Why Culver City Residents Should Get Involved with the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Planning

Walter Lamb

 

When my wife and I moved to Culver City over 10 years ago, we were thrilled to discover a bike trail just a few blocks from City Hall that leads all the way down to the ocean.  The entire trail provides excellent opportunities to see many species of wild birds.  Just shy of the ocean, residential neighborhoods and office buildings give way to wide open spaces on both sides of the trail, hosting an abundance of wild plants and animals.  This is the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve and it can make you forget that you are in a city of several million people.   The Ballona Wetlands Land Trust helped secure a hard fought victory to preserve this land, and now we are working to spread awareness of its importance to the surrounding community, and to promote greater public participation in the ongoing process to help this ecosystem reach its maximum potential.

The Ballona Wetlands have a long and rich history that cannot be covered adequately in this article.  The area has seen many inhabitants, from the native Gabrielino/Tongva peoples to Mexican rancheros to Howard Hughes’ famous aircraft company.  It has also undergone many changes as a result of natural events such as earthquakes and human activity such as agriculture, industry, development and the creation of the adjacent Marina Del Rey.  The fight to set aside a meaningful portion of the Wetlands began in earnest in the 1970s, when Hughes’ heirs allowed planning to begin for a massive development on the site.

After working together for many years, conservationists became split over whether to settle with the developers for a relatively small parcel of land, or to keep fighting for a larger area.  While labeled by many as unrealistic at the time, the perseverance of the latter group was ultimately successful in expanding the amount of preserved land to 600 acres, which now make up the State-owned preserve.  While this was an important victory for the Wetlands, restoration planners acknowledge that the limited size of the preserve is still a constraining factor.  We will never know how much more land might have been spared from development had conservationists maintained a united front.  Instead, we must now turn to address the present opportunities and challenges facing this precious natural resource.

A project management team consisting of federal, state and county agencies has entered into the Environmental Impact phase of a project to enhance the ecological health of the Ballona Wetlands.  They have presented several alternate plans to the public, and it is now our responsibility to provide feedback that will guide their research and influence their ultimate project design.  The deadline for providing public comment is October 23^rd.  Not participating in this process is analogous to not voting in an election.  If you don’t make your voice heard now, you can’t blame anyone else if you aren’t happy with the outcome later.

There are many strong opinions regarding the various project details that have been presented, which range from doing nothing to reconstructing the area with heavy equipment, including removing the concrete levees along Ballona Creek and rerouting the creek itself.  Some have argued that such a large scale effort is needlessly expensive, risky, and disruptive to existing wildlife and habitat.  Others have argued that a large scale effort is the only way to achieve the proper conditions for a fully functioning wetland ecosystem.

Luckily, you do not need to choose a position or become an expert in wetlands management to make an important contribution to this process right now.  All you need to do is to care about the Wetlands enough to submit public comments to the project team that reflect your hopes and concerns for this important area.  Your comments might address a particular species of bird or other animal, they might ask the project team to further study the potential impacts of polluted water on the Wetlands, or they might ask for more information relating to how each project alternative would further prepare the area for expected sea level rise due to climate change.  Any aspect of the environmental impact of the project is an appropriate topic for comment.

The Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is ready to help you get involved.  We are committed to working objectively with experts and advocates of all perspectives to help members of the public get the information they need to make informed public comments now and informed decisions about the final project proposal when it is completed.   We believe that this is the best way to ensure the best possible outcome for this critical coastal ecosystem.

Please contact us today to get involved in this important process.

Email: landtrust@ballona.org

Phone: 310-264-9468

Web: www.ballona.org/restoration

 

Walter Lamb is a culver city resident and the President of the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust.

Prop 38: Supporting Our Schools Fully

Jody Reichel

For years California has been cutting the budget for public education, but this year there’s a ballot measure that can turn things around, one that that focuses solely on meeting the needs of our kids by providing new funding directly to every public school in California— Proposition 38.

Proposition 38 is the only statewide measure that will restore the programs we used to have in our schools, and it is the only measure endorsed by the California State PTA.

