The first public ceremony to mark the public acquisition of more than 600 acres of land on the Los Angeles coast – known as the Ballona Wetlands – was organized as a Gala Dinner kicking off a year-long series of events called Celebrate Ballona!

The dinner was December 2, 2008 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey and was presided over by Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who is Chair of the Honorary Host Committee for Celebrate Ballona!  Approximately 300 guests attended a program which honored five public officials and eight journalists who Ballona activists deemed crucial to the public acquisition, which happened over a year’s time beginning in September of 2003.

The officials honored included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, former State Senator Tom Hayden, former State Controller Kathleen Connell and former State Controller Steve Westly.   Journalists honored as “Journalists of Courage” included Robert Scheer, Patt Morrison, J. William Gibson, David Helvarg, Nick Madigan, Mary Moore, Jill Stewart and Jeff Stockwell.

The Dinner Chair for the evening was Rosemary MacHardy of Venice.

The dinner and Celebrate Ballona! is being organized by the Ballona Institute, a project of the International Humanities Center.

Photos – Click to enlarge

Photo Credit: Martin Rubin

Left to right – former CA Assemblymember Richard Katz, Roy van de Hoek (Co-Director Ballona Institute), Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Marcia Hanscom (Co-Director Ballona Institute), Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl (Master of Ceremonies)

Photo Credit: Martin Rubin

Left to right – Roy van de Hoek (Co-Director Ballona Institute), John Chiang (California State Controller), Debra Bowen (California Secretary of State), Marcia Hanscom (Co-Director Ballona Institute), Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl (Master of Ceremonies)

Photo credit: Martin Rubin

Left to right – Roy van de Hoek (Co-Director Ballona Institute), Jeff Stockwell (Premiere Magazine), Rose MacHardy (Dinner Committee Chair), Nick Madigan (Daily Variety, New York Times, the Outlook and currently with the Baltimore Sun)), Robert Scheer (Los Angeles Times), Marcia Hanscom (Co-Director Ballona Institute), Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Mary Moore (Daily Breeze, the Outlook, and Los Angeles Times), Jill Stewart (New Times Los Angeles and currently with the LA Weekly), Patt Morrison (Los Angeles Times), Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Bill Gibson ( LA Weekly, The Nation, Los Angeles Times)