If you’ve ever wanted to get fit, tour Culver City and/or talk turkey with the mayor, here’s your opportunity.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition together with Mayor Micheal O’Leary have come together to create a Mondays with the Mayor morning community bike ride.

According to the coalition’s blog, every Monday morning those interested can hop on their bikes and take a tour of the city while discussing community issues with the mayor, including how to improve bike conditions in the city.

Barring inclement weather, cyclists will meet every Monday morning at 8 a.m. Syd Kronenthal Park at the east end of the Ballona Creek Bike Path, 3459 McManus Avenue, Culver City, 90232 beneath the canopies near the community room.

Cyclists should be ready to leave by 8:10 a.m. and the coalition promises that the ride will be an easy one.

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A Culver City man was convicted today of two counts of second-degree murder for driving drunk and causing a New Year's Eve wreck that killed a husband and wife.

Jorge Alberto Molina, 28, could facing 50 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on March 15. A jury also found him guilty of a hit-and-run charge for leaving the scene of the Dec. 31, 2010 crash that killed Kelvin and Demetria Dorsey.

Prosecutors said Molina, who was driving a Geo Prism, ran through a red light at Florence Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles before slamming into an Infiniti SUV driven by Demetria Dorsey.

Molina was being pursued by police who had seen him run another red light while heading west on Florence at Van Ness Avenue.

The Infiniti flipped over three times. Dorsey, 50, and her 54-year-old husband both died as a result of blunt force trauma suffered in the crash.

Molina got out of his car and tried to run away, but was quickly arrested by pursuing officers.

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NASA’s video depiction of our changing climate. Breathtaking.

The combination of dry, gusty winds and low relative humidities could heighten brush fire conditions, although the moisture levels of vegetation may not be dry because of recent rains, the National Weather Service said.

The offshore winds are expected to result from a rapid build-up of high pressure over the Great Basin.

"There will be potential for wind gusts in the 60- to 70-mph range across the mountains," the agency said in a statement. Winds could range from 45 mph to 60 mph in coastal and valley areas.

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-- Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

The City Council had hoped to vote Monday night on a staff recommendation that would keep alive the 2012 Culver City Summer Music Festival, albeit in a somewhat revised format. However, after over an hour of public comment and discussion, the council decided to postpone the decision for at least another two weeks.

Following the abolition of the Redevelopment Agency and the $75,000 that would have come from the agency to produce the summer series, the council agreed on Jan. 9 to postpone a decision on funding for the 2012 festival until Monday night’s meeting.

During that two-week period, Gary Mandell, who owns and runs Boulevard Music (and who has been in charge of the festival for the past 11 years), proposed producing a festival called the Boulevard Music Festival. It would be on a smaller scale, take place in Media Park – the festival’s original home – and Mandell would undertake to find sponsors for the event.

There is currently $5,500 in past sponsorships available for the festival, and an additional $2,000 reallocated from the 2011 Sony cultural events contribution. After much discussion, City Manager John Nachbar said it could be possible to allocate an additional $7,500 to the festival from the City’s discretionary fund, to provide $15,000 in total for the 2012 festival.

However, in what became an ongoing circular argument, council members asked Mandell how much money he would need to produce one show, while Mandell continued to counter that it would depend on how many sponsorships he could obtain and whether or not services routinely provided by the city for this event including set up, cleaning and maintenance etc. could be run by volunteers, and who would pay for the sound system.

Eventually, the council members agreed to postpone the vote for at least another two weeks to allow Mandell to meet with city staff to discuss the issue further. In addition, Councilmember Jeffrey Cooper said that if the City were to provide a minimum of $7,500 for the festival, then the title of the festival should become the Culver City Boulevard Festival.

Despite Mandell stepping up with his proposal, in which he stated he would not be making any money from the event himself, several people said they were opposed to a private individual running the event.

Ronnie Jayne and Michelle Bernardin, both Culver City cultural affairs commissioners, but who spoke in the public comments period as private citizens argued against Mandell’s proposal.

“Whoever puts these concerts on will be getting some waived fees from the City,” Jayne said, while Bernardin said if Mandell could come forward and propose his own music festival then an RFP process should be opened up to the public, “to make it an open and fair process,” she said.

However, Councilmember Christopher Armenta said that while an RFP process and another idea proposed in public comment – to have the Cultural Affairs Commission’s ad hoc subcommittee discuss the issue further and try and generate sponsorship – were all well and good, they would be great ideas for 2013 but for 2012 continuity was key.

“I’m trying to find some way to save this program,” Amenta said, thanking Mandell for stepping up at “what could be the final hour.”

