Culver City Observer -

City Manager’s Office

• Truth or Fiction Sculpture by Nobuho Nagasawa - Truth or Fiction was completed in 1995 and is comprised of three free-standing, triangular pillars made of laminated glass etched with images referencing Culver City's motion picture history. These images include MGM's Leo the Lion and an enlarged eye from Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound. At night, the sculpture is illuminated from within -- projecting moving phrases, images of native Southern California’s plants and animals, and various visual references from the film industry, including a reel from a movie camera.

On March 31 Charisma Design Studio, Inc. (the original fabricator of the artwork), began the restoration of this beloved permanent artwork, which has not been operational for a long time. The restoration will involve a thorough inspection and, as necessary; repair of all components (including the electric gear motors); replacement of the existing metal halide lights with longer-lasting and more energy efficient LED bulbs; and a thorough cleaning and resealing of the glass on each of the three pillars. Restoration will take approximately one month to complete, with the majority of the work taking place off-site.

• The Rivers of the World Mural Restoration Opportunity – The Rivers of the World mural is located at Duquesne Avenue on the bike path access ramp on the north side of Ballona Creek. In 1998, the City received a competitive grant award from Los Angeles County (Proposition A Anti-Graffiti Mural Projects) with the support of Ballona Creek Renaissance (BCR). The project was implemented and directed by BCR, endorsed by the Culver City Unified School District, and completed in 2000 by artists, employing 9 – 12th grade students, and the talents of community volunteers. Many visitors traveling by bike, walking home from school, or pedestrian traffic walking to attend cultural or sport events have enjoyed the mural. Over time the mural has sustained graffiti damage and vandalism, and has been in various states of disrepair.

From April 16 through 20 this mural will be restored, with the intent of returning the mural to a protected, and near-original state. As was the case in 1999-2000, this will be a community-based volunteer effort, with assistance from professional artists and support from BCR. 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

City Clerk’s Office

• Opening of the Application Period for 2015 Culver City Commission, Committee and Board Appointments – The City Clerk’s Office is pleased to accept applications for vacancies on the following bodies: Civil Service Commission (2), Cultural Affairs Commission (1), Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (1), Planning Commission (1), Committee on Homelessness (4), Disability Advisory Committee (3), and Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board (1 Tenant, 1 Landlord, and 2 Members-at-Large and 1 Member-at-Large Alternate.) Applications will be accepted from Monday, March 30 until 5 pm on Thursday, May 7. Late applications may not be accepted.

New for 2015: Applicants can now complete and submit applications online at http://www.culvercity.org/serve. Applications and additional information are also available in person during business hours from the City Clerk’s Office, located on the first floor at City Hall (9770 Culver Boulevard); may be requested by phoning (310) 253-5851, or can be downloaded from the website to complete by hand. Applications will be accepted online, in person, by mail, by fax to 310-253-6010, or electronically via email to city.clerk@culvercity.org. Appointments for these openings are tentatively scheduled to be considered by the City Council on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

Community Development

• ArcLight Cinemas – ArcLight Cinemas, which recently purchased the former Pacific Theaters, will upgrade the lobby area, restrooms and hallways of the movie theatre at 9500 Culver Boulevard.

• Omelet – The work on the tenant improvement for the creative offices for this advertising agency at 3540 Hayden Avenue has been completed.

• Scopely – A leading touchscreen entertainment network, Scopely, has submitted plans for a 27,241 square foot tenant improvement for an existing commercial space at 3530 Hayden Avenue.

• HOK – A global design architecture, engineering and planning firm, HOK, have plans approved for a 3,800 square foot tenant improvement at 9530 Jefferson Boulevard.

• Westfield Culver City – The tenant improvement to add Kids Foot Locker at Westfield Culver City has been completed.

• Holy Cow – Plans are approved for a new barbeque restaurant at 4130 Sepulveda Boulevard.

• Tangaroa Fish Market – Work is complete on a new restaurant at 12604 Washington Boulevard.

• Exodus Care – Plans submitted for a new health treatment center at 11444 Washington Boulevard.

