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In the United States funding for the arts has always been one of the first things to go in tough economic times as evidenced by the decline of the Harlem Renaissance. Now all artistic venues are having financial difficulties. Actor’s Gang founder Tim Robbins was told that the theatre would have to be dark until January due to lack of funding, and two writing programs, one for students and another to combat recidivism in prisons, would have to go. His reply, “WTF?!” became the title of the new se...
El Marino Language School received the spotlight at Tuesday night’s School Board meeting, as principal Tracy Pumilia gave a presentation on student achievement for the 2008-2009 school year. Overall, El Marino is doing very well, with exceptionally high scores on assessment tests. At the state level, El Marino students scored at or above proficient in 2008 and 2009, with 77.3 per cent of students at or above proficiency levels in English Language Arts in 2009, and 83.5 per cent of students at o...
The long awaited remodel and redevelopment of Westfield Culver City was held last Thursday to the delight of residents, city officials and Westfield staff and executives. Nineteen months after breaking ground the $180 million makeover produced a spectacular edition to the mall where a Robinsons-May store and a multistory office building once stood. At the confluence of the 405 and 90 freeways the center now sports over one million square feet of retail shopping and dining space. The new anchor s...
All six candidates for the Culver City School Board were on hand for the candidates’ forum at City Hall October 8. Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Culver City PTA, the two-hour forum featured questions collected from audience cards and from Facebook. The pace was rapid, with questions quickly asked and answered within a one-minute time limit. Each candidate was asked to describe how he/she differed from the other ones. Robert Zirgulis declared “I am very outspoken-some wou...
By Robert Zirgulis Last Friday I decided to visit the “ anti-oil drilling” camp to gain some perspective and hear their point of view on the oil drilling issue. The Citizen’s Coalition for a Safe Community was showing “Split Estate” a boring propaganda/”documentary” film about people living near oil and gas production facilities in Colorado and New Mexico. Before the film began I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people and I told them about my idea to sell the Culver City High School swimming pool known as the Natatorium to investors. I exp...
With the Culver City High football team facing its second straight loss last Friday, Marquel Carter stepped up to save the day. The Centaurs’ senior quarterback had a record performance, completing 33 of 51 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns, and threw the winning touchdown pass with eight seconds left as Culver City rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 35-33 non-league victory over Redondo. The completions, attempts and passing yards are all school records. Carter also ran for two touchdowns as he continued to be the l...
L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and 26th District Senator Curren Price have announced their endorsements of Measure EE, the Culver City schools funding measure on the ballot for the November 3 L..A. County Consolidated Election. Measure EE, if approved by Culver City registered voters, would provide a stable source of local funds to support Culver City schools and maintain essential education programs that are presently facing severe reductions due to major state education budget cuts. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said, “Culver City s...
Need to know is the phrase used by the government to describe the restriction of data that is considered sensitive. Even if one has the necessary clearance, such information would be given only as one has a ”need to know.” Winner of the Culver City Artist Award in 2008 and current Culver City resident April Fitzsimmons takes the audience at the Actor’s Gang on an untypical American journey in her one-woman show with that title. Her performance begins with her upbringing in a large, Irish Catho...
On Saturday, September 19, 15 students from Culver City High School's (CCHS) Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) Film Department met at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival, where they won top prize in the High School Film category. The student film, “The Harry Hastings Method,” was directed by 2009 graduate Josh Blake and produced by current Culver City High senior Duncan Ballantine, who was also the film’s cinematographer. The film was created during the 2008-2009 school year and premiered at Culver City High Schoo...
Parents of Culver City students will open their homes for two events this weekend showcasing Karlo Silbiger, candidate for the Culver City School Board. At each, Silbiger will describe his detailed plans to improve the schools. Near El Rincon Elementary School, Jeanette James will host the first reception Saturday at 2 p.m. "I hope that many parents and Culver City neighbors will come to meet Karlo and hear his plans to improve our schools. They will be able to ask questions and help to plan the future of our community. As a parent, I care...
Facing a lively audience in the auditorium of El Marino Language Immersion School, five of the six candidates in the race for seats on the Culver City School Board discussed their views in a forum last Thursday. Candidates Alan Elmont, Patricia Siever, Kathy Paspalis, Robert Zirgulis, and Karlo Silbiger answered a series of questions put to them by moderators Roberta Mailman and Judith Martin-Straw. Twenty of these questions were drawn at random from a hat and asked of two candidates each. The...
Students and School Board members both need to be held to accountability. That seemed to be the theme of Culver City School Board meeting Tuesday night . Assistant Superintendent Gwenis Laura gave a presentation on the tests used for district-wide accountability. The seemingly complicated system (it contained a lot of acronyms, defined in a glossary in the agenda booklet) includes three “high-stakes” test sections. The STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) group, includes CST (Ca...
Each year, Culver City proclaims October as Disability Awareness Month in order to celebrate diversity and create awareness regarding people with disabilities. During the October 12 City Council meeting at 7 p.m., Mayor Andrew Weissman will make this proclamation and other Council Members will present award commendations to both individuals and organizations for outstanding service within the disability community. Through a variety of community-based activities, the Senior & Social Services Division of the Parks, Recreation & Community...
We receive a lot of response to sports happenings here at The Observer. One of the most frequently asked questions is “whatever happened to Darius Banks?” It’s a tribute to Banks’ ability as a quarterback that fans remember him and wonder what he’s accomplishing in football now. Banks is merely one of the greatest quarterbacks in Culver City High history, When he went on with his career it seemed like Division 1 college stardom was in his future and some football experts told me he might hav...
Akron, Ohio native turned long time Culver City resident, Kristopher Belman is a filmmaker with ethics, integrity, humility and talent. Always wanting to make movies, Kris had long been interested in a story that began in Akron, Ohio. A story involving legendary high school basketball coach, Dru Joyce, and some young, once unknown basketball players named Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, Romeo Travis and a guy named LeBron. As little kids, Sian, Little Dru, Willie and LeBron played...
Culver City Unified School District's elementary schools are planning a variety of fall festivals to celebrate the changing of the season. These events are all put on by each school's PTA. The proceeds from the festivals go back to the respective schools. The schedule: El Marino Language School PTA Halloween Carnival 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday, October 24 on the El Marino playground La Ballona Elementary School Booster Club Fall Festival 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, October 24 on the La Ballona playground There will be games, food, raffle...
The Culver City Democratic Club has enthusiastically and unequivocally endorsed Measure EE. In a voice vote by acclimation, the standing room only crowd unanimously voted to support the $96 parcel tax expected to bring in around $1.2 million annually to the Culver City Unified School District . Eight-year Culver City Councilman and club veteran Gary Silbiger gave a rousing and elucidating nomination presentation, explaining “California is slashing education funding causing Culver City Schools to cut $6 million in the last two years and a...
City councilman Mehaul O’Leary returned to his duties Monday night September 14 2009, after missing two meetings following an altercation at his Joxer’s Daly pub on Washington Blvd.in August. O’Leary suffered facial injuries, was in intensive care and underwent surgery after he was punched by bar patron Robert Singerman, a 28-year-old former Culver City High football player. O’Leary hit his head on a concrete floor following the punch. In recent weeks he has been recovering and briefly attende...
One week into the high school football season things are shaping up in the Ocean League. Culver City has won the championship the last three years and was impressive in its non-league rout of St. Bernard Friday night. Inglewood also got off to a good start by going on the road and defeating CIF power Quartz Hill, 19-13. But Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, who are regarded as strong challengers to Culver City, lost and suffered injuries. Beverly Hills was jolted by Long Beach Jordan, 34-7 and...
