Culver City Observer -

4th of July Fireworks Show! - The Culver City Exchange Club’s 50th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Show was held at West Los Angeles College on the evening of Monday, July 4. .

Featuring:

o Garden State Fireworks - With more than 125 years of experience entertaining crowds from the White House and Washington D.C.’s Capitol Mall to the Super Bowl and New York Harbor

o The New Directions for Vets Choir - A finalist on TV’s “America’s Got Talent”

o Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps - Original music

o Food Trucks, Live Music, a Kids Zone, Carnival Games & Prizes, and a Raffle

This event was co-sponsored by the City of Culver City.

Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival Began on Thursday, July 7! - Summer breezes…an intimate courtyard…free parking…and great music. Enjoy an evening in Culver City for the 2016 Culver City Boulevard Music Summer Festival. Boulevard Music presents six free concerts on Thursday evenings at 7 pm from July 7 through August 11 in the palm-lined courtyard of Culver City's City Hall. Become an entry level sponsor by purchasing one of the 100 premium reserved seats for sale at $10 each per show available at Boulevard Music!

Produced by Gary Mandell of Culver City’s Boulevard Music, Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival offers something for everyone: Country/Bluegrass music from 2015's Grammy-nominated Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (pictured below) (July 7); The sounds of World Music from Africa by Peter Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement (July 14); High energy Latin/Salsa rhythms - great for dancing - from Orquesta Tabaco y Ron (July 21); Pop and Rock Classics done in the sounds of golden age 50’s songs by Big Daddy (July 28); Internationally renowned Irish vocalist and flutist Nuala Kennedy and her ensemble (Aug 4); and Soul/R&B - with spirit going straight to the heart - from Missy Andersen and her band (Aug 11).

Avoid the crowds and parking hassles of other areas on the Westside. You can catch a Culver CityBus to the venue, and bike racks are available. If you drive, parking is free for two hours in designated parking structures in downtown Culver City. Dozens of dining options are available within walking distance. Culver City’s downtown area is Southern California’s best-kept secret, featuring a wonderful mix of historic buildings, boutiques, theaters, galleries, and unique restaurants opening onto tree-lined streets.

Culver City’s Boulevard Music Festival is sponsored by the City of Culver City, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Culver Studios, Boulevard Music, John Riordan Plumbing, Culver City Volvo & Mazda, Palm Court, Hooman Chevrolet, D & E Associates, Swiss Motors, Combined Properties, Hillside Memorial Park, Gates Kingsley Gates, Crave Desserts, Bella Vista Pizza, Cavanaugh Realty, Public School 310, Culver Hotel, Courtyard Marriott, Michael Kayem Remax Estate Properties, Tower Insurance, Dolce Realtors, Sorrento Market, Southern California Hospital, Maxam Properties, Music Munchers, Dynagraphics, Culver City News, Culver City Observer, Steeldeck Inc, Eastman Strings, Kremona, Ohana, Ernie Ball, and more to be confirmed soon as sponsorships are still available. For more information, please view the flyer, call Boulevard Music at 310-398-2583, or go to Boulevard Music’s website.

Cultural Affairs

• New Permanent Public Art for Greystar’s Access Culver City – In September 2014, the Cultural Affairs Commission approved an art concep by merge conceptual design that was installed recently in the open space area of the Access Culver City project at the southeast corner of the intersection of Washington and National Boulevards. The art features a stainless steel infinity loop that changes shape when viewed from various vantage points available at the site and is enveloped in a cloud of fog at intermittent intervals throughout the day.

Fire Department

• Strike Team Deployment – From June 20 to June 23, strike teams were deployed to assist with the Fish and San Gabriel Complex fires. The strike teams were comprised of firefighters from Culver City, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills Fire Departments. During deployments, the Culver City Fire Department immediately recalls off-duty firefighters to ensure continuous coverage for Culver City.

• CCARES Participated in ARRL Field Day – June 25-26, Culver City Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CCARES) participated in the National Association for Amateur Radio American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day. The Culver City Fire Department supported CCARES by setting up two 24-hour open radio access posts, one at Fire Station 1 and another at City Hall. ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June, more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations. The objective is to work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Click here for more information about CCARES.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

• Culver City Camp Programs – Just 4 Kids & Teen Summer Camps were entering Week #3. The upcoming weeks of camp will feature trips to a Los Angeles Angels baseball game against the Houston Astros, a roller-coaster fun-filled trip to Magic Mountain and much more. For more information, please contact the Culver City Recreation and Registration Office at (310) 253-6650.

