The most stunning words to emerge from this morning’s abbreviated “safety” inspection of the Culver City Ice Arena were uttered by James D. Wright. He is the Fullerton-based engineer who last week exposed City Hall’s error-laden first “safety” inspection try. This was why the city unblushingly returned today for strike two in its quest to presumably convert the venerable rink from an alleged public health hazard into a skaters’ paradise.
On still another day when Culver City’s most influential figures remained forcefully muzzled by Bill Litvak, a supremely confident West L.A. attorney hired by City Hall, Mr. Wright said that without implementing a single so-called safety change, the Ice Arena could re-open tomorrow.
The Unquestioned Leader
Meanwhile, at the appointed inspection hour of 11 o’clock, Mr. Litvak, a portly gentleman of middling height, middling age who favors strolling the concrete property with hands jammed deep into his trouser pockets, no stranger to histrionics, seized the moment on the north parking lot of the arena. He made it clear he was No. 1. Whomever was No. 2 probably was not within flying distance.
In a circus-like setting outside the arena, ranking city officials such as Fire Chief Chris Sellers and Public Works Director Charles Herbertson walked about under a steely cloud of Litvak-imposed silence. If they were paid by the word, they would have been forced to dine at a food shelter this evening. City Manager John Nachbar did not attend.
Arena attorney Nadine Lewis, who has taken this mountingly mystifying case pro bono, was among several who engaged in icy rhetorical combat with Mr. Litvak, who seemed to take the stance that he had been deputized as the leader of the inspection and was not to be challenged innocently or otherwise.
The city’s hired attorney, sometimes resembling a power-centric Army sergeant from the movies, appeared to lose his temper several times during a stormy 15-minute runup to the intended inspection.
Coming or Going?
His arms flailed, and he threatened to walk away – to go who knows where?
As assorted types, other lawyers, people of rink rank and the curious, gathered about the heavily pacing Mr. Litvak, he began taking names, numbers and business cards of the encircled. Some he accepted. Others were not so lucky.
Up front were the principals for the Ice Arena, landlord Michael Karagozian, his brother, his son, his lawyer, Ms. Lewis, and Mr. Wright.
In between histrionics, where it was a tight squeeze, Mr. Litvak and Mr. Karagozian fired harsh words into the air, usually following not unreasonable inquiries by the landlord that Mr. Litvak blew off. The landlord asked the lawyer, “Will you tell me why we are here today?”
No, said Mr. Litvak
Well-Regarded Arbiter
City Hall’s latest hired gun to survey the Ice Arena for health hazards – after failing embarrassingly with one firm and having another turn out to be a double agent – is a much-respected engineer, Michael Dillon, P.E., of Dillon Consulting Engineers of Long Beach.
While the bearded, casually attired Mr. Dillon spoke only to his people – more Litvak-ordered muteness — it appeared that he had sufficient time to examine the most sensitive areas of the entire property. He quietly observed, took photos, asked questions. “I spent more time inspecting,” Mr. Wright told the newspaper. “But I probably had more that I was looking at.”
Sources said that Mr. Dillon’s report to City Hall – the only one that counts as of this weekend – could be delivered as early as Monday.
But if the city follows the hard-line path it has trod inflexibly for almost a month, since Feb. 3, only selective contents of Mr. Dillon’s report will be revealed.
City Hall repeatedly has rebuffed Ms. Lewis and others seeking access to sensitive records, sharply advising them to file a time-consuming Public Records request, thereby allowing the city ample maneuvering room.
As for the sunny but unlikely to be fulfilled observations of Mr. Wright: “Any of the reasonable recommendations (by city-certified experts) can be implemented over a period of time,” he said, without disturbing the rhythms and routines of the arena, now completing its fourth consecutive dark week
“The city’s lawyer said ‘Will you put a bond on it that you won’t have an ammonia release?’” said Mr. Wright
“That,” said the engineer, “is not the real issue.”
He addressed what should have and still could happen.
“If it had been done in the proper sequence, there would have been an application, and the Fire Dept., on an inspection, would have identified deficiencies, put them on a list, and committed the owner to correcting them. If the owner did not correct them after multiple warnings, they could have shut him down,” Mr. Wright said.
“But this situation at the rink has been turned on its head. They shut the arena down first.”
Standing nearby was the tallest man at the event, John Uhlfeldt of Complete Thermal Services of Orange County, who has been inspecting the crannies and nooks of the arena since the 1980s. “The arena is just as safe today as it has been for the last 30 years,” he said, appropriately the closing words.
“Reasonably speak
After completing a brief walkaround this morning, Mr. Wright, portrayed professionally as a neutral party even though his rink exam was conducted at the behest of the Ice Arena, said that reactivating the rink is as detail-free as “opening the doors.”
“It is operating the way it has for 50 years” he said.
One of the few parties speaking calmly, “it’s no more difficult than that,” Mr. Wright said while two dozen persons – authoritatively divided into the Important and Unimportant by City Hall’s lead lawyer, Bill Litvak – vaguely milled about the concrete grounds of the 52-year-old rink for more than an hour.
