Education, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting

Education, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
6:30 to 8:30pm

IN PERSON
Windward School, 11350 Palms Blvd., Room 410
Enter on Sawtelle

7.1 [ADMINISTRATIVE] PorchfestLA update

7.2 [ADMINISTRATIVE] Street mural art update

7.3 [ADMIN ISTRATIVE] Self-guided tour map update

Porchfest! You are invited to apply!

Mar Vista Music Project is bringing Porchfest LA to Mar Vista and Culver City -
November 1st and 2nd, 2025

Don’t delay. Act now, Spots are limited.

Be part of this annual LIVE music events held across the U.S.A. and in Canada on front porches,  bringing local musicians and neighborhoods together to celebrate and create a sense of community.

Registration for Performers is now open through September 27, 2025.
Click here for the Musician/Performer Application

Register here to be a Porchfest LA Host. Closes September 27, 2025.
Click here for the Host Application

MVCC at Farmers Market

Mar Vista Community Council Tabled at
Farmers Market - Sunday, September 1
It was a HOT HOT Day. But we endured!
:) 

Thanks to everyone who visited us, and thank you to board members Steve Hedge, Greg Kopelow, Chloe Samiley, Charlene Samiley and April Petereson for conversation, tabling help, and the opportunity for me to take a break here and there. 

Share Your Neighborhood Council Election Experience

Mar Vista Community Council knows our stakeholders experienced a LOT of frustration with the Election/Voting process. We were frustrated as well!

EMPOWER LA is asking for feedback regarding the experience. Please participate in the survey and let them know your thoughts on the exasperating process. Maybe we can get it better and easier for the next election. Fingers crossed. 

EmpowerLA is gathering feedback to better understand your experience during the 2025 Neighborhood Council election cycle, including input on what worked well and what can be improved. Whether you participated in the 2025 Neighborhood Council elections as a candidate, as a voter, or you didn't participate at all, we want to hear from you!

By sharing your insights, you will help us enhance future election awareness strategies and resources, which in turn will increase candidate and voter engagement. More importantly, you can help us innovate ideas to strengthen connections between Angelenos and their Neighborhood Councils.

The survey results, including raw data, will be incorporated into EmpowerLA’s post-election report. This report will be distributed via our newsletter and made available on our website.

Please complete this survey no later than Saturday, August 30, 2025.

JULY CRIME REPORT

JULY CRIMES AT A GLANCE

• 7/18/25, STREET ROBBERY: near Pacific Ave & Centinela Ave, ( 2 ) male teenage suspects approached F H 23 & Snatched Necklace After Asking Directions. 

• 7/12/25, AGGRIVATED ASSAULT: Gateway Blvd & Granville, domestic violence occurred. Suspect was arrested.

 • 7/11/25, AGGRIVATED ASSAULT: Ocean Park Blvd & Armacost Ave, a 5150 male suspect brandished knife at officers after slashing his own throat.

• 7/10/25, AGGRIVATED ASSAULT: near Venice & Inglewood Blvd, a male homeless suspect struck a female victim with a hard object

• 7/07/25, AGGRIVATED ASSAULT: National Bl & Glendon Ave, a domestic violence occurred.

• 7/06/25, BUSINESS ROBBERY: Department store on National & Sepulveda, a male suspect threatened security when confronted for shoplifting $200 clothes

• 7/06/25, AGGRIVATED ASSAULT: Near Washington Pl & Washington Bl, a male suspect (apartment unit neighbor) brandished a knife in the laundry room at female (neighbor) during a dispute.

• 7/02/25, AGGRIVATED ASSAULT: near Venice Blvd & Centinela Ave, during a parking space dispute, a male suspect pepper sprayed victim, victim smashed suspect’s car window, and suspect pepper sprayed victim again.

2025 National Night Out at Mar Vista Recreation Center

Mar Vista Community Council had a booth at the 2025 National Night Out at Mar Vista Recreation Center on Tuesday, August 5th from 5-9 PM

The event was a success. We met many stakeholders, first responders, and a fun time was had by all. We gave out a ton of Safety Vests with our MV Logo, personal alarms, doggy poo bags, and first aid kits. The safety vests were the fashion statement of the event! There was ribs, pasta, mac and cheese, hot dogs and pizza. Blasting music and raffles added to the fun. Our Council Member Traci Park and her staff were meeting Mar Vistans and celebrating with the rest of us. Big thanks to Andrew Marton who helped organize the event with the Rec Center. And thank you to our First Responders who met the neighborhood and brought their sirens, helicopter, fire trucks, lights and great energy to Mar Vista. Thank you to Andrew, Greg, Charlene and Jennifer for swinging by and helping man the booth. Always appreciated. 

Martin Rubin's Memorial

A few of us attended Martin Rubin's Memorial this past Saturday. 

Charlene, Andrew, Stephen P and Carolyn attended Martin’s Memorial. 

Martin’s younger brother Jerry organized the beautful tribute. He had a lot of friends in attendance. We learned of Martin’s devotion and commitment to the goal of turning the Santa Monica Airport into a park for the community.

Matt Halden, Traci Park’s field deputy for Mar Vista spoke about Martin’s contributions to Mar Vista and beyond.

It was a beautiful day and an afternoon of sunshine and fond memories.  

Martin's brother Jerry at the microphone with friends and supporters of Martin's dream.

Matt Halden from Traci Park's office, Stephen Paddock - PLUM Chair, and Andrew Marton- Homeless and Safety Chair attended. Chair Charlene Samiley and Community Director Carolyn K. Honda were there as well, but were camera shy. 

Martin’s brother Jerry brought the last can of a box of Canada Dry that Carolyn brought Martin while he was in the hospital. Martin requested it. Jerry said that it meant so much when he saw the cans because they brought back so many memjories of childhood days with his brother. They both loved Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Cheers Martin!

Matt Halden, Traci Park’s field deputy for Mar Vista spoke about Martin’s contributions to Mar Vista and beyond.

It was a beautiful tribute on a beautiful day. 

Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) Breakfast and Questions with Mayor Karen Bass.

Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) Breakfast and Questions with Mayor Karen Bass.

Mayor Karen Bass attended a special in-person meeting of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC — MVCC is a member, (Andrew Marton and Carolyn K. Honda represented MVCC) along with all 14 neighborhood and community councils on the Westside of LA) on July 21st , 7 AM, at Belmont Senior Living Village in Westwood.  She candidly answered several questions about the City's budget crisis; public safety concerns; an investigation into the cause of the Palisades Fire; her position on Metro's Sepulveda Transit Corridor project (a station directly located on the UCLA Campus with direct access to the UCLA Purple subway/D Line are key components unanimously supported by WRAC and MVCC); the status of an independent audit of her Inside Safe program dealing with homelessness; and the City's plan to deal with encampments in connection with the World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028.  We thanked the Mayor for joining our meeting and sharing information with us.