Author: geoffmaleman

Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson will be the keynote speaker at the LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual event to honor local protectors. The Protectors Luncheon, sponsored by Gateway to L.A. and Playa Vista, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport hotel, 5711 W. Century Blvd. in Westchester. The event is an opportunity for the community to publicly thank those men and women in uniform who protect the local neighborhoods each and every day. Representatives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Lifeguards, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Airport Police, California Highway Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard will be honored. For 12 years, Johnson dominated the court as one of the NBA’s best players. Since his retirement he has built a business empire, which includes real estate holdings, movie theaters and other ventures. Johnson grew up in Michigan in a large family with nine brothers and sisters. Both of his parents worked – his father for the General Motors plant in town and his mother as a school custodian. He earned his famous nickname, “Magic,” in high school after a sportswriter witnessed him tally 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists in a single basketball game. Johnson continued to play in college for Michigan State...

The LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual City of Angels Awards Dinner is scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. April 8th. While the location has yet to be determined, this is always a sell-out event, so mark your calendars now. This year’s honorees will include Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey, and Larry Eisenberg, executive director for Facilities Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Community College District. These three will be honored for their contributions to the City of Angels as will the winner of the H.B. Drollinger Leadership Award. To receive the “Howard Drollinger Achievement Award” an individual or company must have: made a meaningful commitment of time, talent or money that has had a significant impact on the Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista or Marina del Rey community; and focused that commitment on the betterment of the community through philanthropic contributions, environmental advocacy, economic betterment or beautification efforts. Nominees may be honored for their work on a particular project or for their overall efforts in a wide variety of areas. A local committee of LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce members will review the applications and present three finalists to the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation, which will select the recipient of the award. The recipient of the award will designate $5,000 to be given in...

In honor of the late Westchester-area developer and philanthropist, the City of Los Angeles will rededicate a portion of 89th Street in Westchester, between Sepulveda Westway and Sepulveda Eastway, as Howard Drollinger Way. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which is scheduled to take place in the parking lot at the intersection of 89th Street and Sepulveda Boulevard at 11:30 a.m. Monday, June 16th, which would have been Drollinger’s 86th birthday. Howard Blaine Drollinger, whose vision and commitment to Westchester helped turn an area filled with bean fields and dirt roads into a thriving community, died of lung cancer August 13th, 2006. A decorated World War II veteran who flew 50 successful combat missions over Italy as a navigator in a B-24 Liberator, Drollinger was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, four air medals and a Presidential Unit Citation while serving in the 15th Army Air Force. When the war was over, Drollinger, a proud graduate of the University of Southern California, joined his mother, Ella, as a developer in Westchester, a fledgling community just north of what would become Los Angeles International Airport. “Howard Drollinger was a true community hero in Westchester and throughout the City of Los Angeles,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “He was a successful businessman and philanthropist, but most importantly he was a friend to many.” The street will be renamed in...

The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Family of Schools will hold a public school expo as well as a 5K run/walk to help raise funds for local public schools and share with parents the goals and successes of our local schools. The event will take place Saturday, May 31st, at Hannon Field on the LMU campus in Westchester. The 5K will start at 8 a.m. and will follow a course that leads back to the LMU campus. There will also be a 1K for children beginning at 9:30 a.m. Registration is $30 for adults and $23 for children under 12 until Thursday, May 15th; and $35 for adults and $28 for children under 12 after May 15th. Participants will also receive a T-shirt and awards will be presented to the 5K winners The free Expo and Family Fun activities will begin at 10 a.m. and will include bounce houses, food, pony rides and more. This is the third annual Expo, and it will feature members of the LMU Family of Schools, including Westchester High School, Orville Wright Middle School, and all the Westchester/Playa del Rey public elementary schools. Proceeds from the event will benefit each of the schools through the Westchester/Playa Educational Foundation. “This fun family event will help us raise much-needed funds for our local schools, and provides a one-stop opportunity for families to get to know the seven...