Richard Alexander

The Culver City Democratic Club has endorsed incumbent Richard Alexander and former Chamber of Commerce President Andy Weissman in the nonpartisan race for two City Council seats in the April 8 election. More than 60 club members Wednesday listened to five of the seven candidates speak on traffic congestion, fireworks sales and the proliferation of mini-malls and fast-food outlets. Alexander, Weissman and Richard Nielsen, a deputy attorney general, are Democrats.

An apprentice technician who received burns on 60% of his body after an electrical explosion settled a lawsuit this week against engineering contract firm Fluor Corp. and technology powerhouse IBM Corp. Fluor's insurance companies will pay $9.5 million in damages, and Fluor's workers' compensation carrier paid $5.9 million in medical bills for David McNabb, 37, his attorney said Tuesday. McNabb was hospitalized for 20 months after an accident at an IBM facility in San Jose in January 2002.

The City Council has voted 4 to 1 to send a letter to state legislators and Gov. George Deukmejian asking them to approve a ban on military assault weapons. The action came after Councilman Richard Alexander, who cast the dissenting vote, spoke against a ban and displayed several semiautomatic weapons. Alexander argued that the real problem is a drug war over crack cocaine that has put high-powered firearms in the hands of drug dealers and gangs.

The City Council on Monday formally approved a $41-million budget for the 1986-87 fiscal year and reduced the utility users tax from 11% to 9.5%. The budget, submitted May 12, includes $320,000 in increased permits and other fees that officials said would allow the city to rely less on tax revenue. Fees charged for fire inspections, taxi driver applications and various building and safety requirements will go up. Officials said the increases will affect mostly developers and non-residents.

Chair and nameplate switching marked Tuesday's City Council meeting, as Councilman Steven Gourley replaced Jozelle Smith as mayor, and outgoing Councilman Richard Alexander stepped down to make way for newly elected Mike Balkman. Smith, who has served as mayor for the past year, and Balkman, president of an electrical contracting company, won seats on the council in last week's municipal election.

A proposed temporary ban on all new commercial construction in Culver City has been given a chilly reception by three members of the City Council and a prominent local realtor. Councilman Jim Boulgarides sought the public and council's feedback on a moratorium idea, saying a temporary ban could help the city as it tries to develop a comprehensive growth-management plan.

The Christmas season opened in New York City on Wednesday as thousands who had huddled in cold, drizzly weather let out a whoop at the 60th annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The 65-foot Norway spruce--strung with more than 25,000 bulbs--came to light at 5:50 p.m. It drew a gasp from people packed elbow to elbow in the mid-Manhattan center and others watching from the windows of surrounding skyscrapers. "I didn't expect to but I felt a tingle," said Carl Cruz, 44.

The City Council recently defeated proposals by new Councilmen Steven Gourley and Jim Boulgarides to limit council and commission members to two terms in office. Gourley, following up on a campaign promise, said that multiple terms in office breed arrogance and increase distance from the community. He proposed a ballot initiative to allow voters to decide whether to limit the number of consecutive terms a council member can serve to two.

The City Council gave final approval to a law banning "safe and sane" fireworks, and then heard brief parting shots by two councilmen on opposing sides of the issue. For the second consecutive week, the law appeared Monday on the council's consent calendar, where routine items such as city purchases usually appear. Mayor Paul A. Netzel, an opponent of fireworks, told the council that its vote officially ended fireworks in the city.