Proposition 38 will raise over $10 billion each year for 12 years, providing our students and our schools with long term benefits.

During the first 4 years after it’s enacted (beginning with the 2013-14 school year), 60% of the money raised by Proposition 38 will go to our k-12 public schools, 10% will go to public preschool and early childhood programs so that more children will enter kindergarten prepared to succeed, and 30% of the money raised will be used to pay off existing state school bonds, thereby reducing our state budget shortfall.

Starting in the fifth year 85% of the funds raised by Prop. 38 will be allocated to k-12 public schools, and 15% will go to preschool programs. But even in those early years Proposition 38 will mean over $6,000,000 for our Culver City schools. By 2017-18, the initiative will be bringing our local schools over $11,000,000 a year.

Prop. 38 will not relieve our State government of its existing Prop. 98 responsibilities for funding public education. The legislature will be prohibited from diverting or borrowing Proposition 38 money and cannot use it to replace funds schools already receive. Money raised by Prop. 38 will be distributed directly to districts and school sites based on the number of students enrolled at each school. The initiative has very strong accountability provisions and limits the amount of money that can go for administration. But decisions on how to spend the money will be made locally, at the school site and district levels and with community input.

Proposition 38 raises money using a fair share approach, a sliding-scale tax. Those who can afford to pay more will, while 40% of Californians won’t see their tax bills go up at all. You can use the cost calculator at www.Prop38forLocalSchools.org to find out how Prop 38 will affect your taxes. You can also use the website’s benefits calculator to see how much your school or school district will benefit when Proposition 38 goes into effect.

When I was growing up, California’s public schools were among the best in the nation. Today California ranks 47^th in per pupil spending. We have the largest class sizes in the country— among the largest student to counselor ratios, too. In the last three years alone our state has cut over $20 billion from our public schools. Across the state 40,000 educators have been laid off.

Again and again our Culver City community has stepped up to the challenge of state budget cuts by passing Measure EE, supporting our Culver City Education Foundation, PTAs and booster clubs, and working with local businesses and organizations to give our kids the best education possible. We know that better schools mean lower crime rates and higher property values.  We know that great schools produce a high quality workforce. Let’s do it again.

Please take a stand for our kids. Join the California State PTA and me by voting for Proposition 38 this November.

For more information visit: www.Prop38forLocalSchools.org

Jody Reichel has been an active CCUSD parent for 13 years and is currently Executive Vice President of the Culver City Council of PTAs.

Introducing Nancy's Notes

Nancy Goldberg

 

Speaking with a close friend recently,  I realized that my   role as a school board member was unclear to many of the public.  Consequently, I have decided to review my brief tenure on the board in the hope of explaining my decisions on issues.

Additionally, I propose periodically to relate my perceptions and experiences on board relationships and projects, again in the hope of making more transparent my involvements on the board

Living in any community for 50 years affords anyone an institutional memory of sorts.  I have not only lived in Culver City but been employed by its school district for nearly that period of time.     Children emerging into adulthood was and is my educational focus, so I envisioned my participation on the board as a resource and reference contributor.  When I joined the board, I actually needed to double time my learning curve.    I became dependent on reviewing past board meeting videos.  Certainly, this obligation to be informed is paramount with most board members; it is assumed that board members will function in good faith.  Nevertheless, we cannot know every aspect of board business from the outset.

Years of academic study had well prepared me for the daily grind of reviewing pending educational legislation and district policies, but adjusting to the prevailing hierarchy of “command” at the district level was more difficult.  As a teacher I was self-motivated, responsible for curriculum, standards and corrected papers.  On the board, I was expected to question the Superintendent and supportive personnel and turn over implementation of board decisions to them.  This adjustment to a quite different work status has taken me some time.

I recall a previous successful board member saying, “You hire the Superintendent, he or she is your work force.”  Gradually, I have accommodated these changes, but in general, the public is quite unaware of their reality, hence this commentary.

