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Editors Note: this story is updated from last weeks story entitled SMOKING GUN on Culver City Observer's website By Stephen Hadland Observer Publisher Prior to the closing of the Culver City Ice Arena last Sunday Culver City officials had informed the Karagozian family, who are the property owners, and Planet Granite, the new lessee, that the property is zoned strictly for ice skating and no other commercial purposes. Any rezoning will require City Council approval and may take many months to...
Planet Granite may be facing an uphill battle in its efforts to bring indoor rock climbing to Culver City. Wednesday night, Culver City officials informed the Karagozian family, who are the property owners where the Culver City Ice Arena is located, and Planet Granite, the new lessee that the property is zoned strictly for ice skating and no other commercial purposes. Any rezoning will require City Council approval and may take many months to accomplish. Changes in zoning will also be reviewed...
By Lynne Bronstein Observer Reporter The Culver Ice Arena has a big family of fans. On Monday night they packed the City Council Chamber to standing room capacity as they pleaded with the Council to find a way to put a future plan for the arena "on ice" and save the area's only facility for indoor ice skating. The owners of the 52-year old ice arena have announced that the facility will close on February 2, although they are planning to keep the facility's condenser running until February 15....
Following a comprehensive and deliberative candidate selection process, the Culver City Chamber of Commerce has announced it has endorsed incumbents Jim Clarke and Jeff Cooper in the upcoming Culver City Council race. Councilman Clarke and Mayor Cooper received the endorsement after a review process that included written responses on the important issues, a review of each candidate's record of public service and an interview conducted by the Chamber. The Chamber interviewed all four candidates...
Councilmember Jim Clarke was privileged recently to ride along with the Fire Department to experience what happens during a Culver City firefighters day. In the past he has been on a Police ride and was the first councilmember to go on a Parking Enforcement ride along and even helped to recover a stolen car. His future plans are to ride with a Sanitation Crew, Street Repair Crew, and a Culver City bus driver. Clarke stated, "This is a way for me to gain a better understanding of the great work...
City Clerk’s Office • Want to receive information about the City’s 2014 Election? The City Clerk’s Office has established a webpage with important items related to the April 8, 2014 Election where the voters will select two members of the City Council. The webpage can be accessed at: https://www.culvercity.org/en/Government/CityClerk/ElectionInformation.aspx. Also, sign up for e-mail updates at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CACULVER/subscriber/new?pop=t and add Timely Topics - 2014...
Culver City Mayor Jeff Cooper, who is seeking re-election to a seat on the Culver City Council in the April, 2014 election, officially filed his re-election papers last week at City Hall and launched his new campaign website: http://www.cooperforcouncil.com. Cooper becomes the second candidate to file papers following Councilman Jim Clarke who filed the previous week. Before filing his official papers, Cooper met with supporters at The Conservancy and told them his top goal will be to continue...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist A big thank you to Culver City council member and former Coast Guardsman Jim Clarke for the following: The Veterans History Project was created by Congress in 2000 to collect, preserve and make accessible personal accounts of American war veterans. The project goal is to ensure that future generations hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Veterans from World War I, Word War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War,...
Councilmember Jim Clarke ended the year by becoming the first candidate for a seat on the City Council to file his official forms with the City Clerk on December 31. Surrounded by supporters, he went through the many documents with the City Clerk Martin Cole and his assistant Jeremy Green to assure everything was in order. Everyone held their breath when Cole asked Clarke if he was sure he wanted his name on the ballot as a candidate for City Council. A resounding cheer went up when Jim replied...
A ribbon cutting was held by the Culver City Chamber of Commerce at the recent grand opening of House of Fitness in the Culver Crossroads Center on Sepulveda and Washington. House of Fitness is a premier training facility. They offer programs for all levels of personal training....
City Manager’s Office • Great News on Redevelopment Projects – Major progress has been made in the City’s efforts to complete its remaining projects stemming from the State’s dissolution of redevelopment. These include such projects as the Combined Properties/Hudson Pacific plan for Parcel B, the Washington/National transit oriented development at the Culver City EXPO station by Lowe Enterprises, and the creation of a market hall by Regency Centers at the Washington/Centinela site, among oth...
Councilman Jim Clarke announces two early endorsements for his re-election to a seat on the Culver City City Council next year. State Senator Holly Mitchell, who represents the 26th district enthusiastically supports Jim's candidacy. Ms. Mitchell has had a successful working relationship with Jim while serving as our State Assemblyperson in the past, and currently as our State Senator. She looks forward to continuing this relationship when he is re-elected. Karen Bass has also stated her...
Christopher Patrick King has announced his candidacy for Culver City Council in the April, 2014 election. King is President of CPK Mortgage and is currently serving as President of the Culver City Rotary Club. He also chairs State Senator Holly Mitchell's Small Business Advisory Panel and serves as Vice-Chairperson of Culver City's Homelessness Committee. A member of Beit T'Shuvah Temple, he coaches their charity marathon team, In announcing his run he said, "I love Culver City. I feel that...
