Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 125
One's fate can be determined by something as simple as a piece of paper pinned to a tree. Just ask Culver City Unified School District's affable and enthusiastic Superintendent, Dr. Joshua Arnold, who started July 1, 2016 (or keep reading for the answer). After earning his Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA he obtained a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Harvard and a Doctorate in Education from USC. He and his wife, Claire, have two young children, Isabella Juliet and Anthony...
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Catty Wagon (www.cattywagon.org), the first custom-built, mobile adoption vehicle created just for kittens in order to enable thousands of shelter kittens to find homes by bringing the concept of curb service to pet adoption. Failing to take advantage of this unique experience would be a cat-astrophic oversight, especially since it couldn’t be more convenient to check out the yellow truck that looks like a giant cat with ears, whiskers and a tail and is fu...
Judith Love Cohen, a longtime Culver City resident, was a trailblazing electrical engineer working in the forefront of 20th century science whose many accomplishments included valuable contributions to the Apollo program. After graduating from USC in 1957 with a degree in electrical engineering Cohen joined Space Technology Laboratories in Redondo Beach, which later became TRW. The accompanying photograph of her with a satellite was taken there in 1959. "Guiding Girls to Lofty Goals," a story...
Innovative, Creative, Dedicated, Devoted Judith Love Cohen, a longtime Culver City resident, was a trailblazing electrical engineer working in the forefront of 20th century science whose many accomplishments included valuable contributions to the Apollo program. After graduating from USC in 1957 with a degree in electrical engineering Cohen joined Space Technology Laboratories in Redondo Beach, which later became TRW. The accompanying photograph of her with a satellite was taken there in 1959....
It's the small things that hurt the most when loss occurs. I sob as I sit here at the computer, knowing I'll never again hear Mary ("Toni") Tyrer, my dear, vibrant, whimsical friend for 50 years, my roommate, hero, mentor, second mother and Rock of Gibraltar, firmly say, "Take a break. I've made you a cup of tea and a snack." Her health began its sharp decline in April and we started home hospice June 6, quickly followed by my hiring a caregiver agency 24/7 when her condition rapidly plummeted....
"Spread your wings and fly" was the theme for a dazzling afternoon Sunday, May 15 at the Culver City Senior Center when 10lovely ladies strutted their stuff in formal attire, displaying their own unique elegance as they were judged on poise, personality and congeniality through modeling and an on-stage interview during the first Ms. Culver City Elegance event. Fashion designer Elie Saab described elegance as "a statement, an attitude. Elegant women are women of character, with confidence," and...
Who remembers the movie "Lost Horizon" that came out in 1937 starring Ronald Colman, directed by Frank Capra, and based on a novel by James Hilton? It introduced us to Shangri-La, a mystical, harmonious valley in the Himalayas, an earthly paradise hidden away from the outside world. Welcome to Culver City's version, the Jackson Market at 4065 Jackson Avenue between Braddock Drive and Culver Boulevard, (jacksonmarketanddeli.com), an unexpected delight tucked away on a residential street. This...
Somewhere a very special high court is in session and the case being heard involves Judge Hal Cherness, a prolific purveyor of wisdom, justice, and humor, who has been charged with being a genuine honest-to-God mensch. Permit me to offer my testimony. One of my earliest stories in 2005, my first year as a journalist, was about him, and when I learned that he died March 10 at the age of 93 I recalled how challenging it had been to conduct that interview and take notes while laughing non-stop. Goi...
Time does indeed fly when you’re having fun. I can attest to that, having just completed this year’s stint as a senior volunteer in a wonderful workshop that began in 2010 between Culver City Senior Center and Turning Point School, and has flourished ever since. Basically, each year several senior volunteers meet with a new group of sixth-graders from the school for around an hour on six Wednesday mornings. We are divided into groups with a teacher, several students, and usually two seniors per...
When one thinks of hope and personal fulfillment, a financial institution is generally not the first image that springs to mind. However, when it comes to Bank of America in Culver City's Culver Center Abigail Reyes, its employee for the past few months, has a very positive perspective concerning its role in her future. Reyes, a bright, poised young woman, is one of the many beneficiaries of BankWork$®, an innovative and award-winning career training program launched in 2006 by Jewish...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer Dedication, determination and discipline will all factor into destiny for middle-schooler Samir Mallya, who will be competing at the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in St. Paul, Minnesota in January. As background, the 50 states are divided into nine regions. The regional-level competitions were in October. Customarily, the top four skaters of each gender in each of five competitive skating levels then advance to the Sectionals in November. The country has thr...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer There's just something about holiday lights that evokes a sense of wonder and magic . . . The Tree Lighting Ceremony at Town Plaza on Dec. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. elicited oohs and aahs from the happy throng, about 1,500 attending. I don't think anyone's eyes sparkled more brightly than those of my dear longtime friend and Culver City resident Mary ("Toni") Tyrer. Toni, a 99-year-old force of nature, is a child at heart, always avid to learn and open to new...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer A disabled child is still, first and foremost, a child – and that came through loud and clear at the Culver City Senior Center on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18 during the 13th Annual Kids Carnival as the premises resounded with their delight. The event was thronged, with 320 participants and 92 volunteers. This free collaborative celebration had its roots in a Disability Awareness Day held in 2001 by the Culver City Neighborhood Girl Scouts. Debbie Cahill and Ci...