The board operates on two distinct levels: public and closed session.  Certain issues must be discussed behind closed doors, such as student expulsions and personnel discussions; this being done in order to protect the rights of participants.   Public issues may be merely discussed and then possibly agendized for an eventual vote.    Hearing what the public prefers on a specific issue is a board obligation, but the heat of emotion can distort any commentary.   Board members, of necessity, must register no personal reaction to a public request until after all sides have spoken.

Board members function as a team.  It is presumed that a mature, working relationship is in effect among them.    Civility between dedicated, elected officials must prevail.  When one board member presumes to instruct his or her colleagues, civility has broken down.   Regrettably, we all need to be reminded when our personal preferences don’t match our colleagues’, that compromise is often the only way out of a dilemma.   More to come….

Nancy Goldberg is a Culver City School Board Member and recently retired Teacher at Culver City High School.

A Long-Awaited Gift for Blair Hills

Cheri Sakai

LA county is literally handing Blair Hills a $5 million gift of walking
trails, community center, nature gardens, yoga center, exercise area, an
area where we can do art projects, play, enjoy nature or just  each other's
company. We can now have our own place to vote, have community meetings and have Blair Hills get togethers.

It is coming just in the nick of time for those in the community who may
soon be or already are limited in their ability to drive and get to other
parks and centers for senior activities.  Just being able to walk, enjoy
nature and exercise right in our own community on a daily basis could
lengthen our lives by another 10,20 or 30 years!  Added to that is an amazing idea for a center for all of us and our children to enjoy and learn from nature.

This is so much better than having another school on this property and the
related traffic we experienced for so many years.  And just as most of us
don't travel to Lindberg, McManus, or any of the other parks  we probably
won't see them coming to our park since these are not the types of
activities that would attract people from other communties as well as the
many fitness people who run up and down the steps off Jefferson.

Also, these activities will stop the homeless from parking themselves on
this property as they have begun to do already because along with the
development will be an office for David MacNeil who will oversee the
property as well as a regular maintenance crew and rules determining the
hours the park is kept open as is done at Kenneth Hahn Park.

So thank you everyone who enthusiastically supported this great gift to our
community!!!  Those who've been active in the Blair Hills community know how many years we have waited for this!

Cheri Sakai is a Blair Hills resident.

Year 2 of Education Foundation's All for 1

Dan O'Brien

This year, as another summer winds to a close andparents begin to prepare for a new school year, our community needs to thinkabout more than new school clothes and supplies. We need to think aboutproviding a bulwark against continuing budget cuts from Sacramento. The CulverCity Education Foundation (CCEF) is working to provide just such a defense, andurges everyone in our community to join them in supporting the students in ourCulver City schools.

Arguably one of the most ethnically and culturallydiverse school districts in Los Angeles County, the Culver City Unified SchoolDistrict (CCUSD) serves as a haven of high achievement for students from allbackgrounds. By virtually every quantifiable measure, our schools are raisingthe bar in academics, the arts and athletics. Even in this economy, our schoolsare managing to provide a bounty of after school programs for our kids. CCEFhas been an important part of these success stories.

For over 30 years, CCEF has been providing fundingto our district's schools— in fact it is the only organization that works tosupport all of our kids at every oneof our schools.

Last year, in the face of still more budget cutsfrom Sacramento, CCEF launched an ambitious annual fundraising campaign for ourkids and our schools. It’s called All For1.

Last year’s AllFor 1 campaign has already funded $75,000 worth of technology upgrades andacademic software at each of our k-12 schools, recorders for every third gradeclass in the district, musical instruments for CCMS and CCHS, the collegereadiness program AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), and so muchmore. 

This year’s AllFor 1 campaign is just beginning. To build upon last year’s success CCEF isasking our entire Culver City community to join together for our kids. Parentsand relatives of current students, homeowners who understand that great schoolsmean high property values, and businesses eager for a productive ,well-educated workforce all have important roles to play.  A smallcontribution from each household or business— even as little as $30, $20 or $10a month— would provide truly transformative funding for our schools. 