By Lynne Bronstein Observer Reporter The City Council took action this week to begin planning for the 2014 Summer Concert Series, a gesture which may help the popular free concert series toward an earlier finalization of its schedule. The Council, at its meeting Monday night, opted to again retain Gary Mandell, owner of Boulevard Music, as producer of the concert series his 17th year. Mandell was not present at the meeting due to teaching a group class at Boulevard Music. According to the...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Whatever happened to acid rain? Would you believe the Los Angeles Aqueduct bringing water from the Owens Valley is 100 years old? And then there is the anniversary of the four-level interchange which was completed in 1953, some 60 years ago. After trying for many years to reduce the coyote population in inland Orange County communities with an education campaign aimed at removing food sources that attract them, the Garden Grove council recently voted to...
By Lynne Bronstein Observer Reporter Karlo Silbiger Karlo Silbiger was one of three new board members who were elected in the November 2009 election, receiving almost 60 per cent of the vote. He served as Board Vice President for 2011 and Board President in 2012. In addition, he served as a member of the Board's budget subcommittee and was a member of the District Community Arts Team, serving both positions from 2009 to 2011. The son of former City Council member Gary Silbiger, Karlo Silbiger...
Dear Editor, Why am I voting and for whom? In the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 5 seven candidates are running for three available seats on the Culver City School Board. Each brings their gifts, perspective and commitment to our School District. In assessing the current needs of our District, two major issues stand out: (1) funding for desperately needed infrastructure upgrade and repair with maintenance factored in. And (2) implementation of the federally mandated Core Curriculum...
Dear Editor, The upcoming School Board election is an important one and I wish to share with readers my reasons for supporting the re-election of Kathy Paspalis. As a City Council member and as someone who regularly has attended school board meetings, I have had the opportunity to watch Kathy up close. I would describe her as decisive, focused and accessible. She has a tremendous work ethic but all of her actions are devoted to improving the quality of education for our Culver City kids. She...
September 13, 2013 Community Development Department • Fourth Wall Studios – The studio has completed work on a 17,936 square foot tenant improvement located at 8601 - 8611 Hayden Place for a new green screen studio and offices. • Smashbox – Plans have been approved for a tenant improvement for an art gallery and photo studio located at 8549 Higuera Street. • eBay – Work has been completed for a tenant improvement located at 10451 Jefferson Boulevard. • Westfield Culver City – A permit has been...
Should smoking be banned in multi-unit dwellings in Culver City? That was the question mulled at the City Council’s meeting Monday night. The answer did not come easily. The item before the Council was an action item but not one that required a vote. The Council was asked to consider what action to recommend to city staff to either bring back as an ordinance or to not take action. Heather Baker, from the City Attorney’s office, noted in the staff report that while existing state and federal law...
Council Weighs Consequences Of Smoking Ban Should smoking be banned in multi-unit dwellings in Culver City? That was the question mulled at the City Council’s meeting Monday night. The answer did not come easily. The item before the Council was an action item but not one that required a vote. The Council was asked to consider what action to recommend to city staff to either bring back as an ordinance or to not take action. Heather Baker, from the City Attorney’s office, noted in the staff report...
Residents Prevail In Parking Meter Dispute When Bob Dylan sang “Don’t follow leaders/Watch your parking meters” he never dreamed that at Monday night’s Council meeting a large number of Culver City residents would refuse to follow their leaders by demanding that parking meters not be installed on the south side of Jefferson Boulevard. On the agenda was a motion to install parking meters at specific locations within parking meter zones. But the residents’ protests (which included a real prot...
Shuttle Scuttled Sewer Tax Increased over Residents’ Objections The long heralded pilot shuttle service that was to link the businesses in the Hayden tract with the Expo Line rail station and downtown Culver City took an abrupt turn off the highway Monday night when veteran council watchers asked if anyone had bothered to check with the workers in the largely industrial area to see if there was even a need. The motion failed on a vote of 2-2 with one abstention. Council members Andy Weissman a...
Dear Editor, As a candidate for Culver City Council last year, I made a point of talking to residents, whether door-to-door or at candidate forums and coffees, about the advantages Culver City offers and why it is such a great place to live and work. We have fabulous weather, a thriving downtown, great parks, close-knit residential neighborhoods, outstanding cultural and recreational activities, safe streets, close access to public transit and excellent response times from our police and fire services. But equally important is the quality of...
Culver Historical Society to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Harry Culver’s Dream Speech On July 22, 1913, Harry H. Culver, then a young real estate developer, made an important announcement at the original California Club in Downtown, Los Angeles. He presented his vision for a new city before directors, stockholders and friends of the newly formed Culver Investment Company with such enthusiasm that the enthralled group named it “Culver City” by acclamation. The Culver City Historical Society will present Culver’s exact dream speech, re-enac...