• Olympic Day at Culver City Camp – It was another great Olympic Day for Culver City campers, which took place on June 23. Campers participated in multiple events such as soccer, basketball, freeze dance and inflatable jumpers. Over 180 campers participated. Campers were particularly high-spirited because this is a Summer Olympic year. Campers eagerly shared their thoughts on their favorite Olympians and which events they were most looking forward to experiencing.

• CarFit at the Culver City Senior Center – the Culver City Senior Center and Social Services Division will host a CarFit event on Saturday, July 23 from 8:30 am to noon at the Culver City Senior Center. CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. At a CarFit event, a team of trained technicians and/or health professionals work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. A CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The event is open to all drivers age 55+ but appointments must be made for the event. Please call (310) 253-6700 to make a reservation. The event is co-sponsored by the Association of American Retired Persons (AARP), American Automobile Association (AAA), American Occupational Therapy Associations (AOTO) and the Culver City Senior Citizens Association (CCSCA).

• Culver City Volunteer Opportunities – There are many upcoming volunteer opportunities in the Culver City community. Please contact Jill Thomsen in the volunteer office at (310) 253-6722 or via email for more information. Two note-worthy volunteer opportunities include the following: 1) The Red Cross in Culver City is looking for biomedical transportation specialist volunteers to transport blood and blood products to hospitals in a safe and timely manner; time commitment is once a month for six months; must have a valid driver’s license with three years of driving experience, provide proof of a safe driving record, and be able to lift up to 45 pounds; the Culver City vehicle pickup and drop-off location is in West Culver City near the Arts District and volunteers utilize a Red Cross vehicle for this unique volunteer opportunity. 2) Culver City Public Theatre’s 18th season opened July 16th. The troupe performs two shows on Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 2 pm and always need volunteers to help with set up and striking; handing out programs, taking zip code surveys, and staffing the concession stand.

• Culver City Volunteer Program – Thank you to the team from the Culver City Best Buy at the Culver Center on Washington Boulevard for volunteering at the thank-you breakfast for our Culver City Volunteer Program volunteers. Thanks to the Best Buy team and Senior & Social Services Division staff, more than 200 volunteers were able to relax and enjoy a delicious breakfast and entertainment donated by the talented Rebecca Rice

• Veterans Memorial Complex Rental Operation – Upgrades continue for Veterans Memorial Auditorium. 225 new Mity-Lite chairs are now part of the equipment inventory for the venue; the 2017 Reservation Calendar opened on July 1. Please contact the VMC Rental Office at (310) 253-6625 or via email. Revised policies regarding Culver City Police Department procedures at VMC rentals that serve alcohol are effective as of July 1. More information is available by contacting the VMC Rental Office.

• Fiesta La Ballona 2016 – Fiesta returns the weekend of August 26 - 28 and sponsorship opportunities are still available. More information on the Fiesta and Sponsorship Opportunities is available by calling (310) 253-6667, going to the Fiesta La Ballona website or by sending an email.

• Culver City Municipal Plunge – In celebration of “Water Safety Month,” the aquatics staff from The Plunge conducted over a dozen water safety presentations to schools, libraries and community groups within Culver City. More than 200 youth and over 20 caretakers took part in the water safety presentations. To view the presentations and learn how you can stay safe in and around water, please visit our website.

• The Plunge Among Best L.A. Pools – From the hundreds of public pools in the Greater Los Angeles area, the Culver City Plunge was named one of the “Six Best Public Pools” in an article by Julia Wick in Arts & Entertainment on June 9. To read the article, please click here.

• Summer Hours at The Plunge – The staff of the Culver City Plunge invite you and your family to join us for some fun and excitement during Recreation Swim, which takes place Monday – Sunday from 12:30 pm – 3 pm through Labor Day. Come beat the heat at The Plunge this summer!

• Fox Hills Park Pride Day – The Annual Fox Hills Park Pride Day takes place on Saturday, July 30 from 9:30 am to noon at – you guessed it! – Fox Hills Park. This annual events is hosted by the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association. Participants will be planting Junipers and generally cleaning the park; gloves, tools and lunch will be provided. For more information, please click here.

Police Department

• Procedural Justice Training - On Wednesday, June 29 Chief Bixby and the Command Staff met with Chief Ed Medrano from the Gardena Police Department to discuss the upcoming training session for all Department supervisors. Chief Medrano is the lead instructor and will be presenting the training. The training session is sponsored by the United States Department of Justice and is part of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Policies. The theme of the training is Organizational Change through Decision Making Policy.

