LOCALmotion – Jozelle Smith

-1The Culver City Senior Citizens Association is proud to honor Steve Elstein as their “Senior of the Year” for 2014. Do you want to feel lazy? Then just read on and marvel at all Steve, retired for 12 years, has done: at first he taught literacy at the Culver City Adult School for two years, then it was on to Culver City Meals on Wheels, delivering meals five days a week. He joined Culver City CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), and was quickly designated fundraising chairman. He started delivering meals for the Culver City Senor Center, improving and streamlining some of the procedures, then worked Fridays at S.A.V.E.S. food bank program. After Hurricane Katrina Steve and wife Sharon (who happens to be President of the CCSCA) volunteered at the American Red Cross five days a week to help people who were being sent to California from Louisiana, also helping prepare meals for them (which is where we met Steve). He took courses there that enabled him to become certified as a Disaster Action Team leader in times of disaster. He’s now one of only five Logistic Leads in the L.A. Region, covering the Antelope Valley to Long Beach to Inyo County, and proud to say he’s the oldest person on the team and loves what he does. Congratulations go out to Steve Elstein, outstanding contributor to the Senior Center, the community, the LA area!

The Culver City Chamber Orchestra presents the Young Artists Competition Winners, as determined by the Music Teachers Association of California (WLA Branch) in concert this coming Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Moss Theatre, 3131 Olympic Blvd. in Santa Monica. This is a FREE concert, where the winners of the competition, who range in age from 14-18, will be performing with the Culver City Chamber Orchestra. They are Tristan Paradee, pianist; Christina Lee, pianist; Daniel Oh, cellist; Cassandra Carrasco, pianist; and Irene Yum, cellist. Arlette Cardenas will conduct. For more information call (310) 397-2490 or visit their website at www.ccchamberorchestra.com. (This concert is made possible in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.)

And here are even MORE talented kids: Now in its fifth successful year,Culver City Middle School Theatre Arts is offering six performances by its Improv Troupe this weekend: Saturday May 17 at 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday May 18 at 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Robert Frost Auditorium, 4401 Elenda Street, Culver City. Sixty-five enthusiastic and innovative CCMS students comprise the troupe, directed by professional improv performers, Jennifer Flack and Eric Price. Both are award-winning teachers who have extensive professional performance and teaching experience. Scott Passarella, also a professional improv performer, provides piano accompaniment for musical numbers. Similar to professional improv performances, students will accept audience suggestions for skit topics. Each skit – the characters, conversations, actions and resolution – will be entirely made up on the spot by the CCMS students from the suggested topics. This style of performing requires confidence, adaptability, creative thinking and extensive practice. The students have been practicing since September; some eighth-graders are in their third year in the program, along with many returning seventh-graders from last year. With Improv Comedy, CCMS Theatre Arts is fulfilling the original mission of its founders, Diane Feldman and Diana Kunce – “building a creative and collaborative community through arts education, giving middle school students a positive social and emotional experience that strengthens self-esteem and opens doors for exploration during a key transitional time in their lives.” General admission tickets are $10 for one show, $15 for a one-day pass and $20 for a weekend pass (knowing that each show is going to be different!); student and CCUSD staff ticket prices are $5 for one show, $10 for a one-day pass and $15 for a weekend pass. Advance ticket sales are available. Email [email protected] to purchase tickets in advance.

Congratulations and welcome hugs to two recent graduates of the Sheriff’s Academy who have joined our Culver City Police Department: Officer Sam Hawkins and Officer Nikki Cavazos completed the 20 week Academy and have begun their careers in Our Town. Also, Officer Hawkins was Class 398’s Honor Cadet, graduating as top cadet in the class!

This Monday, May 12 the Culver City Rock and Mineral Club will hold its monthly meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Veterans’ Memorial Building (enter from back door). The program will feature Shep Koss, friend of many of the club’s members and co-author of “Rockhounding California II: A Guide to the State’s Best Rockhounding Sites.” He’ll focus on Sharktooth Hills, 20 minutes northeast of Bakersfield, which is the most extensive marine bone bed in the world, explaining how and why there are so many fossil deposits there, and will bring lots of samples. You can bet new members Aubree Galbiso, Mallory Emrich, Maria Henson, Johnny & Jeannette Hjorth and Alexa Hunter will be there, and visitors are always welcome. For more information visit www.culvercityrocks.org.

Balmy birthday wishes go out this week to Rick Hudson, Mimi Stenshoel, Rev. Margaret Zamorano, Barbara Bilbao, Marilyn Schneider, Lisa Skelley, Todd Miller, Crystie Rooney, Patrick Hayes, Betty Karlberg, Laurie Lizer, Lulu Lumel, Lenka Jensen, Karyn Smith, Margy Stein, Emilio Guillen, Kathryn Bell, Meme Fehmers, Paul Guillemin, Gary Kiyan, Sabino Miranda, Odinachi Nwosu ,Jaime Naylor, Bret Weiss, Nancy Block, Karen Hilsberg, Wim Scholten, Donna Oda, Deborah Thorne, Lida Dimitropoulou, and Paloma Perez. Would you like to have your – or a friend or family member’s – birthday mentioned here? Let us know at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to post it!

 

Topsy Turvy at The Actors' Gang 9/26-11/16

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.