Culver City Observer -

City Manager’s Office

• Help Restore the “Rivers of the World” Mural: April 16 to April 20 –– You can be a part of restoring Culver City’s Rivers of the World (ROW) mural, which has sustained graffiti damage, vandalism, and suffered various states of disrepair. The planned renovation will return the mural to a protected, and near-original state. Those interested can meet at the Bicycle Ramp of the Ballona Creek at the Duquesne Avenue gate. Brushes, paint and guidance will be provided. Volunteers need to be of high school age or older. For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/124480450908112/. To register as a volunteer, please visit: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a49afaa2fa6f94-save.

• Council Chambers Renovations Complete – Over the past several weeks considerable work has been done to upgrade the outdated lighting, audio, and broadcasting equipment in the Mike Balkman Council Chambers. Beginning with the Monday, April 13 City Council meeting, the public was once again able to participate in City Council, Commission, and other specified public meetings in the Council Chambers. Please visit http://culvercity.org/agenda.aspx to learn about upcoming meetings.

Fire Department

• Department Training – The Culver City Fire Department recently took delivery of, and underwent training for, two sets of light rail emergency response equipment. The funds to purchase the Paratech Hydrafusion Strut Kits were acquired by the Transportation Department through the FY 2013-14 California Transit Security Grant Program. The primary designated use for the equipment is for lifting and stabilizing trains and large transit vehicles to extricate trapped victims during major accidents, incidents or disasters. The struts are also readily useful in several other applications such as lifting passenger vehicles after rollover incidents, securing garage doors during residential structure fires, and emergency shoring operations for small sections of a building after a fire or an earthquake.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services

• Veterans Memorial Building and Rental Operation – Jon Lindsay’s NPC Grand Prix Los Angeles occured at VMB on April 11. More information is available at http://lindsayproductions.com/. USA Dance (Los Angeles County) returned to Veterans Memorial Auditorium on April 12. More information is available at http://usadancela.org/.

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• Arts Grant Program – Culver City’s Vox Femina Los Angeles presents a free choral concert at Culver City Presbyterian Church on April 26. More information is available at http://voxfemina.org/.

• Culver City Senior Center Health & Wellness Program – A new program through Jewish Family Services helps at-risk older adults, ages 65 and older, continue living independently and aging in place by matching them with a volunteer Health and Wellness Coach. The role of the volunteer Health and Wellness Coach is to provide companion services and social activities, dedicating a couple of hours a week meeting with their matched senior(s) at the senior’s home or out in the community. Volunteer Coaches receive training prior to starting, as well as ongoing monthly support once matched, and help connect their matched senior to necessary community resources while promoting socialization and diminishing social isolation. Volunteers in the Senior Health and Wellness Program are similar in age as their matched senior – 55 years and older – and are asked to make an ongoing weekly commitment. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer for this program, please contact Jill Thomsen at 310-253-6722 or by emailing Jill at jill.thomsen@culvercity.org.

• Social Services Big Brothers Big Sisters In-School Mentoring Program – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles has started their first program in the Culver City Unified School District and are recruiting kind, dependable “Bigs” for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. This program takes place during the lunch hour (between 11:45 am – 1 pm, depending on class schedules) at La Ballona Elementary on Washington Boulevard. Mentors will meet with their “Littles” one day per week, usually a Tuesday or Wednesday, for an hour each week during the school year. One hour a week can make a huge impact on a young person’s life in our community. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer for this program, please contact Jill Thomsen at (310) 253-6722 or jill.thomsen@culvercity.org.

• Senior Center De-Cluttering Workshop – The Senior Center will present a de-cluttering workshop on Thursday, April 23 at 1 pm. In the workshop, participants will learn a simple de-cluttering system to help in getting started and two key elements in help in staying motivated. Like all of the education programs at the Senior Center, this workshop is open to the public ages 50 and older.

• Culver City Senior Center Spring Follies – The annual Culver City Senior Center spring talent show, The Spring Follies, will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 1 pm. This variety show will feature the Center’s own talented members and is organized by Tony Munoz & Friends. Entry is a $1 suggested donation.

