culver Blvd. and anchored in the east by the t...
Despite sharing a name, Tito's Tacos (titostacos.com), and Tito's Handmade Vodka (titosvodka.com) are not related. However, they definitely have three things in common: an unquestionable commitment to presenting the best possible product to their customers; accolades and prestigious awards reflecting the excellence of those products; and a strong philanthropic streak coupled with a desire to serve the community. With 12,000 mini tacos and 3,500 mini burritos planned, Lynne Davidson, who runs...
By Sandra Coopersmith When it comes to hands-on involvement in helping the poor and homeless, Paul Ehrlich, whom I would definitely rate as one of the good guys, is no slacker. Every Saturday morning his dining room table transforms into a work station where sandwiches are made and bagged along with a bottle of water, piece of fruit and some kind of dessert for distribution to the poor and homeless he encounters along his route that day. Leftover food and any merchandise that has been donated (c...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."-- John Lennon, "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" Anyone who's gone through a life changing experience like cancer can relate to that lyric. I certainly can. Following my diagnosis of breast cancer in 1991 I immediately turned for help to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org, 1-800-227-2345) and will always be grateful for the valuable resources they offered, all without cost to me: a Reach...
Roses are red, Violets are blue. Let me share my day of poetry With you . . . September 20, 2017 marked 100 years from the day the Culver City city charter was issued. Several special community events occurred during our Centennial year, including poetry readings that culminated in a book launch and reading at the Culver City Senior Center on Saturday, June 9th at 10 a.m., celebrating the publication of "Culver City's Centennial Poetry Collection," a labor of love that was initiated and edited...
By Sandra Coopersmith "Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future." Coco Chanel To find vibrant, outgoing and elegant women, you need look no further than the Culver City Senior Center, where seven very capable representatives impressed the audience and judges Sunday afternoon, May 20, as Culver City Senior Citizens Association and Culver City Exchange Club presented their search for Ms. Culver...
Like to smile? Want to do a good deed? Then on Sunday, May 20 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. stop by Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies, 5299 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, (310) 572-6107, for the book signing of "Going to the Dogs and Other Critters," Dr. Janet Cameron Hoult's witty and whimsical collection of poems that animal lovers of all ages will enjoy. It is also available online by going to amazon.com and typing in her name, and can be ordered in paperback or for Kindle. Book proceeds are being...
It was my great pleasure to attend this year’s COLCOA (“City of Light City of Angels”) French Film Festival at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. It ran from April 23 through April 30, and I packed 13 feature films (several accompanied by shorts) into the six days I went. As cinematic experiences go, it was tres magnifique. That pretty much exhausts my mastery of French, so thank God for subtitles. The first film I saw was Special Honors, the North American premiere of a TV movie...
Want to know how to create a positive catalyst for change? Try combining life experience and wisdom with fresh, youthful perspectives over six Wednesday morning sessions of creative and thoughtful interchanges between the sixth-graders of Culver City's Turning Point School and senior citizen volunteers. "The Intergenerational Writers Workshop is always a highlight of my year," said Jill Thomsen, the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Specialist at the Culver City Senior Center who...
Aficionados of Mexican food in Culver City and surrounding areas can consider themselves very fortunate. About two months ago Benny’s Tacos & Chicken Rotisserie, with popular sites in Westchester and Santa Monica opened a restaurant in the Culver City/Palms area at 10401 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90034, (424) 298-8327. Patrons craving authentic Mexican food that’s amazing and affordable can readily satisfy themselves seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. See BennysTacos.com for add...
For those served by Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, it could be said that the January 23, 2018 bimonthly visit from The CC Strummers, the ukulele group headed by Cali Rose who teaches two classes a week at the Culver City Senior Center and can be reached at info@calirose.com, was just what the doctor ordered. Participating with her were Ed Daniel, Mollie Wine, Ann Cooper, Barbara Kernochan and Michael Kohan. Their rehearsed consisted of "Carpool Ukulele" in Kohan's van as they drove north on...
"A joyful experience awaits you." That was the message in the fortune cookie accompanying the order I picked up in April from a nearby Chinese restaurant, and I remember thinking, "How appropriate!" I had just made arrangements to participate on June 24, 2017 in the Baldwin Hills Relay For Life to be held at the Yvonne B. Burke Athletic Complex, 5401 S. Fairfax, Los Angeles, as this particular Relay now includes Culver City. Well, the cookie didn't lie. It was quite an experience to attend the...
"O Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!" – William Shakespeare (King Henry VI, Part 2) Pastor Michael Barrett Jr., a Culver City resident, freely acknowledges that he has much to be abundantly thankful for, most recently the warm response to his faith-based film, Beyond The Shield, which he wrote and which provided his directorial debut. It features Omar Gooding of Family, Bounce TV's hit sitcom. The cast includes Patrick Kilpatrick, Thai Edwards, Todd T...
Remember that classic Jack Benny routine where a thief accosts him and says, “Your money or your life”? Benny pauses for a long while and finally responds, “I’m thinking, I’m thinking. . .”I laughed myself silly the first time I heard that bit. But as a cancer survivor I now visualize that robber as cancer because it takes a lot of money to fund lifesaving research into prevention and treatment of this disease.That’s why walking in a Relay For Life to help raise those funds is so important to...
We live in uncertain times but of one thing you can be sure: Sunday, May 7, 2017 the Culver City Senior Center was clearly the place to be for an entertaining and exciting display of lovely ladies exuding charm and elegance. The nine contestants, collectively dubbed The Fan-tastics, lit up the packed room as they competed for the title of Ms. Culver City Elegance. With the co-sponsorship of Culver City Senior Citizens Association (CCSCA) and Culver City Exchange Club, this new tradition that...
Words of hope on 8 ½ by 11 inch cloth sheets ("Dream Flags") that wafted their messages in the breeze were the culmination of this year's Intergenerational Writing Workshop, a collaboration between senior volunteers at the Culver City Senior Center and Level 6 students at Turning Point School, an innovative learning environment in Culver City. We met for six brief Wednesday morning sessions, each jammed with activity: Jan. 18 (center), Jan 25. (center), Feb. 1 (school), Feb. 8 (center),...
Herman Eisen, who turned 100 this month, celebrated with his favorite dessert, lemon meringue pie, during a Nov. 9 meeting at the Culver City Senior Center. When asked his secret, he responded, "Gratitude!" He's lived a life of accomplishment, including having founded the Westchester Pediatric Medical Group, with more than 50 years in private clinical practice in Westchester; having been a physician-mentor on the UCLA Medical School clinical education staff for more than 45 years; and having...
Hopefully, many of us will be around as long as the George Petrelli Famous Steakhouse, a Culver City landmark and true hallmark of delicious dining with an 85th anniversary celebration planned for Sunday, Nov. 13 that includes an 85¢ hamburger special, a classic car display, entertainment, and more. This family-owned business originated with Joe Petrelli, who came here from Italy when he was 18, worked in the property department of MGM, saved his money, opened Joe Petrelli's Airport Cafe where t...
