My Opinion

Second of two parts

Previously, “Dangling Questions Left Over About the New City Manager”

[Editor’s Note: Nachum Shifren is the Republican candidate in a three-way runoff on Tuesday, May 19, for the state Senate seat vacated by Mark Ridley-Thomas’s election to the County Board of Supervisors.”]

Sunday through Wednesday of next week, there will be a community renovation of the mural known as “Postcards from Ballona.”

Located next to the Julian Dixon Library — along the bike access ramp at Overland Avenue, everybody is invited to the project to restore this vandalized historic mural.

[Editor’s Note: Community activist Frank Campaign tells us: “At last week’s City Council meeting, I made a three-minute comment on the financial situation as it lurks in the future for the city. Because of the time limit, I told the Council that I would augment my comments in a written submittal, which you will find below.”]

[Editor’s Note: Last Sunday and Monday were jumbo occasions for the exuberant entertainer and civic activist Ronnie Jayne. She starred in her one-woman show on Sunday afternoon at the Jazz Bakery and the next day was honored by Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass (D-Culver City) as the 47th District’s Woman of the Year. Here is her account of those whirlwind hours.]

[Editor’s Note: Since a low-key announcement last month, the longtime Santa Monica City Councilman has been tracking the controversial intended arrival of an MTA light rail maintenance yard to the Stewart Park neighborhood of Santa Monica. Fur the last 4 weeks, angry neighbors have been organizing, and the newspaper has charted their progress. See “Wasting No Time, Neighbors Organize, Plan and Get Set to Battle the MTA,” and “An Encouraging Beginning for Residents Protesting Train Yard.” ]

Culver City is facing a current-year budget shortfall of $500,000 and a projected shortfall of $4 million in 2009-10.

This was the crux of a sobering financial report delivered to the City Council last Monday night.

The Culver City Senior Center should make voting for its Board of Directors more transparent, and it should institute reforms that are commonly accepted in other organizations.

Transparency would allow for honest elections.

In the continuing enhancement of one of Culver City’s unique attractions, the Friends of the Culver City Dog Park reports that City Hall has installed two new, attractive “dog-size” signs in the reserved space atop Culver City Park.

[Editor’s Note: After Culver City police officer Curt Massey was killed yesterday morning, “Culver City Officer, Massey, Killed in Wrong-Way Freeway Smashup,” the Police Dept.’s newly appointed Public Information Officer issued the following statement.]