The council eventually agreed to hold off on any further decisions until Mandell meets with city staff to discuss the issue further.

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Despite the rain, scores of people turned out at the Culver City teen center between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday morning to help Rep. Karen Bass kick off her reelection campaign for the 37th Congressional District. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also attended the event.

In order to qualify for the June primary ballot, Bass needs to collect 3,000 signatures from voters in the newly drawn district. 

Patch caught up with Rep. Bass late Saturday afternoon when she came to speak at Jim Clarke’s kick-off event for the Culver City Council elections, which will be held April. 10.

Rep. Bass told Patch she was pleased with the turnout. “We already have 1700 of the 3,000 signatures needed for the June ballot,” she said.

Asked why she chose to launch her kick-off campaign in Culver City, Rep. Bass said, “I do most of my events in Culver City and the Veterans Memorial is a wonderful venue. It’s smack dab in the middle of the district.”

She added she had to keep reminding herself that it’s now the 37^th – not the 33^rd district she hopes to represent.

Rep. Bass flew in from Washington D.C. on Friday, but was headed back on Sunday, she said.

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LA recently turn into a battlefield for authentic “long-hour-prep broth” ramen, another darling is Ramen Yamadaya. It has 3 other locations, the original from Torrance, one in Culver city and Westwood, and one coming soon at Costa mesa. As soon as you walk in you can read about their special process of how they prepare their pork broth (i.e. Pork bone boil for 20 hours, each bowl of ramen is extracted from 24 oz of pork bone). The interior is more youthful compare to Ramen Jinya and Tsujita LA. 

Yamadaya Ramen $9.95
It has char siu, flavor soft yolk egg and various other toppings. The pork is very tender and the egg is good but I think Tsujita’s better (more favorful and soft).  The broth is indeed very rich and flavorful, it has more depth than the Jinya’s broth. I’m glad we got beer to wash down some of the richness. In fact having beer with this is quite necessary.

So many good ramen in town now, that means I need to hit the gym more often  so I could go back to eat more!

Culver city:
11172 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
310-815-8776

Torrance:
3118 W.182nd St. Torrance, CA 90504
310-380-5555

Westwood:
1248 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-474-1600

CULVER CITY (CBS) — Film actress Zoe Saldana is being called a real life action hero after rushing to a woman’s aid who was involved in a nasty car wreck outside Sony Pictures Studios.

The collision took place at the intersection of Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue in Culver City.

Saldana is credited with helping the victim by dialing 911 and notifying dispatchers of the woman’s location. Saldana also helped the woman out of her car and retrieved her personal belongings.

Culver City firefighters were not initially aware the actress was present at the scene.

“There’s a bunch of different responsibilities that each member has to do,” said Battalion Chief Bill Bischoff of the Culver City Fire Department. “And looking for movie stars isn’t generally one of those things.”

Firefighters said Saldana’s actions were helpful in this case.

“It’s nice to know that someone who might be that famous thinks a lot about other people and not just themselves,” said Bischoff.

Despite a visibly bloodied face, the victim’s injuries are said to be minor.

Saldana is best known for her roles in “Avatar” and “Star Trek.”

It’s the stuff dreams are made of, and Cameron DeFaria has been living the dream for the past eight months. A student at Culver City Middle School, DeFaria was one of 12 finalists in the first season of Majors & Minors, a voice and talent competition on The Hub television network.

The 14-year-old was chosen from a nationwide pool of more than 40,000 applicants, but he's no stranger to the stage. Cameron took up guitar at the age of six and performed at venues, including the House of Blues, with his band, Stereo Union.

He didn’t know he was chosen to be on the show until a film crew showed up at his house last year with a video invitation. 

“That was crazy,” Cameron told Patch. “I didn’t know I was going to make it.”

His parents, who are both musicians, stayed by his side throughout. It was Cameron’s mother, Chaille Percival DeFaria, who first brought the competition to his attention, but she credits him for taking the initiative.

“I presented the information to him, and he ran,” she said.

She watched him throughout the tapings of the show and saw him mentored by some of music’s biggest names, including Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Hudson, will.i.am, Leona Lewis, Brandy, Jordin Sparks, Sean Kingston, and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. 

“I was definitely awestruck when they walked into the room,” Cameron said. “I was so glad they helped us.”

However, Cameron seemed to get the biggest kick out of working with American Idol alumn Adam Lambert and even got a chance to accompany Lambert on the guitar during one of the tapings.

“That was pretty great,” Cameron said. “I was so excited because he fit closer to my genre than the rest. I learned a lot from him stage presence-wise.”

