Culver City Observer -

By John Nachbar

City Manager

Community Development

• Westfield Culver City – Plans have been approved for tenant improvements at Gamestop.

• Bastion Culver – Work has been completed on a new four story mixed-use building with subterranean parking located at 13365 Washington Blvd.

• Water Conservation – Staff members from the Community Development and Public Works Departments are working together to address water conservation issues. Complaints are being enforced based on the City’s current water conservation restrictions. Staff is distributing brochures along with advisements and notices of violation; pursuing outreach measures for public education; and encouraging residents to plant drought tolerant vegetation to conserve water.

• Washington National Site – On August 25 the City Council and Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency (Successor Agency) approved the proposed property transfers of the Washington National project site to Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group, the Developer, pursuant to the Long Range Property Management Plan and the Implementation Agreement among the City, the Successor Agency and the Developer.

• Parking Structure Maintenance Contract – The City is drafting an amendment to the current contract with J & G Sweeping for additional parking structure pressure washing service, for regular maintenance of the City Hall courtyard and City Hall P-1 parking areas. The City hall courtyard has been power washed after each of the Summer Concert Series events. J & G Sweeping performed pressure washing services following four of the six concerts, and Gary Mandell arranged for these services following two of the concerts, as part of his agreement with the City.

• West Washington Area Improvement Plan (AIP) Award Application - The City is working with Troller-Mayer Architects and Land Images Architects to submit an American Society of Landscape Architects (Southern California Chapter) – Landscape Architecture 2014 Quality of Life Award application for the West Washington AIP Phase I-IV program. The awards will be announced in October.

• Pacific Theatres Parking Validation – The City is working with Pacific Theatres and Modern Parking Management to relocate the parking validation machines in the lobby of the theatre so they are easily accessible to the guests who patronize the theatres. Theater patrons receive two additional hours of complimentary parking in the City structures with validation.

• Downtown Employee Parking – Economic Development and Transportation staff members are looking into the possibility of implementing a Transportation Demand Management Program that would create incentives for downtown employees to utilize various forms of transit such as taking Culver CityBus, Metro Light Rail, bicycling, and rideshare.

Fire Department

• Reserve Firefighter Program – The Culver City Fire Department launched its Reserve Firefighter Program on August 25. The Reserve Firefighter Program is a part-time training program designed to provide men and women who wish to pursue a career in the fire service with valuable on-the-job training and experience. Reserves will have the opportunity to apply their acquired skills and knowledge as well as gain insight into what it takes to become a career firefighter. The Reserve Program is also a tremendous benefit to the Fire Department as it provides additional personnel to support various emergencies and daily activities.

• CPR Training – August 22 to August 24, the Fire Department staffed a Hands-Only CPR™ training booth at Fiesta La Ballona. Department staff members were successful in training several attendees. The American Heart Association’s Hands-Only™ CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths and is recommended for use by citizens who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse. Immediately providing Hands-Only™ CPR to a cardiac arrest victim can double or even triple their chance of survival. To learn more about Hands-Only™ CPR, go to http://www.handsonlycpr.org. For more information on conventional CPR, or to find a CPR class near you, visit the American Heart Association at http://www.heart.org or the American Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

• Veterans Memorial Complex (VMC) Rental Operations – Rental opportunities in the VMC for 2015 are now available. Please contact the VMC Rental Office to reserve rooms in the Veterans Memorial Building, Teen Center and Senior Center for special events, social gatherings, meetings, services, classes, performances and rehearsals. Staff can be reached by telephone at (310) 253-6625 or by email at vmc.booking@culvercity.org. Room photos, layouts, room rates, and capacities may be viewed on the Veterans Memorial Complex website at http://www.culvercity.org/Government/PRCS/Parks/VMC.aspx.

• VMC Events – Jon Lindsay Productions will present a bodybuilding competition in Veterans Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, September 6. More information is available by going to http://www.lindsayproductions.com.

• Performing Arts Grant Program – The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival presents Of Culture, of Self at the Ivy Substation on Friday, September 5 at 8 p.m. Program and ticket information are available at http://www.lawtf.org/. Lineage Dance Company presents “Arc of Evolution” at the Ivy Substation on Saturday, September 6 at 8 p.m. Program and ticket information are available at http://lineagedance.org/.

• Free Low Vision Seminar – The Center for the Partially Sighted, in partnership with Culver City Senior & Social Services, will host a free seminar on living with vision loss. Speakers will discuss advances in age-related macular degeneration, the new implantable miniature telescope, optical devices and assistive technology, plus hands-on technology demos. This seminar will be held on Tuesday, September 9 at 9:30 a.m. in the Veterans Memorial Building Rotunda Room.

• Medicare and Medi-Cal Today Workshop at the Senior Center – A Medicare and Medi-Cal Workshop will take place at the Culver City Senior Center on Tuesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. This educational event will give you an update on Cal Mediconnect, California’s Coordinated Care Initiative. Raymond B. Dietz, Certified Insurance Agent, will discuss what you need to know if you are on Medicare and Medi-Cal. Not sure what to do with the blue envelope that’s come to you in the mail or will come in the mail? Stop by this educational workshop and get your questions answered. This event is open to members of the public who are 50 and older.

