By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

Recently I had the pleasure of discussing the 30-year career and retirement of my good friend, Chief Christopher Sellers. From January 1984 until June 2014, the former Fire Chief worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic, Engineer, Fire Captain, CMS Coordinator, Battalion Chief and Assistant Fire Chief, being promoted to Fire Chief in December 2009.

Along the way he acquired various professional affiliations and received numerous certificates from the California Fire Marshall, a Bachelor of Science from California State University Los Angeles in Fire Protection Administration (Cum Laude with a 3.8 GPA), plus various commendations from Culver City and a number of associations.

During the past nine months the Chief’s retirement has been truly busy, including visiting his son in Nicaragua and traveling to Southeast Asia. This is a real man who loves children, dogs, family, reading and visiting with mom.

For a $50 gift card to the May Company, who was the big winner in the election held on March 3? If you said Herb Wesson, you know your politics, but just to be sure let’s go over the results together. Herb crushed all who stood between him and another term on the Los Angeles City Council as its president. In addition, those elected in other council districts were his supporters. Also, the two issues passed giving him an additional 18 months on the council, but here is the beauty part. Mr. Wesson will be termed out in 2018 and Maria, AKA the Wild Gypsy Lady, said Wesson would run for the Mark Ridley-Thomas seat on the Board of Supervisors. You see, in 2018 Mark will run for Congress in the Democratic Primary against Maxine Waters. Do you think Maxine has heard the rumors?

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Thanks to an article in the New York Post, we now know a company from Colorado is working with rabbis in New York on a plan to start selling legal edible marijuana products certified kosher. The program could be in effect next year.

In the Journal of the American Medical Association, a study that tracked over 2,000 Finnish men for almost 20 years suggested long sauna baths resulted in fewer deaths from heart attacks, strokes and heart-related conditions.

For you submariners, the Navy will name a nuclear sub for Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. The Admiral retired after 63 years of naval service.

The Jewish War Veterans Post 617 will be meeting on April 2 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at The Elks Lodge, 11160 Washington Place. Entertainment and lunch will be provided.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently proposed advising circumcision for adult men because reportedly it can reduce HIV transmission up to 60 %, HPV up to 30% and genital herpes up to 45%.

Did you read the report presented at the Alzheimer Europe Annual Conference? There is more good news for all you big coffee drinkers. Caffeine will cut your chances of getting this disease by 20%.

If you are into marathons, why not plan to run in the Santa Barbara Veterans Day Marathon on November 7? I am not participating so some one else will be the first place winner.

I finally got around to reading the February 7, 2015 issue of Science News. Scientists are looking into lung cancer and how it is linked to breathing at sea level. That’s right – at higher elevations there is less oxygen in the air and fewer cases of lung cancer.

Check out the April 2015 issue of This Old House that just came out. For all you handy types, you need to turn to Page 104. In Oxford, New York there is a five bedroom, five bathroom house built in 1850 or thereabouts for sale for $16,500. Your eyes do not lie, that’s sixteen thousand five hundred smackeroos with tax credits of up to 40 percent. It has 2,500 square feet but needs considerable work including new wiring, updated plumbing, repairs to heating system and restoration or replacement of plaster walls. Call Greg Miller at (607) 226-0128 or email him at Gregmillerxke@gmail.com.

It was less than a year ago that the House of Representatives voted to raise $10.8 billion to keep the Federal Highway Trust Fund solvent through May 2015 by using pension tax changes, customs fees and money from a fund to repair leaking underground fuel storage tanks. A blind person can easily see the feds raising the tax on gasoline by at least $.15 per gallon, and soon. Watch for the new tax on the Internet also coming soon.

I see the Assembly is looking into possible hanky panky between the Public Utilities Commission and the Southern California Edison Company. It just seems to me the only thing that went up faster than the Edison rates was the price of food at the supermarket.

Theodorsia stored a bunch of newspapers from our vacation last year to Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Just last week I started digging through them. In the June 22, 2014 Atlanta Journal-Constitution there’s an article, “Gene may combat heart attacks.” Two major studies by leading research groups have independently identified mutations in a single gene that protect against heart attacks by keeping levels of triglycerides very low for a lifetime. Those who carry the gene mutations have a 40 percent reduction in triglyceride levels and a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com by placing Rubenstein in that website’s search box.