When the history books on golden oratory are written down, the Mayor’s Luncheon at the Vets Auditorium may not rival a 19th century battlefield address in the Pennsylvania hamlet of Gettysburg.
But for pure luncheon, and its 28 predecessors, will be difficult to top.
Some slightly embarrassed Culver City patriots may demur because the notion of devoting two hours exclusively to self-congratulations rubs their flag-waving the wrong way.
But why not?
Nobody else will.
Neither El Segundo nor West Hollywood nor Encinitas is rushing to celebrate Culver City as the Community of the Year, and so Culver City stepped into the breach.
Jerry Fulwood, entrenched by now as the Master of Ceremonies because he has a periwinkle twinkle in his out-of-the-office personality, bid farewell after 6 seasons as City Manager.
Mark Scott, who did not make it to the elevated table of blue-ribbon leaders on the stage of the Vets Auditorium, must have thought it was 1923 again in the Heart of Screenland.
He was told that you-know-what is golden.
From a chair in the audience, Mr. Scott was introduced as the new City Manager a few weeks hence.
But, in the style of Fairbanks and Pickford, who never had to worry about memorizing lines, neither did Mr. Scott. He was not accorded a speaking role.
This came a half-day after Paul Ehrlich, a community fiscal watchdog, scolded the City Council for seeming to perform less than scrupulously in cobbling together the new contract for Mr. Scott.
He never mentioned Mr. Scott’s agreement, which will bring him $266,000 a year, focusing rather on underpinnings.
Identifying the Problem
Mr. Ehrlich was particularly critical of the way the Council agreed to help out Mr. Scott financially in purchasing a home inside of Culver City, in contrast to his predecessor who lives across Los Angeles. He believes the Council did not take enough precautions to protect its investment.
Mr. Fulwood will be missed by the 300 or so mostly high-profilers who troop to the Vets at the end of every March for camaraderie, and also to partake in Mr. Fulwood’s always-understated notion of casual humor.
Deadly serious most of the time, Mr. Fulwood is known for letting down his wanna-be hair at civic functions.
Today’s storyline concerned former Mayor Ed Wolkowitz.
So many personalities are on hand that some years the intros have required more handwringing by the clock than the presumed main event, the mayor’s speech.
Mr. Fulwood insisted that former Mayor Three Syllables promised him that if the retiring City Manager mispronounced his name once again this year, he would leap to the stage “and beat me up.”
Comes the Test
Whereupon Mr. Fulwood, in the tradition of every public speaker who ever has been challenged by a stutter, flawlessly greeted Mr. W. by stepping almost painfully slowly and methodically through all 3 syllabic hoops, “Ed Wol-koh-witz.”
For the first time within memory, “Ed” almost was divided into two syllables.
The crowd broke into an appreciative hurrah that neither man will soon discard.
In the marquee slot for the afternoon, Mayor Scott Malsin, known for frequently being of good cheer when discussing Culver City, found much that is laudatory about the community during the past year even if the horizon has been clouded — but not rained upon — by the economy.
“There may be a recession in the economy,” he said, “but not in the spirit of Culver City.”
But there is distressing financial news, he added, because it has been calculated that Culver City’s budget deficit for the new fiscal year likely will be $6 million instead of the previously announced $4 million.
Mr. Malsin said the 60,000 hours of volunteer service recorded by residents since last June is proof that the community is comprised of do’ers. It does not just talking about doing.
Honoring a Fallen Hero
The huge communal outpouring two months ago after police Lt. Curt Massey was killed on the Santa Monica Freeway once again demonstrates the vibrancy and sensitivity of caring neighbors, he said.
Recognizing the change in city managers, Mr. Malsin commended Mr. Fulwood for his “irreproachable ethics,” and he praised Mr. Scott for bringing to City Hall “the right of amount of experience, the right temperament and the right values.”
As for the mayor, he said that “all of you who know me, know that I work my heart out for Culver City,” which seemed like a proper way to close out the festivities.