• Dunkin’ Donuts – Plans submitted for a new donut shop at 13300 Washington Boulevard.

• Unleashed by Petco – Plans submitted for an 850 square foot tenant improvement of the pet wash room in an existing pet at 13411 Washington Boulevard.

• Aesop USA, Inc. – Aesop, an apothecary, have approved plans for a new retail store at 8840 Washington Boulevard.

• Yoga Salt – Plans approved for this new yoga studio at 11357 Washington Boulevard.

• Washep – Plans submitted for a new car wash tunnel and a new convenience store at 11197 Washington Place.

• Planning Division – A Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was issued by City of Los Angeles for a large mixed-use transit oriented development project just outside of Culver City’s borders at Jefferson Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard (the former KLOS Site). Planning staff attended the scoping community meeting on March 26. The project includes podium-style buildings that vary in the number of stories and height, up to approximately 300 feet. The developer, Carmel Partners, is proposing approximately 1,200 dwelling units and 300,000 square feet of commercial floor area on the lower ground floors. The project’s commercial space includes 200,000 square feet of office space, 50,000 square feet of grocery store space, 20,000 square feet of restaurant space, and 30,000 square feet of general retail. Parking would be provided within a combination of above-ground and subterranean parking levels and will follow City of Los Angeles’s requirements. The project site is located on approximately 11.19 acres (± 487,535 square feet). A schedule or detailed plan is not developed as to date, however, staff will comment on the NOP and monitor and analyze this project as to its impacts to Culver City, as it goes through the EIR review, comment, and entitlement process.

Fire Department

• Department Light Rail Training – The Culver City Fire Department recently participated in light rail-specific training facilitated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). This annual First Responder training included a review of procedures necessary to immobilize and power down trains, isolate high voltage systems, gain access to passenger areas, methods to communicate with Metro Operations. This refresher training sharpened the Fire Department personnel’s ability to mitigate medical events in rail cars, emergency incidents on train tracks, and emergencies involving energized rail systems.

• Portable Solar Light Towers – The Culver City Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management will soon take delivery of two portable solar light towers. Through a State Homeland Security Grant managed by the City of Santa Monica, Culver City and other local cities were able to buy eight solar light towers to use during emergencies.

• April is Earthquake Preparedness Month – April has been designated as Earthquake Preparedness Month since the April 1906 San Francisco earthquake and continues to be supported by the State Assembly urging all Californians and government agencies to engage in education, evaluation of seismic hazards, mitigation, safety activities, and the exchange of information related to earthquake preparedness with other states and nations. Surprisingly, many Californians don't consider themselves at risk unless they live on or near the line of a well-known fault, such as the San Andreas or Hayward Fault. This misconception leaves millions of Californians unprepared for an earthquake.

Quick Facts:

 Major earthquakes registering magnitudes between 6.3 and 8.3 have occurred in California every 5.4 years, on average, for the past 200 years.

 The United States Geological Survey estimates that there is a 90 percent chance that a major earthquake will strike an urban area in California within the next 30 years.

 The majority of Californians live within 20 miles of a major earthquake fault.

 Being prepared could save your life!

While California is a world leader in emergency response and recovery capabilities, our responders can't do it alone. It is the responsibility of every individual to take action, get informed, and get actively involved in emergency preparedness. For more information on how you can get prepared, visit http://www.culvercity.org/emergencyprep. Article from the California Office of Emergency Management

Parks, Recreation and Community Services

• Culver City Teen Center – The first Culver City Healthy Family 5K Run/Walk takes place on Sunday, April 26. The Run/Walk is a collaboration between the Culver City Rotary Club, Culver-Palms YMCA, West LA College, and the Boy Scouts of America, with proceeds benefitting the three youth organizations. The Teen Center will use the funds raised to provide scholarships to the Summer Teen Camp for families in need. For more information and to register for this event, please visit http://www.culvercity.org/Articles/cc5k_042615.aspx.

