We concentrate on the temples of power, City Hall, the Police Dept., and the School Board. The very day that our print edition went on hiatus two months ago, John Montanio suddenly resigned as Police Chief, and the carousel of hometown newsmaking has been spinning ever since. Some of the community personalities and urgent issues that we are following:
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Jerry Fulwood. Since the Chief Administrative Officer¹s contract, which expires in June, carries a Six-Month-Notice clause, this was to be the month that either Mr. Fulwood or the City Council made a pivotal call. Neither did. Mr. Fulwood¹s already once-delayed job evaluation session last week ended in a stalemate. The City Council remains divided between those who strongly believe Mr. Fulwood is a star and those who promise not to shed a tear when he leaves. Situation is pending. A verdict is expected early in January. Surely decisionmakers had Mr. Fulwood¹s liquid situation in mind when Martin Cole, late of Temple City, was brought in, quietly, during the autumn as deputy CAO.
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The controversial question of whether a small number of students from the upscale, culturally mixed suburb of Ladera Heights will be permitted to transfer into the prestigious School District. A decisive County vote on the matter has been postponed from early until late January.
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The latest in major hometown crime and lawsuits of interest.
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According to sources inside and out, upheaval and misdirection seem destined to become the twin legacies of the School Board. They say the late Dale Carnegie, a lover of serenity, never would have blessed the prickly state of the Board members¹ relationships with each other.
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Three City Hall incumbents up for re-election in April Mayor Albert Vera, Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger and City Clerk Christopher Armenta ain¹t taking anything for granted. In the first hours for filing, on Monday, Dec. 19, they pulled papers at the City Clerk¹s office. Some people think both Mr. Vera and Mr. Silbiger are in trouble with voters. Others insist that Mr. Vera is the closest Los Angeles has to an unbeatable politician.
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It was not announced anywhere at the time. But on Nov. 16, Todd Tipton and Joe Susca of the Community Development Dept. walked over to Howdy Kabrins’ Pacifico’s restaurant to brief Downtown Business Assn. members on The Culver Studios’ spectacular building blueprints for the huge property in front of the Culver Hotel. Magnificent plaza and all. Parking meters will be uprooted and traffic will be rerouted alongside Trader Joe¹s. Studying the proposed layout, including a 39,000-square foot structure at the heart, San Gennaro owner Jay Handal said: "Makes all the sense in the world. Until now, (Downtown) has been disjointed."
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The most talked about veteran at the Police Dept. this month is an officer miles removed from the competition for Police Chief. (And no, this is not a reference to the midnight promotion of Capt. Scott Bixby in one of retired Chief John Montanio¹s final acts.)
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Sure has been uncommonly quiet lately, say curious residents of the southerly mobile home park on Grandview Boulevard, adjacent to the property where the Grandview Palms is under construction. Further, there is no change in the looming uncertainty surrounding the future of the park or where they will be residing three years from now.
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Status of the Eastside light rail station. On the typically querulous City Council, feelings remain bloody raw weeks after four members disagreed with colleague Alan Corlin, appearing to tell the MTA it would accept a ground-level station at an undesirable location for an open-ended amount of time if that was what it took to bring light rail to this town.
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Culver City Democratic Club. With club elections on the horizon, will it ever be a factor in municipal elections, say April, for example, or remain at the lowest level of influence?
