Two of Culver City’s favorite personalities and elected officials mingled last evening with the overflow crowd in Town Plaza that eagerly awaited the lighting of the tall Downtown Christmas tree.
Between them, City Councilman Thomas Small and Mayor Jim Clarke have logged more than 100 Christmases – not quite evenly divided – and the tingle of Christmas season remains prominent in the hearts of both.
“The amazing thing about Christmas tonight,” said the eloquent Mr. Small, “was this tremendous gathering of people around our tree in Culver City.”
For a moment, he dreamed.
“It’s like we are a little piece…We could be New York City in the way everybody has been gathered around the festive lights – and it was a yuuuuge crowd.”
And how does the Thomas Small family – wife Joanne and their 9-year-old boy and girl twins — celebrate Christmas?
“On Christmas Day, we get up, we have a frenzy of opening presents, and the whole house is filled with wrappers, we try to gather those together, and then we have a great dinner,” the Councilman said.
Per tradition, the bachelor Mr. Clarke will spend Christmas Day with goddaughter Nora Groves after attending Midnight Mass, probably at St. Augustine’s.
Meanwhile, Martha, Nora’s mom, is Episcopalian, and she will attend a service while Mr. Clarke is at Midnight Mass.
“Depending on how we feel, we may have an early morning breakfast, maybe open a gift or two, go to sleep, wake up and open other gifts. In the afternoon, we probably will visit Martha’s sister out in Redlands.”
