[img]2495|right|Jeff Cooper||no_popup[/img]Before flying off this afternoon to Northern California to visit his ailing father, Mayor Jeff Cooper stopped by the 34th annual Mayor’s Luncheon. Accompanied by his trademark salt-and-pepper crewcut and a smile that never relaxes, he sprayed unquenchable, infectious optimism about Culver City across the plates on every table in the packed ballroom of the DoubleTree by Hilton.
Standing almost within touching range of a jammed table of his peers, former mayors, the unflappable Mr. Cooper secured his niche in the pantheon of leaders. A candidate for re-election three weeks from today, his glowing 22-minute State of the City report would have illumined Jerry Chabola Stadium at midnight.
For the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce, this is the idea behind the cattle call, rounding up hundreds of the community’s most significant personalities for a public relations picnic.
Pump them up, these fully primed engineers of commerce and education.
Inspire them to practically sprint down the winding, carpeted second-floor stairway a little after 1 o’clock, bound into the overflowing parking lot and race back to their offices, leaking vinegar and vigor to launch their next ambitious projects.
“Wow,” Mr. Cooper began as his one-year term enters its final month.
“The last time I spoke in front of this many people for this long was when I was 13 years old, at my bar mitzvah,” roughly 40 years earlier.
The appreciative crowd responded. Motivated, Mr. Cooper broke into an instant gallop down a roses-strewn path, smilingly bracketed by thank-you’s on one side and seamless optimism about about past, current and future accomplishments – enough to make out-of-town mayors unsustainably green with envy.
Nary a freckle marred the impenetrably perfect portrait of Culver City painted by the mayor.
“I am delighted this afternoon to be in this incredible city, surrounded by the most amazing people I ever have had the pleasure of knowing,” Mr. Cooper said.
A distinction between Mr. Cooper and a choir of typically cynical political veterans is that the mayor meant every word.
He flung wide the door to the Heart of Screenland, a treasured community image that afforded him an ideal launching pad to the galaxy beyond.
“This is the birthplace of stars,” Mr. Cooper said, leading off with Drew Barrymoore. “This is the workplace of stars too numerous to mention” — and so he didn’t before detouring further down the highway to the homegrown stars of the community.