To make a one-time donation or to set up monthly payments, please visitCCEF’s website at ccef90230.org/donate and follow the instructions.  Thensit back and watch the difference your money will make in the lives of studentsright here in Culver City.

Dan O'Brien is the Executive Vice President of the Culver City Education Foundation and the Founder of the Culver City Great Parks Association.

Save Money and Save Lives By Voting Yes on Prop 34

Veda Veach

Since 1967, only 13 people have been executed in California despite the fact that our state houses the largest death row population in the country – accounting for 22% of all death row inmates. Our state’s death penalty is broken beyond repair, with most death row inmates dying of old age and only after decades of taxpayer-financed appeals. With an average of 25 years of legal proceedings, families of crime victims are forced to relive their pain again and again. Some people suggest the problem could be "fixed" by tightening up the appeals process but even Supreme Court justices who support the death penalty say that is virtually impossible in California and definitely more expensive than a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole.

We need to protect the public and we need to invest in a working legal system. That is why I am voting YES on Proposition 34 this November.

Prop. 34 is tough justice that actually works for everyone. It keeps heinous killers in prison until they die, with no hope of ever getting out. They are required to work and pay restitution to a victim’s compensation fund, whereas now, deathrow inmates just sit in individual cells doing nothing.

Although many people believe the death penalty is cheaper than life in prison without the possibility of parole, it is quite the opposite. A study by Judge Arthur L. Alarcon and Loyola Law Professor Paula Mitchell shows nearly $1 billion would be saved in five years if we were to replace the death penalty. Prop. 34 stops the waste on endless appeals and special death row housing.

Culver City is facing a serious fiscal crisis – we cannot afford to divert more funds away from police departments and our schools. I was shocked to learn that 46% of murders and 56% of rapes go unsolved in California each year. Any amount we continue tospend on the death penalty in California is money we’re not using for DNAtesting, crime labs and other tools to help cops solve those rapes and murders. Prop. 34 directs $100 million for these crime-solving tools.

While money is a big part of making justice work for everyone, so is making absolutely sure that we never execute an innocent person. More than 100 innocent people have been sentenced to death in the U.S., and some have been executed. That is a mistake we cannot afford to make. As long as the death penalty is in place, we will always run that terrible risk.

Ron Briggs was a lead proponent of the 1978 death penalty initiative. Don Heller is a lawyer who wrote California’s death penalty law. Jeanne Woodford is former Warden of San Quentin and carried out four executions. All three supported the death penalty, but having realized that the system is not working, they have changed their opinions.

We need to stop the waste, hold murderers accountable for their actions, and ensure we don’t run the risk of ever executing an innocent person in California. Please join Mr. Briggs, Mr. Heller, Ms. Woodford and me in voting to replace the death penalty with justice that works for everyone.

Veda Veach is a board member of the University ReligiousConference at UCLA, board member of Interfaith Communities United for Justiceand Peace (ICUJP),  and an active member of Culver-Palms United MethodistChurch.

Planning Commission Decision Demonstrates Value of Journalism & Activism

Carlene Brown

The Culver City Planning Commission’s August 8^th approval of both a Zoning Code Amendment and Modification to the existing Conditional Use Permit for Willows Community School is evidence that investigative journalism and community activism pays off.

This unanimous approval vote happened within a matter of minutes, as it should have happened a month before with recommendation from Culver City Staff.

Willows had been working diligently with Staff for over two years to address concerns raised by the Commission in a 2009 hearing, and on July 11, 2012, it appeared as if their proposal was airtight. But the Commission wrangled until after 11pm that night, finally voting to continue the Willows hearing to August 8^th. This postponement created even more hardship for the Willows School to move forward with their expansion project . 

Few Culver City residents knew about the anti-nonprofit agenda of Commissioners John Kuechle and Scott Wyant until, thanks to Gary and Karlo Silbiger, I attended hearings for The Help Group and Willows School to write stories for the Culver City Progress Blog.

