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They saw the real contenders without any accoutrements.

Gone was the tentativeness of the forum at Lin Howe School.

Gone also was the tightly structured format of the Culver City Homeowners Assn.

All traces of previous forums were vanquished by exactly the intimate and the informal coffee klatsch atmosphere envisioned by Steve Schwartz, the major domo of the condo complex adjacent to West Los Angeles College.

The roundly-windowed clubhouse, a beacon of soft lighting on the vast, darkened grounds, yielded a living room environment, down to the plump parlor furniture.

Letting Go

The setting must have contributed to the attitude because, in a word, Alan Elmont, Roger Maxwell, C. Scott Zeidman, Mike Eskridge and Steve Gourley — who needed no encouragement — all were loose for the first time.

While no policy differences separate the unusually strong field, their main form of identity is their individually tailored niche of expertise:

The best glimpse of who they are and what they would be like as members of the School Board came in response to Darrell Cherness’s inquiry, which turned into a red-meat opportunity:

What are the principal substantive differences among you?

Mr. Zeidman, at 45 years old the most youthful, enthusiastic challenger, possibly is the most avid opponent of the present permit system that he insists should be checked. “I have been there,” he said. “I have kids at the school. I can see what it is like now and what it was before when I was a student. I see the differences between now and before from that point of view. This is something only Mike and I can say. I see what is going on right now. I have 36 high school students working for me because they want me to make things better for them. I have the teachers (union) endorsement and the staff endorsement. There is a reason why they are endorsing me, because I am a leader. There are two of us who are going to make this thing work, and that is what makes me different from any of the rest.”

You Can Look It up

Mr. Maxwell, who has stressed his varied and decades-long background, his penchant for deep research, his daily volunteer involvement with the schools and his historic grasp of the computer and its nuances, said his distinction was both obvious and desirable.

“There is a major difference here,” he said. “I am retired. I can spend the time doing just about anything I want to do. I have traveled the world. I have played golf. I have gone sailing, but what I choose to do is work with kids. And I really, really enjoy it. I am the only one who spoke to the high school principal and the Middle School principal multiple times to find out what is going on in their area. I do computers. I know the language. And the District has big issues with computers, so I can be very helpful.”

Light Is His Favorite Color

Mr. Gourley, up to here the most outspoken challenger, acts as if he is more comfortable in his skin than his rivals are in theirs’. He almost never can resist turning mundane situations into lighthearted occasions for soft and pointy zinger lines, calling out the first names of numerous audience members while constantly reminding old and new listeners how much he has done for Culver City the last two decades.
Underlining his personal and professional accomplishments, Mr. Gourley said he was a member of the City Council that agreed to award $3 million annually in funds and services to the School District. “After 17 years, that is up to $51 million. No one else up here can say that. No one here has come close to making that contribution and that commitment. In terms of ability, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, top 10 university law school, was the third on a 3 to 2 (City Council) vote for curbside recycling, and the one who started the Master Plan for Downtown. We need vision. I have it.”

A Veteran Speaks

Perceived differences may not always be quantifiable. But Mr. Eskridge said they are in his case. Running for the Board for the fifth time, on a record of two wins and two losses, he says he stands alone with his qualifications. “What makes me different from everyone sitting up here,” Mr. Eskridge said, “is that I have been on the Board. I was there during a time when we made $2 1/2 million in budget cuts, and I kept the cuts as far away from the schools as possible. I worked with the remodeling project. I have worked with the teachers. I have a wife who works in the District. So I have first-hand knowledge. And I am not afraid to take on the Superintendent. I am not afraid to take on the teachers when we need to hold the line on issues. I have been there and done it. I have listened. I am a good listener. People come into (my) flower shop constantly to talk about schools. This is my one passion. I will be there, and I will do the job.”

One of a Kind, Two of a Kind

Mr. Elmont is a self-made fascinating study. Through his and his wife’s virtually uninterrupted watchdog posture over the School District for 15 consecutive years, he has a foot in both worlds, as an Everyman candidate and as an almost-professional. Anyone who can boast of attending — and actively participating — in more School Board meetings than “some” School Board members, would appear to have a powerhouse talking point in this heavily concentrated campaign.

“My perspective is unique,” Mr. Elmont said, “because I have been through the system once with my older daughter, and now I am almost halfway through again with my twins, who are in the fifth grade. I go to School Board meetings, not to complain but to assist them, to make recommendations. At just about every meeting, it is very common to hear, “I hate to agree with Mr. Elmont, but… Sitting on the Community Budget Advisory Committee, I have been watching the money for six years now. I understand how it works. It’s very difficult. It’s complicated to read, and I am not an accountant. But I do understand it.”

A Different Performance

Less than two weeks before the Nov. 6 election of two candidates, the candidates were breathing more confidently, which made them seem either more assertive or more worried than before.

Raintree’s smartly paced hour and a half program brought the last of the candidates out of their (perhaps unconscious) shell. The no-frills show provided Raintree residents with the most candid inspection yet of the candidates’ identity and intentions.

They Are Different

No challenger has been stumped or embarrassed in any of the forums. Each has left his indelible stamp:

Mr. Elmont, his almost-insider perspective.

Mr. Maxwell, his talent for time-consuming research.

Mr. Zeidman, his sparkling rigor and vigor in “correcting” what he believes to be an imbalance in number of permits issued.

Mr. Eskridge is banking on his service record on two earlier Boards.

Mr. Gourley returns regularly to his long-term and enduring accomplishments in City Hall.

Last Chance

The final community forum is Tuesday at 12 noon at the Elks Club, one week before the election for two open seats.