BH City Council Starts to Plan for Centennial Celebration

The Beverly Hills City Council has allocated $750,000 for activities leading up to a celebration of its centennial on Jan. 28, 2014.

“We envision a robust schedule of events and initiatives to begin in the fall of next year to create buzz and momentum to carry forward
throughout the entire year of 2014,” Beverly Hills City Councilman Barry Brucker said Thursday at a centennial kick-off event held at Greystone Mansion.

Brucker, fellow council member Lili Bosse and local businessman Richard Rosenzweig serve as the city’s liaisons for the main centennial committee. Eighteen people sit on the centennial committee, including film industry veterans David Geffen, Sherry Lansing and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

The city is seeking corporate sponsorships to supplement the council funds.  Geary’s/Rolex have committed to be the first sponsors, and will contribute $300,000 to the centennial, Brucker said.

“We have hired a licensing agent to bring us merchandise deals—clothing, souvenir items, historical books and the like,” Brucker said.

Volunteers are needed to help the centennial committee plan its activities. Volunteers will be tasked with specific projects and will have authority to explore them in detail, although any ideas offered become the property of the city, according to Brucker.

About 100 people attended the kickoff, and most said they planned to volunteer. Those in attendance included Vice Mayor John Mirisch,  Councilman Julian Gold, former Mayor Jimmy Delshad, Board of Education Vice President Jake Manaster and Planning Commissioner Brian Rosenstein.

The centennial committee is considering a range of activities for the celebration. According to Bosse, these ideas include:

• a documentary on the first 100 years in Beverly Hills that would air on the History Channel;
• a commemorative Beverly Hills postage stamp and unveiling ceremony;
• a film retrospective at the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences;
• a merchandise line that would feature the commemorative
  centennial logo;
• a parade float that embodies the charm of Beverly Hills at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses;
• a happy birthday concert at the historic Saban Theatre.

The public is asked to help contribute ideas through the city’s centennial website or via email at info@beverlyhills100th.org.