[Editor’s Note: Perhaps the finest orator ever among Culver City’s chief executives, City Manager Mark Scott delivered what was tantamount to his farewell address on Wednesday at the Mayor’s Luncheon. With Interim City Manager Lamont Ewell due back late next week from vacation, Mr. Scott is in his final days at City Hall, having started 10 months ago.]
I want to welcome you all to the second annual City Manager Demotion address. I am going to introduce myself because I know it must be hard to introduce someone who is, at once, both the new and the old City Manager.
I was actually introduced at this luncheon last year. Although circumstances have changed for me, I value so much the experiences I have had here. If I do nothing else in my five minutes today, I want to express my appreciation for the extraordinary community that I have learned so much about.
So, if you are the new and old Culver City City Manager with a five-minute speech, what do you talk about? Obviously, you talk about the “ Wizard of Oz.”
As you know, this last summer we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the filming of the Wizard of Oz here in Culver City. I thought apropos of that milestone, I might frame my comments by reference to the culminating scene in the movie.
You will recall that once Dorothy dons the ruby slippers, but before she clicks her heels, the Tin Woodsman asks her, “What have you learned, Dorothy?”
She replies:
“Well, I…..I think that…..it wasn’t enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. It’s that if I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it is isn’t there, I never really had it to begin with.
“There’s no place, like home” she says, as she clicks her ruby heels.
Before I myself am transported back home to Fresno, California, I want to do a little juxtaposition on the movie’s theme.
I am sure you all know what a magical place Culver City has been and is still becoming. The best of the past and the best hopes for the future. This is home – right in your own backyard.
Why do we have a town full of baby strollers? It’s because young couples are attracted by our schools, they like the friendly neighborhoods, and they are enticed by the promise of the Culver City brand.
Why has Downtown Culver City blossomed? Part of it is location, to be sure. Part of it relates to smart investment by the city (the wise men and women at the foot of the stage) and smart private businesspeople. But mostly, the Downtown’s success relates to the feeling that this is a reliable, safe, authentic place to do business and to hang out.
Los Angeles does not feel faceless in Culver City. It has the quality of a special place that is home-like to those who visit. You never feel out of place in Culver City.
Is it an accident that Fox Hills Mall has re-branded itself Westfield Culver City? Is it an accident that Michael Jackson’s new DVD was first released in only two markets in the country – New York’s Times Square and Westfield Culver City? I think it reflects recognition that Culver City is the real deal. It represents the best values of the best of Greater Los Angeles.
I challenge each of you, therefore, Culver City’s biggest fans, to put yourself into my mind for just a few moments. Imagine that you just got here – maybe a year ago. Imagine that you were greeted by some of the best people you will ever know. And imagine that you had just started to fall in love with people and a lifestyle that felt warm and supportive.
And then one day, while you were working the levers on the machine behind the curtain, imagine that a small dog suddenly yanks the curtain open and exposes you to life’s realities.
(The difference in the movie is that Toto was not a guest contributor to thefrontpageonline.com
Suddenly you are floating in a hot air balloon back to Kansas — I mean Fresno. How would it feel to leave this magical place? How would it feel to leave your own backyards?
For instance:
• Imagine knowing that you would no longer be seeing the blue and pink sunsets that provide backdrop to the Culver Theatre sign downtown – fading into deep purple just as the shimmering neon lights come on to announce another big evening.
• Or imagine knowing that you are about to walk away from that thriving Downtown, enlivened by residents and visitors with an almost endless choice of dining or entertainment options.
• Imagine that it is your last visit to the historic Culver Hotel and the adjacent Town Plaza area—where you can already envision future expansion of activity.
• Or imagine your last drive through the pretty, quiet neighborhoods of the city, looking at the eclectic variety of renovations being done by families who are betting their futures by moving here, or by staying and growing here, investing in a town they believe in.
• Or imagine that you were a regular patron of the world-class Senior Center, or our beautiful parks, or the fabulous library, award-winning bus system, or classes here at the Vets Auditorium? You would miss them.
• And would anyone trade the personal service of our local merchants? Don’t we all have favorites who are not only merchants, but also friends? And speaking of friends, is there a better corporate citizen in this country than Sony?
• And how could you leave the Culver City schools, operated by my friend Myrna and her team? You don’t have to be a student or parent to appreciate the contributions to the quality of our community—and to the values of our property!
I don’t need to imagine any of this. I am living it.
I can tell you exactly what you do when faced with this reality. You promise yourself to come back often.
I will not plan to be “Gone With the Wind”….because frankly, my dears…..I give a darn……about this great community.
All I can do today is to say thank you to my gracious Mayor and City Council who gave me this opportunity. To the talented staff at every level of every department, who are also my friends. And to the Culver City community which has made me feel at home from day one.
I think you can go home. And this will always be one of my homes. I hope you will let me come back and play in your backyard.
From my heart, thank you, Culver City.
First and foremost, I want to thank Mayor Weissman for being one of the very best Mayors I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I have worked with 20+ mayors in my career, and I think he’s my 11th in the 20 years I’ve been a city manager. Andy is among the very top tier due to his smart, calm, effective leadership qualities. Thank you, Andy.
[Editor’s Note: At the outset of the Mayor’s Luncheon program, Mr. Scott, who become known for his weekly wisdom-laced invocations prior to City Council meetings, offered a final glimpse.]
Thought of the Day
Because this is a mixed audience of residential, business , nonprofit and governmental leaders, I thought I would talk about the Culver City brand.
Marketing experts who facilitate branding exercises often ask a visioning question:
“If your organization (or city) were a vehicle, what would it be?”
Think about it. Beverly Hills would have been a Mercedes, and Ft. Worth, when I lived there, would have been a fancy pickup truck with longhorns on the hood and a gun rack behind the seat.
What about Culver City?
When I look at Culver City and take literary license with the question, the vehicle I most identify with Culver City is the baby stroller. Everywhere one looks in Culver City, there are families walking with strollers – on the sidewalks, in the parks, Downtown. Often double-strollers, the kind with side pockets for storing supplies. I wouldn’t be surprised to find them equipped with wi-fi.
This bodes well for the next generation in this community. We are attracting families and young professionals. We are looking at the future supporters of our already strong public school system.
If I could start a city from scratch, it would be one with a baby boom that can be identified by the presence of high-tech baby strollers! This community is truly poised for the future.
And that…..is my Thought for the Day.
Mr. Scott may be contacted (a little longer) at mark.scott@culvercity.org
