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First in a series   The freshly elected mayor of Culver City is going continental. Two weeks from today, Jeff and Rafia Cooper, approaching their 33rd wedding anniversary, will fly off to Italy – Capo d’Orlando, Sicily, to be precise, on business. Accompanied by Vice Mayor Thomas Small, his wife Joanna, their 9-year-old twins, Lyra and Joey, and immediate past … Read More

[Editor’s Note:  Mr. Cooper’s acceptance speech after his fellow City Council members last week voted him mayor for the next 12 months.] Firstly, I want to thank the loves of my life, my wife Rafia and daughters Rhianna and Alyssa for giving me their blessing seven years ago to take this new journey into politics. Thank you to my colleagues … Read More

Working closely with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, volunteers for the Backpacks for Kids program netted more than $7,600 in food, gift card and monetary donations during their weekend food drive at the Pavilions store, 11030 Jefferson Blvd. “We had a tremendous amount of help from the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority,” said Jamie Wallace, co-coordinator of the program. “These gals … Read More

Second in a series Re “Reluctantly, Weissman Serves a To-Do Dish for Cooper”   Besides a likely financial crisis of daunting size, former Mayor Andy Weissman cited a handful of further imposing challenges confronting week-old Mayor Jeff Cooper. Since leaving office a year ago, he has been closely tracking City Hall finances and the City Council’s performances. “We have aging … Read More

Both liberals and conservatives arched their eyebrows the other day when The New York Times, ultra liberal, hired conservative essayist Bret Stephens from the Wall Street Journal, decidedly conservative. No doubt Mr. Stephens’s somewhat surprising virulent and unrelenting opposition to the candidacy and the presidency of Donald Trump influenced the decision on both sides. The inevitable followed. Raging fires broke … Read More

Second in a series Re “I Did Not Expect to be Here” [Editor’s Note: Maj. Mark A. Smith, U.S. Army, Retired, wrote a three-part perspective on the occasion of his 71st birthday last Wednesday.]   When I awoke alive in enemy hands on the morning of 8 April 1972, a monster was created. I was intent on not merely surviving … Read More

Dateline Jerusalem — Israel literally came to a standstill this week on Holocaust Memorial Day, known as Yom HaShoah and Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. “Yom” in Hebrew means “day” and “HaShoah” means “The Catastrophe.” At 10 a.m., a loud air raid siren sounded throughout the country for a full two minutes, bringing cars, buses, trains, and pedestrians to … Read More

I turned seventy-one on Wednesday, and I have been thankful for every day I have been given since 8 April 1972. During the period of 4-8 April that year, death did not appear merely imminent but absolutely assured. No person on the battlefield was more surprised that I was actually still alive on that morning south of Loc Ninh, Vietnam, … Read More

A glass of water usually elicited a cough, and that cough brought on another.  It has been that way for the last 30 years. But that’s over — thanks to a penny device, a soda straw. I don’t know why I waited until last night to Google: “I cough when I drink water, but not when I drink juice.” The … Read More

First of two parts As Jeff Cooper opens his second stroll down Culver City’s Mayoralty Lane, one of his favorite predecessors was asked how he would counsel Mr. Cooper. “Doesn’t need my advice,” protested former Mayor Andy Weissman, term-limited a year ago. “He has been there.” When Mr. Weissman, who also served two mayoral terms, was prevailed upon, he said: … Read More