Weissman, Armenta, O’Leary Polish Their New Titles — Call Them City Councilmen

Ari L. NoonanNews

In a formful, thinly supported vote that provided a decidedly undramatic climax to a long-winded City Council campaign, Culver City chose Andy Weissman, Christopher Armenta and Mehaul O’Leary yesterday to replace Alan Corlin, Carol Gross and Steve Rose.

Measure W, the generally undisputed utility users’ tax whose presence on the ballot was described as a language update, passed overwhelmingly, as anticipated, 3,333 to 973, or 77 percent to 22.5 percent.

Dep. City Clerk Ela Valladares was prescient in her forecasting.

Elmont Gets to Vote After All, Following a Worker’s Explanation

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[Editor’s Note: Mr. Elmont’s misfortune when he first attempted to vote this morning is recounted below in a story headlined “Voting Ain’t Easy in Culver City — Mayor and Loni Just Frustrated, Elm­ont Is Blocked.”]

Returning to my polling place at the Rotary Plaza this noon hour, not only was I able to cast my vote, but I was able to speak directly with the gentleman who caused my dilemma this morning.

Wolkowitz Picks Weissman, Cooper, Then a Scramble

Ari L. NoonanNews

Who are the smart people foreseeing as winners in today’s nine-way City Council race?

Relying upon conventional wisdom, former Mayor Ed Wolkowitz, out of office for six years, said last night in Council Chambers that “it probably is true” that Andy Weissman will be the leading magnet for Culver City voters.

Now the tough part.

Weissman Benchmarks: Half Not Home — Many Unaware of Election

Ari L. NoonanNews

Andy Weissman, who is expected to be the top votegetter today when about 6,000 residents cast ballots in the City Council race, completed his frontrunning campaign at the lunch hour on Sunday when he knocked on his final door.

“Right now,” he told the newspaper, “it’s just a matter of pacing, until 8 o’clock tonight.”

Since knocking on doors in residential neighborhoods is the central form of campaigning in Culver City, Mr. Weissman was asked how he strategized his walking time.

Cary Anderson Faults Three Opponents for Their Judgment

Ari L. NoonanNews

Hours before the Election Day polls opened this morning, Cary Anderson, one of nine City Council candidates, looked over his shoulder and accused three of his rivals of committing — or flirting with — a conflict of interest.

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Gathering steam from his own campaign’s proclamation — “Cary will not take contributions from developers and will not use paid consultants” — Mr. Anderson rebuked Andy Weissman, Mehaul O’Leary and Dr. Luther Henderson “for doing just that.”

As the lone blue-collar candidate in the field, Mr. Anderson criticized each of his rivals for separate reasons.

Voting Ain’t Easy in Culver City — Mayor and Loni Just Frustrated, Elmont Is Blocked

Ari L. NoonanNews

Problems cropped up at the very top of the first hour of voting this morning.

The Mayor could not enter his polling location on the West Side.

Loni Anderson, one of nine candidates for the City Council, was forced to accept a provisional ballot because of a major flaw at her East Side polling place.

Community activist Alan Elmont, at a third different precinct, not only experienced exasperating difficulties, he was blocked out.

Candidate Leslie Speaks Out on Measure W

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As some of you know, I am for Measure W.

I appreciate the newspaper printing Chief Financial Officer Jeff Muir's overview of the proposition (See “On Election Eve, Passing Measure W Looks Like the Cinch of the Year,” April 7) and why Culver City needs to vote regarding Measure W.

I was disappointed the Culver City Web page did not present a similar analysis so that residents could understand why they are voting one way or another regarding the measure.

Polls Open at 7 in the Morning — No Signs of Heightened Interest

Ari L. NoonanNews


[Editor’s Note: Culver City’s 13 precinct locations are listed at the end of the story.]

On the afternoon before Election Day, Dep. City Clerk Ela Valladares was asked how she is warming up for the morrow.

After 20 y­ears at City Hall and 12 years of supervising elections, Ms. Valladares is on a first-name basis with every headache and every joy associated with Election Day.

On Election Eve, Passing Measure W Looks Like the Cinch of the Year

Ari L. NoonanNews

The only evident cinch in tomorrow’s election is the innocently named Measure W.

This is the so-called language update of the utility users’ tax that has been assessed against Culver City residents for more than 40 years.

Throughout the most publicized election campaign in the community’s history, Measure W has received less attention than the Lincoln assassination.

On Friends’ Board, Cooper Made Sure Others Shared in the Rewards

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We are engaged in the wonderful process of democracy here in Culver City. As in any City Council election, I consider the good character of the candidate as paramount to their ability to be a leader. Among the nine candidates vying for a seat in Tuesday’s election, I believe that Jeff Cooper has the necessary traits to lead our city.