Before the New Year arrives, with all of its resolutions and aspirations, it’s probably a good idea to stop and reflect on the year that has passed. The year-in-review shtick has really played itself out in recent years and seemed have spurred its own cottage industry within TV networks, but nevertheless, there is something to be said for moments of pause just before hitting the accelerator once again.
A lot has happened in Culver City for the better and the worse. Most recently, Parcel B found a developer and the city eagerly awaits the groundbreaking of a new attraction to its borders; two first-time school board candidates were elected to office despite a popular incumbent also being on the ballot; two city councilmen resigned office; construction got thoroughly under way on the Expo Line station that will provide Metro light rail train service to connect Culver City to the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area; some great new businesses moved into town, and a few – including La Ballona Mexican restaurant – closed their doors for the last time; two people were murdered in a residence and Culver City police detectives found the killer; more than a dozen bicyclists were injured when a drunken driver crashed into them on La Cienega Boulevard, and that driver was later charged with two counts of felony DUI; the Culver City High School Centaurs trampled their competition under hoof in this year’s CIF football playoffs and came up just one victory shy of a title; Culver City Little Leaguers also displayed their athletic skill, coming up just a little bit short as they vied for a trip to Williamsport, Penn.; this newspaper lost a longtime publisher but gained a new one (one thing that didn’t change – the editor); and the list of the city’s deeds and accomplishments goes on and on; it would take a whole column to even begin to count the myriad goings-on in “The Heart of Screenland.”
Well, what do you know?