‘Leadership Series’ to focus on new Web site, cultural portal
By DAILY PRESS STAFF
Finding something to do on a Saturday night just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new cultural portal on City Hall’s award-winning Web site.
The portal, which came out of the Creative Capital workshops held last year, is designed to link and list all the cultural events happening around the city without costing residents anything to access the information.
Residents can learn how to access the portal tonight as part of City Hall’s “Leadership Series,” at the Main Library. Tech experts will teach people how to navigate the newly-designed city Web site and participate in blogs. The event starts at 7 p.m.
“This is an opportunity for the community and the city to connect the dots and keep in touch,” said Kate Vernez, assistant to the City Manager, Community and Government Relations. “We think that the Web-based services are a caring way to re-energize and civically engage all the residents.”
During the Creative Capital workshops the community was encouraged to put forth concerns and recommendations for a more practical way to get information about cultural events, and the overwhelming consensus was that a cultural site should be created that was free and easily accessible. The Cultural Affairs Division picked up the challenge and created the Web site, which will be unveiled tonight.
Vernez said that there are three to four “Leadership Series” courses a year on a vast array of topics: One on the budget, one on the current state of projects around the city, and one on the Web and other means to reach the community. The courses are free. “(Tonight’s) course will feature all the Web offerings that are available to the public,” Vernez said. “It is important so that we can help the public get up-to-date news, projects and services on what the city is doing.
“We redesigned it so that the content is much more prominent and easy to navigate,” Vernez added.
The Leadership Series has been keeping the community and the city connected for the past seven years.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 4, 2008. Read the original PDF.