“One of the joys of dining out is you don’t have to bite off more than you can chew; you can always ask for a doggy bag.” ~ Sandra Coopersmith The Bachofner family’s Chalet Edelweiss, just minutes from LAX, was inspired by The Sound of Music and life in the Alps, one great mountain range stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, to France in the west. This colorful mix of seven countries is reflected in a diverse menu of world f...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer If your exercise program consists of dragging your feet, sidestepping responsibility and pushing your luck, Culver City’s House of Fitness (“HOF”) at 4130 Sepulveda Blvd., Suite E can be a real life-changer. Call (310) 773-9484, email info@houseoffitnessla.com or visit www.houseoffitnessla.com to jumpstart your transformation. Adam Nisenson, its marketing director, started out as a client about a year and a half ago. “At that time I was pretty close to 200...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer The Special Olympics Athlete Oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” In a world beset by problems, it’s heartening to see the indomitable spirit illuminating events such as the Special Olympics World Games being held in Los Angeles July 25 to August 2. This flagship event for the Special Olympics Movement, founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to create a world that emphasizes inclusion, takes place every two years and a...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer Look up "dedication," commitment," "resourcefulness" and "perseverance" and you may just find a picture of Alex Warren. This Santa Monica resident is the very definition of those words, having long been involved in conservation and humanitarian causes. Get ready for a memorable and meaningful evening. On Tuesday, June 9 the Kirk Douglas Theatre at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City will screen her documentary, "Losing the West," a film she wrote, directed...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." We're all familiar with that quote, versions of which have been attributed to Mark Twain and his friend, Charles Dudley Warner, an American essayist and novelist. But leave it to the American Cancer Society ("ACS") to end run Mother Nature's attempt to rain on our parade! The Culver City Relay For Life was all set for Saturday, May 16, noon to 8 p.m. in Tellefson Park. However, rain...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer The Jewish teaching, "According to the effort is the reward," was evident on Saturday, April 25 as an aura of community, joy, light and love enveloped Temple Akiba, a Reform synagogue at 5249 S. Sepulveda Blvd. The time had finally come for a Rededication Celebration following the extensive renovation commenced in late 2013. The temple, a presence in Culver City for over 60 years and its only Jewish house of worship, now visually exemplifies its mission as a...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features writer Doing good deeds (or "mitzvahs," as Bea Abrams Cohen refers to them) must be an effective prescription for longevity, as it is probably her desire to help others that has kept this inspiring woman, who is California's oldest living female veteran at 105, going strong all these years. The Culver City Senior Center's Veterans Group, which meets on the first Monday of the month, had Cohen slated as April's guest speaker but she was ill and unable to attend. She...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer Sit idly by? Never! For Jewish World Watch ("JWW"), a hands-on leader in the fight against genocide and mass atrocities and one that has raised more than $12.5 million for relief and development projects impacting tens of thousands of people in Sudan and Congo, indifference is clearly not an option. Founded in 2004, JWW, which represents 375,000 people across the United States, has grown into a national coalition that includes temples, schools, churches,...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features writer Some things, like the unwavering commitment of the American Cancer Society (ACS) to save lives and end cancer, never change. And some things do, such as this year's Culver City venue for the society's signature event, Relay For Life, to be held at Tellefson Park (Washington Place and Tilden Avenue) on Saturday, May 16, noon to 8 p.m. Relay For Life, the world's largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer, unites communities across the globe...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer Enlightening, inspiring, imaginative, intriguing and hopeful describe this year's first quarter, thanks to my participation in the Intergenerational Writers Workshop. It's the collaboration between senior volunteers assembled by Jill Thomsen, Volunteer Specialist at the Culver City Senior Center, and sixth-graders from Turning Point School. The six one-hour Wednesday morning sessions began January 21 and ended March 4, with February 11 dark. The four...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer Douglas Schwartz, the innovative and iconic writer/director/producer who celebrates his 70th birthday this year and is known for "Soul Surfer," "Baywatch," "Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding," "Manimal," "The Wizard," "Thunder in Paradise" and "Sheena," is not resting on his laurels. Far from it. That's not surprising, since entertainment is in his DNA. His father, Al Schwartz, and uncle, Sherwood Schwartz, were a writing team in TV's famed 1950s golden age. Al,...
By Sandra Coopersmith Features Writer "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ― Anatole France Anyone who has ever had a beloved pet will relate. Sadly, many can also relate to having that awakened part of their soul in tumult after saying their final goodbye and dealing with the next step: arrangements involving the remains of their cherished companion. Now, through Peaceful Pets Aquamation (www.peacefulpetsaquamation.com, 805-410-3880), the nation's first 1...