Cameron is also grateful for the relationships he formed with his 11 competitors. He said his cast mates became like family. They cheered each other on and even learned each others' songs. No one was actually booted off the show, so all of the kids (aged 10-16), had a chance to compete at the finale.

Cameron will perform one of his original songs when the finale is televised on Jan. 22 and Jan. 29. His mother is proud of his work on stage.

“He took a few chances I hadn’t seen him take,” she said. “He tends to do that when the pressure is on, and that really impresses me about him.”

No matter who is formally announced the winner at the end of this month, Cameron says he is grateful for what he learned from his mentors on the show.

“I just feel they have molded the kind of artist I want to be,” he said.  

To vote for Cameron as a fan favorite, visit www.hubworld.com/fanfavorite

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The 2pm event on Saturday January 21st, 2012 will demonstrate the latest innovations in rooftop solar power and discuss the benefits of NO money down residential solar. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. Space is limited and advance registration is required.

RSVP at http://communitysolar.eventbrite.com.

Google recently announced $75 million in funding for up to 3,000 homeowners in key markets, including Los Angeles County, to go solar with a Clean Power Finance solar lease.

Rick Needham, director of Energy and Sustainability at Google said, “We’re proud to be among the first investors to partner with Clean Power Finance, and enable the company to continue forging strong relationships with the best brands in solar.”

Clean Power Finance provides an innovative online marketplace that connects installers with investors such as Google to provide affordable financing for solar power. The result is solar energy that can be significantly less expensive than purchasing electricity from local utilities.

Kristian Hanelt, senior vice president of renewable capital markets at Clean Power Finance, said, “Clean Power Finance believes making competitive finance products available to quality installers like PermaCity is key to advancing the residential solar market. Homeowners ought to be able to afford clean, renewable power at reasonable rates, and we are pleased to partner with Google, PermaCity and community organizers like Open Neighborhoods to offer solar finance products to make that possible.”

Open Neighborhoods co-founder James Brennan said, “We are pleased to see Google and Clean Power Finance helping Los Angeles County homeowners take full advantage of Open Neighborhoods group purchasing power to realize significant energy cost savings.”

Through the Open Neighborhoods Community Solar program in Los Angeles County, participating homeowners receive group discounts on solar panels, with up to 33 percent discount on a Clean Power Finance monthly payment. Discounted solar installations start at $4.40/Watt plus tax through the Open Neighborhoods program, and utility rebates and tax incentives reduce the cost further.

Los Angeles County homeowners can determine eligibility to participate in the program and learn more now by requesting a free rooftop assessment at www.openneighborhoods.net/gosolar.

A representative from Clean Power Finance will be at the January 21st event in Los Angeles to explain the new program and solar leasing experts will walk-through the pros and cons of various leasing, purchasing, and lease-to-own options.

WHAT: THE SOLAR LEASE: Free Solar Workshop and Open House
NO money down residential solar.

WHO: Homeowners, green builders, environmental advocates and community leaders in Los Angeles County.

WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 2012, 2pm – 4pm.

WHERE: PermaCity Solar Showroom 5570 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, Calif.

RSVP: http://communitysolar.eventbrite.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION call (310) 893-3100.

RELATED

1. Occupy Rooftops: Nov. 20 Community Solar Action Day
2. Community Solar Reaches Grid Parity in Los Angeles
3. Join the Los Angeles County Solar Challenge!

Continuing its commitment to making Culver City more bicycle-friendly, the City plans to install its first ever bicycle corral by the beginning of March.

The corral will be able to house between 20-24 bicycles and will be placed in front of the Coffee Conservatory on Washington Boulevard.

Public Works Senior Management Analyst John Rivera told Patch the racks will be paid for using funds from the City’s 2011 PLACE Grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

While the design and construction of the corrals will be done by City staff, to date no design has been chosen. Rivera said City staff would develop Culver City’s corral design based on those being implemented in other communities, such as those in Portland, Ore.

According to the Public Works department only one parking space in front of the Conservatory will need to be eliminated to create the corral.

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The bulldozers are set to move in shortly and tear down the entire structure that once housed the Culver Plaza Theater complex on Washington Boulevard and Hughes Avenue.

As Culver City residents bid farewell to the landmark theater and its array of surrounding restaurants including Choppe Choppe, Mezza Grill and Mrs Garcia’s to make way for NMS Properties mixed-use development, the city will also lose the vibrant, colorful artwork that stood proudly above the buildings.

