Our 75th Anniversary Gala has come and gone, and the support we received from our members, the business community - and people and companies across America - was astounding. Almost 500 people came to celebrate Jim Thomas and the anniversary of Town Hall. It reminded me, again, of the importance of the long and shared history of this remarkable institution. Speaker series come and go.
We live in the here and now. It's part of the Los Angeles culture and a driver of the trends and technologies that emanate from this city. On September 7th we will be celebrating our 75th year with a celebration honoring Jim Thomas and (in true Town Hall fashion) providing you with some of the funniest political satire on the planet, courtesy of The Capitol Steps. Honoring Jim Thomas, the founder, Chairman and CEO of Thomas Properties Group is obvious. Who isn't enjoying our resurgent downtown?
Each day's paper brings another story of stolen passwords, invasions of commercial and corporate computer systems or other horrors of the digital age. In my wanderings, virtually everyone I meet maintains that the provisions for their own computer security are excellent. Not good, mind you....excellent. Yet some of these people are the same ones whose personal emails send me charming little reminders to buy their male-enhancement remedies, acreage in some swamp or requests for money to be sent to some poor stranded traveler, widow, orphan or whatever.
Town Hall has incredible archives from its 75 years of incredible speakers. The following words are not mine. They are the words of Ray Bradbury, who spoke to Town Hall on February 20, 1979. Nothing I could possibly write could improve or make his words clearer. So from us to you: the voice of Ray Bradbury. "In 1969 I was a guest on a British talk show the day Apollo 11 touched down on the moon's surface. I wasn't on that show to explain the science of space travel. I was there to provide the poetical, philosophical and theological reasons for survival in space.
There are many reasons to be proud that Town Hall is celebrating 75 years of getting ideas and issues into our community conversation. One point of pride is that our member-only programs get us into places that are hardly at the top of our bucket list but they are truly a major part of our collective achievements. We are - even when we despair - a community.
Town Hall Los Angeles' Community Partner, The Studio for Southern California History, is preserving the histories of the people who lived around and worked at the Ambassador Hotel. Common Ground: the Histories of the Ambassador Hotel’s Neighborhood is a collaboration of the Studio and the Honors College at California State University Los Angeles and the New Open World Academy—the school at the former Ambassador Hotel site.
In case you missed our July 12th event with the President and CEO of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and Deputy CEO of Tesco PLC – Tim Mason - he outlined the company’s vision for expansion in California and its mission to bring everyone fresh fruit and vegetables. Mason began by describing Tesco’s entry into the US market which was preceded by deep market research and the realization that they would have to offer American consumers something new and better to get their business.
For Members who attended the Tour of the Port of Los Angeles or for those of you who were interested but didn't join us on June 24th, we thought we'd share this announcement from the Mayor and Controller's offices.
MAYOR, CONTROLLER ANNOUNCE FINDINGS OF HARBOR DEPARTMENT 5-YEAR AUDIT
In case you missed our July 8th event with Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye of the Supreme Court of California you missed her discussion about how the recently passed state budget affects the judicial branch. Before she addressed the changes in budget, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye provided a history of the court noting the transformations it’s gone through over the last couple decades.
In Case You Missed our June 28th panel on the Mental Well Being of Homeless Youth sponsored by The California Wellness Foundation and in partnership with KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum, here are some facts you shouldn’t miss.
In case you missed our Members Only tour of the Port of LA and the Union Pacific Intermodal Container Transfer Facility, on June 23rd, you missed a lot! Our day began with a great lunch hosted by the Port of LA and an informative session with Wally Baker who leads the “Beat the Canal” campaign. Town Hall Members are concerned about the implications the new Panama Canal will have on our local economy. Did you know that one in eight jobs in LA County is related to the ports and the movement of goods?
Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday, June 28, 2011 – “A 21st Century Approach to Food Retailing” is the topic of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market CEO Tim Mason’s address to Town Hall Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Mason, who is Deputy CEO of Tesco PLC, Fresh & Easy’s parent company in Great Britain, will take questions from Angelenos about their expansion in the Southland.
Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday, June 14, 2011 – Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye of the Supreme Court of California will discuss “The Promise of Justice in a New California” with Town Hall Los Angeles, Friday, July 8, 2011, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Angelenos will have a unique opportunity to directly question the Chief Justice.
@USOGreaterLA We're excited to hear from RADM Scott Sanders! Full details for the 25th are here: http://t.co/mjLTQtcPC7
What do you think of upcoming speaker @MariaEDurazo 's recent op-ed in the LA Times on the #LAMayor race? - http://t.co/XBhBJRDvPu
NEW: Join us on 6/17 to hear from @jonathanalter on the 2012 campaigns and his latest book, more info here: http://t.co/5LDAKqWkeC
NEW EVENT: @MariaEDurazo of @LALabor speaks on June 11th about the future of the middle class. Register today: http://t.co/8BlCj3i9tg