• Rotary Club Demotion Dinner - On Sunday, June 25 Lieutenant Bill Browne attended the Rotary Demotion Dinner held at a local restaurant. The dinner was held to thank Carmela Raack for her reign as President. The members of the Police Department want to thank the Rotary Club for its leadership.

Public Works Department

• Utility Work in Public Right-of-Way - Golden State Water Company is currently installing a replacement water main on Helms Avenue between National Boulevard and Higuera Street. The work is expected to be completed by the end of July.

• Baldwin Hills Conservancy Grant - In July 2015, the Baldwin Hills Conservancy (BHC) received an appropriation of $2,000,000 of Proposition 1 grant funds for fiscal year 2015-2016 for use toward, “protecting rivers, lakes, streams, coastal waters and watersheds”.

Department staff applied for the grant under the category to “protect and restore rural and urban watershed health to improve watershed storage capacity, forest health, protection of life and property, storm water resource management, and greenhouse gas reduction”. The City submitted the Refuse Transfer Station – Storm Water Diversion System and Rain Garden Project.

The project would capture, pre-treat/filter, and divert stormwater from the 85th percentile storm (1.1” of rain) to Hyperion Treatment Plant. The roof runoff would be directed to rain gardens along Jefferson for bio filtration. A project of this scale would achieve compliance with the Industrial General Permit and the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.

Staff attended a BHC Board Meeting on June 17 and the grant proposal was unanimously approved for funding in the amount of $606,000. Staff will meet with BHC staff to prepare grant agreement mid-July. Staff anticipates design completion by November 2016 and anticipate that construction will begin by June 2017.

• Smart Gardening Workshops – The Department is partnering with Los Angeles County to offer Smart Gardening Workshops on home composting. The workshops will be offered every quarter throughout the year, alternating each quarter between “Beginner” and “Advanced” levels.

Beginner workshops will provide hands-on instruction on the basic techniques of composting, worm composting, water-wise gardening, and grasscycling. Advanced workshops will teach organic gardening, landscaping with native drought-tolerant plants, and integrated pest management (environmentally-sound ways to control pests).

• ReFuel Your Fun Campaign - It’s that time of year again for BBQ, camping, tailgating and Disposable Propane Cylinders! With camping/tailgating season in full swing, U-Haul is now selling and refilling at 126 participating locations in California. It is easier than ever to refuel your propane fun.

Did you know that…

 When “empty,” disposable cylinders often contain a small amount of gas, posing a danger to sanitation workers due to the risk of explosions and resulting fires.

 Disposables are expensive when you realize that 80% of the price you pay is for the packaging.

 Millions of disposable cylinders end up in landfills or are left behind each year.

 Refillables save money. A simple refill costs approximately $2.25 because you only pay for the gas and filling service, not the container!

 Refillables can last up to 12 years and can be refilled hundreds of times.

 Refillables reduce the impact on landfills and the environment.

For more information, please click here.

Transportation Department

• Bike to Work Week Winners! - 18 City employees pledged and rode their bikes to work during the week of May 9 - 13. Those employees had an opportunity to stop by the Rideshare booth at the Employee Appreciation BBQ and receive a gift just for pledging! A big THANK YOU to all of our participants!

Congratulations to our winners Xochitl Cruz (Parks, Recreation, and Community Services) - the winner of the $20 Gift Card to Regal Cinemas, and Beatriz Spies (Public Works) - the grand prize winner of the Fitbit.

The City Council has approved the implementation of a Bus Signal Priority System (BSP) that will improve the efficiency of bus service by providing traffic signal priority to buses at signalized intersections along their routes in Culver City; by extending the green time a few seconds, a Culver City bus running late may catch up to the schedule. As part of the BSP Project, 35 existing nearside bus stops are recommended to be relocated to the farside of the intersection. This relocation is necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the BSP System. The relocation away from nearside will provide the opportunity to regain some parking spaces, in most instances, in the nearside, and will also cause the loss of some parking spaces in the new farsideO 2016 – On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, Culver CityBus staff joined almost 90 Culver City Chamber member businesses at the 2016 Expo. The attendees were allowed to “picture themselves on a Culver CityBus,” and Staff was on hand to answer questions and pass out information to those curious about Culver CityBus routes and services.