In the Beginning
The Community Scholarship program began in the 1960s. Groups in the community formed to give scholarships to students graduating from Culver High.
It has grown over the years.
I became the treasurer about 15 years ago.
At that time, we gave about 50 scholarships totaling about $40,000.
Doubling up
Tonight, we will give out about 100 scholarship totaling more than $100,000.
These scholarships are given by businesses, civic organizations, school organizations and individuals.
Tonight at the Robert Frost Auditorium, the groups and individuals giving the scholarships will be on the stage to award the scholarships to the students.
Friendly Libations
One of the donors even donates refreshments so the recipients can talk to the donors while enjoying refreshments. It is a nice evening that most people in the city are not aware of.
On another important subject:
At last weeks Redevelopment Agency meeting, Councilman Gary Silbiger requested that a discussion of the practices of the citys notification to the community on projects be placed on the agenda at a future meeting.
Agency Chairman Scott Malsin gave Councilman Silbiger the Well get back to you response we have all used.
They Saw the Good Side
A couple of other Councilpersons got upset because the request implied that the city did not do a good job of notifying the community. They offered examples where there had been good community notification.
On the Contrary
I wont imply it. I will come right out and say it. The city does a poor job of notifying the community on many projects. I, too, can also cite examples.
I first became active in the city in the 1980s when the Planning Commission approved the construction of a 10-story office building on the site of the Jefferson Bowl. There was little notification to the community. I appealed the decision to the City Council. The City Council upheld my appeal and rescinded the approval given by the Planning Commission. One reason they rescinded the approval was the lack of proper notification to the neighbors.
A More Current Controversy
If you want a more recent example, I will give you the Champion Project. The city worked on this project for three years with virtually no community notification or input. When they did come out of the shadows, it was because the needed to go to the City Council to get the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement. The notification of this meeting was one of those city postcards written in 8-point font.
Without my glasses, it looked like a green card with black lines. It contained a very generic statement about the Council discussing proposed redevelopment activities on the South Sepulveda Corridor.
Look Where I Live
I didnt know I lived next to the South Sepulveda Corridor until six months ago. About six residents attended this Council meeting.
The project was finally presented to the community in December 2006. Announcements from the city concerning this meeting were very benign. I had a letter published in the local paper concerning the actual scope of the project.
How About This Reaction?
As a result of this letter, I received a number of phone calls from people throughout the city. I also placed flyers on all the porches on Segrell Drive and Culver Park Drive. Other residents also passed out flyers in the Sunkist Park neighborhood. The result was, more than 300 people attended the presentation at El Rincon School. I believe the large attendance was the result of the neighbor notifications and not the result of the citys feeble effort.
Very Quiet
The meetings of the Citizens Advisory Committee have gone almost unpublicized. It was about three days before one meeting before I knew where the meeting was being held. The one meeting that was announced in the newspaper was cancelled. There was no method to publicize the cancellation. I went to Vets Auditorium that night. About 20 people showed up for the meeting. There was no one from the city to tell people that the meeting had been cancelled. There was no sign on the door stating that the meeting was cancelled. This shows a lack of concern on the part of the city.
Supporting Silbiger
We, in the community, support Councilman Silbigers request for a discussion of the citys notification practices. We expect Chairman Malsin to get back to him and schedule the discussion in the near future.
