President’s Message
by Lu Herrera
For my column this month, I thought a recent letter I wrote to Mayor Sandi Levin and Members of the City Council would tell you how strongly I feel about the importance of our having a Culver City Community Museum and how dedicated I am to making it a reality.
Dear Mayor Levin and Members of the City Council:
As the new president of your Culver City Historical Society, I am making a much needed Community Museum the principal goal for my two year term. Syd Kroenthal, my right hand man,” has committed to work with me towards this end. As we are all aware, Culver City, the Heart of Screenland, has a rich history which should be shared.
The Society has collected historic memorabilia and continues to catalog photos and other donated items for display. We have storage space provided by two local merchants, but the precious items are also sprinkled throughout the city, in government offices and in homes. There is no single space to store, protect and display the history of Culver City.
Our Society, since its incorporation in 1980 has taken preservation of local history very seriously. We continue to mark historic sites with bronze markers, the last of which was the historic Helms Building as you may remember. We work with the city of offer bus tours at the annual Fiesta La Ballona, as well as programs and tours for school children. Just this week, our members have picked up speakers from the Studio Drive-In as well as pieces of the screen itself after demolition Monday, which was arranged by the CCRA and the developer, The Lee Group. These items will be used for display, but also for fundraising for the museum.
We read with interest the staff report in July which mentioned the possibility of museum space in the new parking structure in the Downtown development. On behalf of the Society, I would like to pursue that option. The Society can offer the expertise, volunteer hours and fundraising efforts to partner with the City of Culver City. Please advise me how we can begin this process.
Sincerely yours,
Lu Herrera