• Aging in America Conference - Volunteer Specialist Jill Thomsen was happy to deliver more than 50 hats, scarves and gloves as part of the social responsibility component at the national Aging in America Conference in Chicago. These items were handmade by volunteers at the Culver City Senior Center and will be distributed to organizations throughout the Chicago area.

• Ask the Nurse & Ask the Therapist – On Tuesdays from 9 am to 11 am at the Senior Center, L.A. County staff is available to answer questions regarding mental health issues such as feelings of isolation or depression, difficulty in communication, domestic violence, elder or financial abuse, when to seek counseling or therapy (and will it be covered by insurance), medications & side effects, general wellness, and medical conditions—as well as taking vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and weight.

• Senior Legal Services - For more than two decades, Bet Tzedek has served the legal needs of low-income seniors in our community. Because of its expertise, Bet Tzedek is the exclusive provider of free legal services to low-income seniors through contracts with the City and County of Los Angeles. For more information, please call 323-939-0506.

• Low Vision Support Group – This group meets each Friday at the Senior Center from 1 pm to 3 in Room C-71. The group is open to anyone with low vision and led by staff from the Center for the Partially Sighted.

• Health Insurance Counseling Program - Each Monday, a counselor provides free, impartial, and unbiased information, assistance, and counseling on Medicare and related health care coverage such as Medicare Parts A & B, Prevention Services, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, HMOs & PPO, Medi-gap Insurance, Medi-Cal, and Long-Term Care. Appointments may be made with the Senior Center Business Desk staff. This service is provided by the Center for Health Care Rights.

• Help with your Electronic Gadgets! – On Wednesday, April 8 the Senior Center will have Symantec volunteers provide assistance one-on-one for those members with questions about their personal mobile devices, such as cell phones, iPads, tablets, laptop computers, Nooks, Kindles, iPods, etc. The sessions can last up to 15 minutes per session. There are no reservations taken for this event, and sign-ups begin at 12:15 p.m. Simply show up with your device, pen and paper for taking notes. Please see Jill Thomsen in RSVP with any questions and thank you to Symantec for providing the volunteers!

Public Works Department

• Ballona Creek Bike Path Re-Opens – The Bike Path (between Overland Avenue and National Boulevard) reopens. The Bike Path was closed for maintenance, which included:

o Removal of graffiti along the embankment adjacent to the bike path

o Repair of several areas of cracked pavement

o Removal of dead trees and clearance pruning of low hanging vegetation (also included areas outside of proposed segment closure)

• 100 Healthy Homes Workshop: Monday, April 13 – Attend this free workshop to learn about rebates and incentives to assist property owners in making energy efficient home upgrades.

Community members can learn more about the program and how they can take advantage of all the offerings by attending the following workshop:

Monday, April 13

6 pm to 7:30

Culver City Hall – Dan Patacchia Room (1st Floor)

9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

For more information, please call Energy Network at 877-785 2237 or email homeupgrade@theenergynetwork.com.

• CSUN Institute for Sustainability Solar Workshop: Wednesday, April 15 – Learn more about solar options and sustainability at this free workshop presented by Dr. Helen Cox, the Director for the Institute for Sustainability at California State University, Northridge. Dr. Cox will be offering a class to the community in an effort to increase the knowledge about solar energy. Southern California Edison representatives (SCE) will be in attendance to speak briefly about Energy Efficiency. Dr. Cox will answer any questions on how solar energy works, key factors to consider, financing options, and many more questions you may have about solar energy use in your home.

Wednesday, April 15

6:30 pm to 8

Culver City Hall – Dan Patacchia Room (1st Floor)

9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

For more information, please call Energy Network at (877)785 2237 or email homeupgrade@theenergynetwork.com.

• Los Angeles County Advanced Smart Gardening: Saturday, April 18 – Learn to improve your lawn and garden and reduce waste. Advanced workshops introduce organic gardening, landscaping with native friendly and drought tolerant plants, as well as integrated pest management (environmental ways to control pests). There is no reservation needed, and doors open at 9 am. Attendees will be able to purchase compost and worm bins at a discount price (worms included), and cash and checks only will be accepted. For more information on this and all of the scheduled Smart Gardening workshops, please visit http://www.smartgardening.com.