Police Department

• Police Department Employees Recognized by the Rotary and Exchange Clubs - On April 1 Lieutenant Aubrey Kellum, Detective Ryan Thompson, Dianne Gifford and three of our Explorers, Miranda Myers, Jonathan Loughlin, and Yishah Everett were recognized and honored for their outstanding service to the community. The event took place at the Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles Westside.

• Lieutenant Jason Sims Graduates from LAPD Leadership Program - On April 2 Lieutenant Jason Sims graduated from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Leadership Program after completing the 136 hour program. The program is based on West Point Military Academy courses, in which leadership theories are taught to all of its students. Congratulations Lieutenant Sims.

• Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas Visits Police Department - On Wednesday April 1 Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas met with Chief Bixby and the Command Staff to discuss current issues facing the City and the State. The Assemblymember learned about the Police Department’s goals, measures of effectiveness and all of the positive community outreach the Department has in place to make the citizens safer in our community.

Public Works Department

• Four Rain Gardens Completed – The Public Works Department completed a multi-faceted project for improved water quality in Ballona Creek. Part of the project, funded by a Proposition 50 Grant, included the construction of rain gardens at four locations:

o Ballona Creek near Culver Middle School

o Baldwin Avenue North of Farragut Drive

o Public Works Maintenance Facility

o City Solid Waste Transfer Station

The purpose of the rain gardens is to infiltrate urban runoff and to reduce pollutants loading to the Creek and Ocean. The primary pollutants of concern in Ballona Creek are metals and bacteria. The table below provides an estimate of the pollutant removal capacity of the rain gardens. We estimate that on an annual basis, 10 pounds of metals and 5.4 trillion bacteria organisms are diverted from the Creek and Ocean by the rain gardens.

Estimate of Annual Pollutant Removal

Rain Garden Location Copper

(mg) Lead

(mg) Zinc

(mg) Fecal Coliform

(Billion Organisms) Total Coliform

(Billion Organisms) Entero-

Coccus

(Billion Organisms)

Ballona Creek 120,676 30,504 3,352,117 1.34 36.9 402

Baldwin Farragut 132,550 13,080 281,969 240 269 3889

City Maint. Facility 68,174 27,574 451,857 24.1 58.7 49.1

Transfer Station 8,154 2,208 40,769 5.10 28.9 425

Total 329,554 70,367 4,126,712 270.5 393 4765

9.971 Pounds Metals 5.429 Trillion Organisms

The last effort on the project was completed recently. Interpretive signage was placed at three of the four locations providing an explanation of the rain gardens.

• Culver City Receives Grant Writing Assistance for Active Transportation Project – The Public Works Department was successful in competing for and securing no cost grant writing assistance from LA n Sync. The grant writing assistance will be used to compile a grant application for Safe Routes to School safety improvements surrounding La Ballona Elementary School. The application will be submitted on June 1 for consideration of funding from the Active Transportation Project (ATP) Grant.

• Construction Updates

1. Golden State water will slurry seal Revere Place and Le Bourget Avenue between Braddock Drive and Culver Boulevard. The streets will be closed between 8 am and 5 pm to complete the work. Residents will be notified.

2. SCE will be intermittently closing traffic lanes on Jefferson Boulevard, south of Pearson Street, to access their utility vault in front of the business park at 10131 Jefferson Boulevard. Lane closures will vary and occur over the next two weeks.

Transportation Department

• Elected Representatives, Transit Officials Rally for Transportation Funding – On Thursday, April 9 the City of Long Beach hosted the national “Stand Up 4 Transportation” campaign, which supported by the American Public Transportation Association, and National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates. Campaign supporters are demanding Congress pass a long-term federal transportation funding bill. At Thursday’s event officials emphasized their concern that without a long-term funding plan in place, local governments that cannot afford to undertake major infrastructure projects on their own will not be able to take action on worthwhile projects. Vice Mayor Micheál O’Leary attended the event, and Transportation Director Art Ida addressed the attendees.

(L-R: Juan Chen, Vice Mayor Micheál O’Leary, and Frazier Watts)

Transportation Director Art Ida and Speakers