• New Tai Chi Class at the Senior Center – Culver City Senior Center Association members have an opportunity to take a new Tai Chi class. Instructor Filamena Christopher will lead an invigorating, safe, and beneficial mind/body Tai Chi exercise class on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the Patio. The first class will be held on Friday, September 5. There is a $3 fee per class.

• SNAP-Ed is coming to the Senior Center – “SNAP-Ed” is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Nutrition Education program. The City’s Senior Nutrition Program is partnering with the Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging to offer SNAP-Ed at the Senior Center. This is a free health and wellness program that is geared toward CalFresh recipients and eligible CalFresh populations. The program will be conducted by Food Nutrition Management Services Inc. and Consulting Nutrition Services. The objective of this program is for the participants to increase their consumption of fresh fruit and become more physically active. Qualified participants must be 60 years old or older and identified as low-income. The participants will receive fun and exciting nutrition education activities such as cooking demonstrations, nutrition related information, recipes and physical fitness tips. The program will start on October 1 and run through June 30, 2015. SNAP is offered by the California Department of Aging through a federal grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information, contact Roxana Tabibi at (310) 253-6712.

• Zumbathon – Save the Date – The City of Culver City, in association with the Culver City Senior Citizens Association (CCSCA), will present a Zumbathon Fundraiser Event on Friday, October 17 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Veterans Auditorium. The Zumbathon event will be hosted by our amazing Zumba Gold instructor, Yvonne Beraldi. Proceeds will benefit the CCSCA in its ongoing support of Senior and Social Services programs. Advance tickets will go on sale on September 15 for $5. Tickets will available for purchase at the door on the day of the event for $10. This event is open to members of the public ages 18 and over.

• Culver City Historical Society’s Archives and Resource Center - The Culver City Historical Society presents its Car Rally & Scavenger Hunt fundraiser on Sunday, September 21 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Participants will start at the Society’s Archives and Resource Center at the rear of Veterans Memorial Building where they will check in, receive their tickets, and obtain their first set of directions. More information about ticket sales is available by visiting http://www.culvercityhistoricalsociety.org, or by calling (310) 253-6941, or by sending an email to info@culvercityhistoricalsociety.org. Reservations must be pre-paid and all RSVPs and checks must be sent to the Culver City Historical Society by September 15. The Archives and Resource Center will be open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the day of the event.

• Fiesta La Ballona – This year’s Fiesta La Ballona, held at Veterans Park from August 22 through August 24 was a huge success. Thousands of people attended,more than 250 people performed, and more than 100 people volunteered. A big thank you to the City’s Fiesta La Ballona Committee which includes Randy Arizmendez, Stephen Fry, Karen Gibbs, Ronnie Jayne, Jeanne Min, Marcus Tiggs, Bob Wayne, and incoming member Celeste Anlauf.

Police Department

• Autism Unites Holds Seminar with the Culver City Police Department - On August 20 Chief Scott Bixby, Captain Allen Azran, Lieutenant Jason Sims, Captain Ron Iizuka, and Officer Toby Raya participated in a seminar with Autism Unites and Emily Iland who teaches special education at California State University. Emily, who has an autistic son, has developed a curriculum to teach law enforcement about working with people on the autism spectrum. The goal of the program is to teach people with autism how to interact safely with police officers. The event was an opportunity for the Police Department to reach out to the community to help develop a positive relationship.

• Police Department Promotes Four Members - On August 27 Chief Scott Bixby held a promotional ceremony in the Mike Balkman Council Chambers. The promotions included Captain Chris Gutierrez to Assistant Chief, Lieutenant Allen Azran to Captain, Sergeant Emery Eccles to Lieutenant, and Officer Luis Martinez to Sergeant. Congratulations to all of the newly promoted employees.

Public Works

• The Greening of the Fiesta – Environmental Programs and Operations, a Division of Public Works, is proud to have participated again in the Greening of the Fiesta.

1) Food waste from this event will be diverted from the landfill and taken to a composting facility, it will become a soil amendment and fertilizer for farmers and gardeners.

2) To help reduce the volume of refuse generated from this event, earth friendly billboards and signs were placed to promote the new Recycling and Composting stations located throughout the Fiesta.

3) Attendees were encouraged to ride bicycles to the event and park in the free Bike Valet Hosted by Angel City Derby Girls.

4) The Public Works Information Booth provided information for visitors to learn more about how Culver City is Going Green.

• New Household Hazardous Waste Residential Program –

Culver City Public Works Environmental Programs and Operations Division is proud to roll out its new residential program with information on everything you need to know about Household Hazardous Waste.

Learn more at http://www.culvercity.org/HHW and check out new videos by acclaimed host Joel Green “Curiosity Quest Goes Green”

Remember NOT ALL TRASH IS CREATED EQUAL: Know what you throw away in your trash at home.