Garth Sanders

California enjoyed its best dry-weather beach water quality on record in 2007-08, according to the 18th annual Beach Report Card , which was released this morning by the environmental group Heal the Bay.

The group assigned A-to-F letter grades to 517 beaches along the California coast, based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution reported from April 2007 to March 2008.

During the high-traffic summer beach-going season, 93 percent of beaches statewide received A or B grades, meaning very good to excellent water quality.

State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Culver City) today won the endorsement of Our Weekly, a weekly newspaper with an online edition (www.ourweekly.com) that has been growing in popularity and influence among readers in Los Angeles County’s African American community since its founding in January 2005.

State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Culver City) this morning won the endorsement of La Opinión, the most influential Spanish-language daily newspaper serving readers in the Latino community throughout Los Angeles County.

­ They said the senator is “better suited” to succeed the retiring Yvonne Brathwaite Burke on the County Board of Supervisors than his chief rival, Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks in the June 3 election. ­

City Council candidate Andrew Weissman says the city, the School District and the wider community should work together to encourage skills young leaders will need as they get older.

“The teenage years are a critical time for young people,” said Mr. Weissman.

“We have to be sure that we provide them with every opportunity to develop leadership skills, to understand the importance of community service and to learn how they can make a difference.”

City Council candidate Jeff Cooper today has expressed deep concern over the St. Patrick's Day stabbing and vehicular assault that happened near a neighborhood bar in Culver City.

“This frightening incident underscores how vulnerable our neighborhoods are to this type of senseless crime and violence,” he said. “Throughout Culver City, there are a number of neighborhood establishments where crimes of a similar nature could occur. I believe that the owners of our local bars and taverns have an obligation to police their patrons to make sure that they do not have a negative impact on the peace and safety of our neighborhoods,

Another endorsement today for Andy Weissman, probably the most endorsed candidate in Culver City history, who is favored to be the top votegetter in the race for three City Council seats next week, on Tuesday, April 8.

Most recently, the Los Angeles Board of the California Restaurant Assn. has voted unanimously to endorse Andy Weissman.

The third annual Backlot Film Festival opens a four-day run on Wednesday at the Vets Auditorium, featuring 14 premieres in the feature film, documentary and shorts categories.

Additional programming focus on screen tributes to Hollywood legends Arthur Freed and Carl Reiner.

Since this is the fifth Monday of the month, the City Council is not scheduled to meet tonight in Council Chambers. Occasionally, a Town Hall meeting is planned for the several Mondays of the year when a fifth Monday occurs. Two members of the City Council are out of town, and one, Steve Rose, is out of the country. The Council will meet next Monday at 7, the night before Election Day.

Former Mayor Ed Wolkowitz this week endorsed City Council candidate Jeff Cooper for the April 8 election.

“I believe that Jeff's leadership and hard work will be a great asset to our City Council,” Mr. Wolkowitz said. “He always has been a positive voice in our community,"

Community activist Mary Ann Greene, a onetime candidate for the City Council, City Council, has announced that she is endorsing Mehaul O’Leary for City Council in the April 8 election.

Ms. Greene, who was appointed to the Baldwin Hills Conservancy Board by Gov. Schwarzenegger, cited Mr. O’Leary’s “sensible approach to sustainable growth, his endorsement by the League of Conservation Voters, and his long-term support for improving our parks and parklands,” as reasons for her endorsement.