The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 105, No. 2 - January 7, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................14 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................4 Legals............................ 12,13 Police Reports.....................2 Real Estate................7-11,16 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast Eagles Basketball Hits Hawaii The Eagles took time to visit Waikiki Beach in between games during their trip to Hawaii. Photo by Coach Jason Ito. • Gregg McMullin: Herald Legend in it for More Than Just Sport By Brian Simon His byline first appeared in the El Segundo Herald way back in 1993 covering local sports and the name Gregg McMullin continues to grace these pages all these years later. As a 60-year community resident who has played, coached, officiated, reported on, and (just for the sheer fun of it) watched sports in town, McMullin is one of those people of which the following is actually true: He has probably forgotten more about El Segundo sports than you and I will ever know. For McMullin, writing provides an endless source of pride and fulfillment. “Over the years, I have had the opportunity to put smiles on parents’ faces when they see their little boy’s or girl’s name or photo in the paper,” he said. “That’s the most gratifying of all that I do. Helping to create memories that are cemented for history to remember in our tiny publication is the best thing we can do as writers. I get stopped by people in the community all the time—literally— complimenting me on my writing. I sometimes have to go reread it and all I can say is, ‘Did I really write that?’ It helps to have a great editor looking over things.” McMullin added that it’s now much easier to go back and look at old articles now that more than 10 decades of past Herald editions can be found in digital form on the library website. “It’s also a way to chart where we have all come from and where we’re at as writers today.” Writing is just one component of a life almost entirely spent in El Segundo. Born in Colorado, McMullin moved here in the mid-‘50s and attended Richmond Street School where he was student body president during fifth and sixth grades. He recalled a time at recess when a twin-engine plane that had taken off from then-Los Angeles Airport began to nose-dive before crash-landing between Imperial Highway and Imperial Avenue. The incident sparked recurring dreams of plane crashes that stay with him to this day. McMullin was also a member of the last seventh grade class at the old Junior High campus and part of the first graduating class of what is now El Segundo Middle School. Immersed in sports from an early age, he joined Little League and played games at Lil Candlestick—now a group of tract homes on Hillcrest Street. McMullin descends from a sports bloodline. His father played baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization and tried out with the New York Giants in football—losing his two front teeth during camp. His grandfather actually made it to the Majors, playing in two World Series with the Chicago White Sox in 1917 and 1919. An uncle also pitched for the White Sox during the 1920s. While he himself didn’t venture into pro sports, McMullin got into coaching at a young age—starting in 1971 at the Babe Ruth League level. “I started coaching with the El Segundo American Legion team in 1976 and the high school team two years later with John Stevenson and Craig Cousins,” he said. He continued to coach with them until Stevenson’s death in 2009 and then stayed on with Cousins for three more years. “They were so important in my life that they were both in my wedding.” McMullin finally wrapped up his coaching career last year with the JV team. He was a part of 19 league championships, three CIF titles and five runner-up finishes. “Most of all,” he added, “I made friends with these players for life. I have been to former player weddings and funerals and even named one of my sons after one of my former players.” McMullin also found time to officiate basketball at the high school and collegiate levels. He called games in four CIF finals and presided over the first contest ever played at the Long Beach State Pyramid. McMullin’s path to the Herald came as a culmination of his community sports background and his ability to effectively put pen to paper during his long career as a police officer. He got into law enforcement after a nine-year stint in sales and public relations for Anheuser-Busch. He was a reserve police officer in El Segundo for three years before being hired full-time by the Manhattan Beach Police Department in 1981. He remained there until 2008, finally retiring due to injuries sustained on the job. Over the course of his career, he worked general and beach patrol, the DUI team (which still holds the record for most arrests in one year), public information, South Bay platoon, and CSI. He also hosted the long-time cable show called Beach Beat. For his life-saving efforts, See Gregg McMullin, page 3 Friday Sunny 58˚/47˚ Saturday Showers 58˚/49˚ Sunday Mostly Sunny 59˚/47˚
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