Popular Culver City Mayor Mehaul O’Leary indeed sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at Thursday’s 32nd Annual Mayor’s Luncheon – and the inspired crowd of 300 enthusiastically joined in, nearly drowning the Mayor out.
With renovations taking place at the usual Veterans’ Memorial Building meeting site, this year’s sold-out event was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Culver City, with attendees that included current councilmembers, city commissioners and staff, former elected officials, Culver City Unified School District Board of Education members and staff, and local service clubs, nonprofits, and businesses.
Mayor O’Leary painstakingly highlighted the challenges facing each city department as well as the strides made despite Sacramento-legislated setbacks and the state of the general economy. He was upbeat about the Expo Rail expansion, as well as projects including Parcel B in East Culver City, Tilden Terrace and the West Washington Boulevard corridor. The reduction in violent crime and the CityBus’ high national ranking generated spirited applause, as did the introduction of the mayor’s lovely wife, Susan.
Halfway through the “State of the City ” address, 25-year Chamber president Steve Rose, himself a former councilmember and mayor, was caught rolling his eyes and glancing at his watch as Mayor O’Leary continued to articulate numerous projects past and present. Rose was determined that this Mayor’s speech wouldn’t match a record-breaking 90-plus minute presentation made by a former mayor. The good news? It didn’t. And in closing Mayor O’Leary may have even paid tribute to Steve (intended or unintended), concluding that, “The Culver City team stepped up when the going got tough, and it is an attitude like that which has us as the envy of the region and will get us out of this recession smelling like a rose.”
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