Greetings on a Friday!On Monday, Tom and fellow Coliseum Commissioners honored Olympic medalist, Rafer Johnson, who lit the Torch to open the Los Angeles games in 1984. The Decathlon silver medalist in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and gold medalist in the 1960 Rome games can now add bronze to his “metals”; he received a bronze plaque in the Court of Honor at the entrance to the Coliseum.
On Tuesday, Tom joined the Postal Service in saluting the LAPD on its 140th anniversary with the unveiling of a Dragnet First-Class postage stamp. Cast members from the 1951 television series were on hand at the Elysian Park Police Academy, as well as LAPD Chief William Bratton.
The Councilmember declared Wednesday “Wizard of Oz” Day in honor of the 70th anniversary of the 1939 film. Jerry Maren, one of the original Lollipop Kids, and his wife Elizabeth, greeted fans gathered around the Munchkins’ star in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
On Thursday, Tom held a press conference with The Wende Museum of the Cold War, to introduce an upcoming commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The large scale installation will feature a symbolic Wall, spanning Wilshire Blvd. on Sunday, Nov. 8 in front of LACMA’s Urban Light exhibit. The Councilmember also introduced the new Consul General of Germany, Mr. Wolfgang Drautz.
To highlight the City’s 69th Annual Nisei Week, the Mayor of Nagoya, Japan arrived in Los Angeles on Friday. Tom, who chairs the Sister Cities Committee, introduced him and his delegation at Council and invited him to his office, where the Councilman was interviewed on a variety of issues.
The City Council will be in recess until September 1, 2009.