In my Help Group article, I shared a Public Comment quote from former mayor Alan Corlin: “Non-profit organizations stifle economic growth.” It appeared to me that both Commissioner Kuechle and Commissioner Wyant shared that ideology, referred to by professor of Cultural Studies Henry Giroux as “the ideology of the Big Lie.”

Before submitting my Willows School article to the Culver City Progress Blog, I shared it with Willows parent Zoenda McIntosh, who shared it with City Council members and numerous Culver City groups. She also submitted it to both the Crossroads and Culver City Patch online papers, where it was accepted and published. Councilman Jim Clark attended the August hearing, very likely as a result of Ms. McIntosh’s activism.

Because Gary and Karlo Silbiger put out a call which I answered, both my journalism and Zoenda McIntosh’s activism contributed to waking up our community and calling forth a unanimous “yes” vote for Willows from the Culver City Planning Commission.

A few highlights from Zoenda McIntosh’s Public Comment speech follow:

I've lived in Culver City nearly 10 years. My kids are in Little League and Girl Scouts here, I'm block captain and former MOMS Club President. Culver City is our home, and I love it.

Our family is starting its fifth year at Willows Community School. My kids are in the school's theatre productions and play on the basketball and flag football teams, and I'm room parent there. Willows is our second home, and I love it.

Willows currently serves 425 students and their parents, and is a destination for people from over 50 Los Angeles-area zip codes. Families from San Pedro to Pacific Palisades to Sherman Oaks come to Culver City to this school, and those families are happy to shop at our stores and eat at our restaurants. [She even gave precise dollar amounts spent in restaurants for Willows events.]

My Public Comment speech followed Ms McIntosh’s speech, offering the following insights:

I assert that expansion of the Willows Community School campus would be a great asset to Culver City, rather than a “burden” as Commissioner Kuechle fears. I wish our public schools could follow the Willows model of student-centered learning which creates students who are passionate about life-long learning.

I question Commissioner Wyant’s concerns that Willows’ expansion would result in “lost revenues” for Culver City because, with the train now stopping near the Hayden Tract, “the next best use” of properties adjacent to Willows could be retail stores in a mini-mall.

This evening, I suggest that perhaps “the next best use” for the Hayden Tract could include an arts and culture corridor that entices train commuters into Culver City. The Willows Community School, with its emphasis on the arts, innovative education, and environmental consciousness, could be a centerpiece to make Culver City proud. What if Culver City created a model Green Village in that tract, a model of sustainability?

I love what Willows lawyer, Mark Armbruster, said about Willows School success in educating children. He said it is because of that success that Willows now needs to grow. I share with you a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt on success: “The motivating theory of a democratic way of life is still a belief that as individuals we live co-operatively and, to the best of our ability, serve the community in which we live, and that our own success, to be real, must contribute to the success of others.”

Willows’ success is Culver City’s success as well. I stand before this Commission tonight inviting you to approve the Willows Community School proposal that Culver City Staff urged you to approve a month ago!

Following the August 8^th hearing, Willows parent Zoenda McIntosh offered further comment:

“The Commissioners showed diligent attention to detail during this application process for Willows to improve and expand, and had asked the staff and school for several specific pieces of information to help them reach their decision. I was so impressed with the City staff's report, and with their helpful demeanor during last week's hearing. For the most part, it really appeared that all the involved people there were positive and working towards an amicable solution.

“I look forward to City Council's approval of Willows' master plan, which has carefully taken into consideration the financial goals of our City, and keeps the integrity of Hayden Tract's industrial use intact. With great benefit to the City and to the school, our neighbor Willows will grow conscientiously and continue its partnership with Culver City.”

Due to an appeal, the City Council will hear this issue at their September 10 meeting.  Let's hope that our message gets through then, as well.

Outside City Hall at the close of the meeting, Willows personnel thanked both me and Zoenda for the crucial parts we played in the positive vote from the Planning Commission. “I loved your Eleanor Roosevelt quote!” said Head of Willows, Lisa Rosenstein.

Indeed, “Our own success, to be real, must contribute to the success of others.” 

Carlene Brown is an educator and a resident of Culver City.