Searching her most imaginative skills, Christine Parra still was at her desk yesterday at the noon hour, cogitating, which is not a new mid-day snack.
The city’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator was trying to think up appealing, irresistible arguments that community members cannot reject.
As co-chair of Culver City’s Water First program, along with Dr. Ira Diamond, her assignment is to convince residents to invest in 55-gallon drums to store water in the event of an emergency.
Last Friday was the deadline for the second discount-price drive of the year, and Ms. Parra was disappointed that only 45 households responded.
This was down from 100 last April.
Mixed feelings. “I am a little disappointed,” Ms. Parra said. “But I am happy that 45 drums have been ordered.”
One reason Ms. Parra still was at her desk while colleagues were lunching was that she was exploring new and creative ways to convince residents of the importance of stashing away water in case of disaster in an explosive, unpredictable world.
How can she and Dr. Diamond not only stimulate the community but, if the pun may be pardoned, whetting their appetites.
“This is about raising awareness,” she said. “It’s about making it less threatening and not seeming so much like a task.
“I have been thinking about all kinds of different things, and I am trying to work my way through them.”