Saturday, April 18

9:30 am to 11:30

Veterans Memorial Complex – Garden Room

4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232

• Westside Repair Café: Saturday, April 18 – Repair Café is a free event where volunteer “fixers” are available to help repair broken items free of charge, with the exception of the cost of replacement parts. Visitors to the Repair Café can bring damaged items from home including toasters, lamps, hair dryers, clothes, bikes, and toys! Anything that is broken is welcome, and our “fixers’ will attempt to restore it to its original glory. Also, at this event you can participate in a clothing exchange. Bring your slightly used clothing for others and be able to take anything you may find on the table for yourself.

To sign up to volunteer http://doodle.com/p6cybdrt44zcvszc, or for more information, visit: http://ourtimebank.timebanks.org/events/westside-repair-caf%C3%A9-culver-city-earth-day.

• California Friendly Landscaping Training: Monday, April 20 – Join Mayor Sahli-Wells and West Basin Director Scott Houston as we learn to create a California friendly garden using the latest sustainable materials and techniques. This course covers the use of:

• Native plants and edibles

• Water-efficient irrigation devices (drip irrigation, “smart” sprinkler controllers)

• Rainwater capture and permeable materials

• On-site water retention to reduce water and pollution to the ocean West Basin

Monday, April 20

6 pm to 9 at

Culver City Hall – Dan Patacchia Room (1st Floor)

9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

To RSVP call (310) 371-4633 or visit http://www.sbesc.com.

• Transition Culver City Repurposing and Craft Evening: Wednesday, April 22 – What is repurposing, anyway? It may sound new & trendy, but since ancient times, people have always been resourceful about reusing old or broken objects, instead of throwing them away. Now, hobbyists, craft websites, and the Maker culture are revitalizing “repurposing” as an art form! Come learn creative ways to repurpose with other local crafters at this hands-on evening workshop. For more information, please see Transition Culver City’s Facebook page.

Wednesday, April 22

6 pm to 9

Culver City Hall – Dan Patacchia Room (1st Floor)

9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

• Eco Movie Night “Greenhorns Film”: Friday, April 24 – Enjoy a documentary exploring the lives of America’s young sustainable farming community—its spirit, practices, and needs. Filmmaker Severine Von Tscharner Fleming hopes the stories in this film will embolden those considering a career in agriculture and inspire a campaign for agrarian reform. Panel discussion follows film. Popcorn provided. For more information, please see Transition Culver City’s Facebook page.

Friday, April 24

7 pm to 9

Culver City Hall – Dan Patacchia Room (1st Floor)

9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

• LED Street Lights Induction Testing – The Public Works Department will be testing induction on LED street lights on Lafayette Place between Braddock Drive and Farragut Avenue. Four induction lights have been retrofitted on the west side of the street and four LED lights have been retrofitted on the east side. Public Works Staff will monitor the appearance and performance of the two different types of lamp for comparison.

• Hazard Mitigation Plan Moving Forward – The City Council approved an agreement with Michael Baker International to prepare a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan on behalf of the City and the Culver City Unified School District. A contract is being prepared and once executed, workshops will be held to obtain input from the public to aid in the plan’s preparation.

• 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 one day each to traffic between 8 am and 5 pm to complete the process. It is expected that the work will occur the week of April 6.

2. Time Warner Cable will be restoring the street from their fiber optic installation on Centinela Avenue between Green Valley Circle and Bristol Parkway. The work should be completed by Friday, April 3.

3. Golden State Water will slurry seal Patom Drive between Berryman Avenue and Sawtelle Boulevard, and between Culver Park Place and Diller Avenue. The streets will be closed one day for the work between 8 am and 5 pm to complete the process. It is anticipated that the work will occur during the week of March 30.

4. Golden State Water will begin installation of a new fire service on Madison Avenue, south of Culver Boulevard on March 30. This work will take approximately two weeks to complete.