County Says No to Ladera Heights

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

      To the disappointment of hundreds of Ladera Heights families, a County Board of Education committee on Wednesday rejected a controversial petition to transfer three hundred and thirty-seven students living in Ladera Heights from Inglewood to Culver City.
      After months of carefully structuring and executing plans for moving their children from a lowly regarded school district to a far more prestigious one, Ladera Heights parents have vowed to accelerate their fight.

Does Silbiger Benefit the Most?

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

     With the extended filing deadline for City Council candidates having passed without change, the hottest political question being bandied about in Culver City this week is:

     Which of the three current candidates will benefit most from Mayor Albert Vera’s withdrawal?

     In the wake of Mr. Vera’s decision last Friday afternoon to retire, the early responses centered on members of the present City Council.

The Return of Michael Dukakis

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

     The severe shrinkage of largely forgotten Michael Dukakis, from heavily favored Democratic Presidential candidate to obscure, ordinary citizen, played well on Wednesday evening.  
     From belated arrival to regretted departure, the chastened 1988 contender was loudly cheered by the Democratic Club of Culver City.

Rose Warns RV Owners

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

     Owners of recreational vehicles caught an unanticipated break at the last City Council meeting, winning deferment on the implementation of a controversial parking regulation.
     But Councilman Steve Rose is planning to reverse the owners’ momentum when the code change is brought back for another possible final vote.
     “People who own RVs need to take responsibility for their lifestyle,” Mr. Rose said.

Why Vera Quit Council Race

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

     Mayor Albert Vera, who probably had more compelling reasons for retiring from politics than anyone in Culver City history, but insisted he never would, reversed himself last Friday afternoon and abruptly quit his bid for re-election.
     He cited the seriously impaired health of his wife Ursula as the mainspring behind his decision.
     The call by Mr. Vera, who is in his early seventies, was surprising if not shocking.

A Winning Night for Teachers?

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

     The mismatch of rivals at Tuesday night’s historic School Board meeting in the sprawling Robert Frost Auditorium reminded some people of other famous lopsided battles, like the Indian wars of the nineteenth century.
     The perceived bad guys were wildly outnumbered in both cases. Everybody knows that the Indians lost. But nobody will know the final score from the School Board meeting for weeks to come.

Sisa: Part 2 – The Sad Lesson of History

Frédérik SisaThe Recreational Nihilist

Second of two parts

     In trying to consider the effects of religion on society, as the social scientist Gregory S. Paul attempted to do in the Journal of Religion & Society,  the following comes to mind:
     The overwhelming majority of people have been religious, both today and throughout history. Yet war, genocide, poverty and murder exist as much now as they did in the past. It’s rather hard to  argue that the world is better off today than it was a thousand years ago.

Finally, a Proper Day for Dr. King

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

     Congratulations to Ms. Hyacinth McLeod, chair of the Planning Committee, for creating the first-ever Dr. Martin Luther King Day celebration that Culver City can be proud of.
     Marty Nicholson of the Parks and Recreation Dept. also has earned a major bow from thefrontpageonline.com for helping to drive the planning troops to what looks and feels like a huge civic triumph.
     The first of its kind.

Obituary: Frank Wilkinson, 91

Ari L. NoonanOP-ED

      What is vitally important to know about Frank Wilkinson, a genuine civil liberties hero who died last week at ninety-one, is that he lived his courageous philosophy privately as well as publicly.

     By day, he rigorously advocated for underdogs and for First Amendment free speech rights. By night, when he went home to his family, it was to a hearth in the kind of culturally mixed neighborhood that he regarded as a social ideal. Throughout his adult life, Mr. Wilkinson lived in neighborhoods that some colleagues would have shunned because they were not white enough.
     And then he wore out.

Sisa: Part 1 – The Mostly Harmless Bombshell

Frédérik SisaThe Recreational Nihilist

     My column was all set, ready to examine the effects of a  nuclear bomb detonated in the middle of popular wisdom until last-minute research revealed a serious discrepancy.
     The whole thing started with a study  published in the Journal of Religion & Society by someone named Gregory S. Paul. In it, he claimed that “in general,  higher rates of belief in and worship of a  creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult  mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous  democracies.”