Ed Massey’s ‘Syncopation’ mural, however, will be spared the bulldozers.  Instead, the painting - which stands at 241 feet long and 35 feet high - will be removed in sections to Del Rey’s Westside Neighborhood School and installed piecemeal on the campus over the next few weeks.

Massey created the bright, bold shapes specifically for the Culver Theater Plaza complex in 2004, using mops as giant paint brushes on all-weather material, according to a press release. The completed painting was then installed onto the building's curved exterior walls in 11 separate sections.

Massey said he was pleased with the choice of the mural’s new home.

“I hope that once the painting is installed at its new location that it will invigorate viewers and encourage a spirit in young and older students, campus visitors and passersby to think and act boldly, innovatively and creatively in everything they do,” he said.

The loneliest evening I ever spent in New Orleans was on my first visit to the city, at the glistening food court into which the gr...

Correction: This article previously stated that reservations are now closed for this event. However, reservations are in fact still open. Scroll to the bottom of the article for details.

It seems only fitting that the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern has chosen both Friday 13^th and the eclectic café/art space Royal/T to host his next strange, culinary tasting experience.

The James Beard award-winning Bizarre Foods host will be accompanied by his regular TV crew and a group of adventurous locals as he sits down to an off-center take on classic Californian fare.

Reservations are still open and guests who pay $150 and over (which includes a donation to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank), will be treated a collaborative five-course dinner menu.  The first seating starts at 6 p.m. with the last seating at 9:30 p.m.

Here is a sneak preview of his "California Dreaming" menu (subject to change based on seasonality, availability, and inspiration):

• Sea Urchin and Yellow Tomato-Vegetable Aspic
• Pasta a la Vongole, Linguine and ‘Clams’ with Oregano, Olive Oil, and Garlic
• Tongue Tied: Veal Tongue Tartare and Chile braised Lambs Tongue Quesadilla
• Grilled Broken Arrow Ranch Venison Chop, Crispy Goat Chuchules, Posole, and Avocado Salsa
• Cioccolato Orrare da Gustare

To reserve your place go to http://andrewzimmern.eventbrite.com/

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As Patch reported earlier this week, the Culver City Music Festival received a temporary reprieve from the city council Monday night, after a vote to pull funding for the festival was postponed until Jan. 23.

The festival is just one of scores of cultural programs that to date have been funded by the city’s Redevelopment Agency. However, once the agency is abolished on Feb. 1, as per the State Supreme Court’s directive, many of those cultural attractions will find themselves struggling to survive.

At Tuesday night’s Cultural Affairs Commission Town Hall meeting, some of the speakers took the opportunity to bring the issue to the commission’s attention, in the hope that something might be done to save the festival and raise the $75,000 required to produce it before the Jan. 23 deadline.

At this stage, outside sponsorship is likely the only way to raise the funds and community activist Meghan Sahli-Wells told the commission she started working towards that goal immediately after Monday night’s council meeting ended.

“A lot of people have a tendency to think of the arts as a luxury,” she said. “But we are in the heart of screenland and with Sony as one of our biggest businesses, there’s no doubt this is a huge and vital part of our economy.”

She urged the community to engage in “hard core community dialogue on how we are going to fund the arts going forward,” adding that it was “fairly clear” the council will not fund the concert series from the city’s general fund.

“We have until the 23^rd to decide how we will make it live,” she said, adding that she personally contacted two people from the Downtown Business Association and both pledged to donate $500 each if other local businesses pitch in to help save the music festival.

“It’s not much,” Sahli-Wells confessed, but said it could possibly work with a good Kickstarter campaign. She also said she would be interested in activating the commission’s foundation to bring it on a par with the education foundation. “Maybe that’s one of our answers,” she said.

Jonathan Weiss, a music supervisor for film and television said he couldn’t understand why during the music festival’s 17-year history, the organizers of had not been tasked with seeking out sponsorships as part of their job description.

Weiss suggested that performing rights organizations such as The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) should be contacted in an effort to sponsor the festival.

“[These organizations] sponsor a lot of festivals around the country like South by Southwest (SXSW),” he said. “Sony has also contributed a lot of help in the past [to local projects],” he added.

As the music festival was not an agenda item at Tuesday night’s meeting, the commission could not discuss possible solutions to save the music festival. In an effort to try and expedite the process and with the Jan. 23 deadline looming, Commissioner Ronnie Jayne recommended that a sub-committee be put together to discuss the issue as soon as possible. That meeting will be held as soon as staff coordinate schedules.

Commissioner Michelle Bernardin said, “Hopefully we can get something done and we can all be happy again.”

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