EL SEGUNDO HERALD February 2, 2016 Page 15 Forget Post-Holiday Sales: Find the Best Deals at Local Boat Shows (BPT) - Post-holiday sales aren’t the only deals to be found during the winter months. Starting in January, boat shows take place across the country. They offer some of the best pricing and incentives of the year - a major draw for the millions of Americans who take to the water each year on more than 12 million boats in the U.S. , according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. For those ready to plan their summer fun, boat shows are often the place to start. Whether it’s fishing, sailing, cruising, riding personal watercraft, wakesurfing or tubing - boat shows have it all and create a unique shopping experience with hundreds of boats are under one roof to board, browse and buy. However, most people don’t know about the special pricing, incentives and perks these events offer. Discover Boating, the national awareness program to help get people on the water, offers five tips to find the best deal at your local boat show. • Find your virtual dreamboat. Before visiting a boat show, you’ll want to know which boats to shop. Start your search online with DiscoverBoating.com’s Boat Selector to identify which boat types fit your lifestyle, interests, and budget. Plug in your preferences for on-water activities, number of passengers, boat length, price range and propulsion, to narrow down boat options before heading to your local boat show. • Warm up with hot deals. Unlike auto shows, boat shows are the place to buy. Hundreds of new-year models are available to buy right at the show, often at some of the best prices of the year as exhibitors generally offer special show pricing or other incentives. Plus, it’s the perfect time to order a new boat to ensure it arrives ready to launch in spring. • Make the most of show pricing. It helps to know what fits in your budget before shopping a show. Use this boat loan calculator on DiscoverBoating.com to estimate monthly payments, which can be as low as $250 a month or less. • Try out the boating lifestyle. Boat shows are a great place for beginners to learn about boating and for more experienced captains to hone their skills, plus they offer lots of fun and interactive activities for the whole family. Look for boat shows that offer knot-tying, DIY boat maintenance, a sailing simulator, remote control docking ponds, virtual boating simulators, paddlesports pools, fishing for kids and much more. It’s not only fun to learn new skills, but smart to take advantage of the onsite training boat shows offer usually at little to no cost. Plus, it’s a great place to meet other boaters as many make their local boat show a winter rendezvous. • Look for the seal of approval. When shopping for a boat at a show, online or at a dealership, always check to make sure it is certified by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. An “NMMA Certified” seal means a boat has met strict industry standards for safety, construction and federal regulations, ensuring the best quality to the buyer. Look for the NMMA certified sticker near the helm. Boat shows not only offer the best deals of the year, but they are also a way to learn how to get on the water, while enjoying a taste of summer boating during the off season. Visit DiscoverBoating.com to find a boat show near you, a list of certified dealers and manufacturers, and unbiased advice for getting started in boating. • Finance Crime Increase from front page of those apprehended in El Segundo live outside of the community. As an example, police continue to patrol the airplane-viewing area by Clutter’s Bluff Park (Imperial and Sheldon) to address complaints about people loitering and littering at all hours. Tavera said there were several hundred suspicious vehicle reports and over 100 security checks last year. Of the dozens of incidents there, none involved El Segundo residents. Another key to tackling crime is maintaining a force running at full possible capacity, Tavera emphasized. “We are doing everything we can to build our organization back up to the 62 sworn personnel we are budgeted for,” he said, noting that the department is currently at 56. “In 2015, we had three recruits test out of 440 applications, but last year we had 15 individuals test out of 1,215 applications. We’ve been aggressive in our recruitment process and it’s paying dividends. In 2016, we hired five people. We lost one in the academy.” Tavera added that the influx of incidents targeting law enforcement officials particularly over the last year prompted him at times to deploy officers in two-person units and make funding requests to upgrade weapons and protective gear. The department continues to conduct community outreach and it held several events last year with topics such as how to survive an active shooter and the challenges of policing today. In addition to crime monitoring, the department also held a meeting regarding how to mitigate and control the coyote population in town. The Chief again urged residents to participate in or start up a Neighborhood Watch group and to remain vigilant while keeping the mantras “see something, say something” as well as “move it or lose it” to heart. “Our local citizens serve as our eyes and ears,” Tavera said. “If something doesn’t seem right, be sure to contact us.” He also warned community members to lock their vehicles and remove valuables from view, noting that many auto-related thefts occur as perpetrators scan the streets for easy marks—unlocked cars or ones with cell phones, iPads and other coveted items in plain sight. New development on the east side of El Segundo also contributes to the overall crime numbers as offenders target shopping centers, hotels and office parks that didn’t exist a decade ago. With additional retail projects on the docket in the coming years, local police will have even more on their plate. In the next year, the City Council will likely discuss the prospect of allowing residential units east of Sepulveda for the first time in the community’s history—given the high demand for housing stock and continued commercial growth. “I believe we will see high-density residential housing east of Sepulveda eventually,” the Chief said. “With that as well as all the commercial activity, we are going to need a department substation to handle the growth.” However, Tavera himself won’t be around to see how the department takes shape as the community grows. He technically retired at the end of 2016, but will stay on in his role for up to five more months while the City searches for a permanent replacement. Tavera originally joined the El Segundo Police Department 39 years ago. He rose up the ranks and became Chief in April 2010. “I was extremely fortunate to be hired by this organization in 1978,” he said. “As a young cadet coming in, the last thing I would have expected was to end up as Police Chief. The command staff was elderly, wise people you respected and looked up to. I never thought that one day I’d be allowed to head the department.” At the time he assumed the helm, the department had 69 sworn personnel. Budget cuts during recessionary times prompted a hiring freeze, while retirements and other departures led to today’s reduced numbers. “It has been a challenge operating well below the staffing we once had, but our dedicated people have done an incredible job filling in the gaps. With our reorganization and commitment to hiring, it will only bolster our ability to do an even better job keeping our community safe for the long haul.” • In-Line Hockey from page 5 Brandon Kehl slapped one in to make it 2-1. In the final two minutes of play, the pace as well as the excitement were at a fever pitch with the crowd on their feet. The Werewolves pulled their goalie and pressured the goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net and the Fantastic Beasts advanced to Championship Saturday. In the second game of the Mites playoff bracket, the Red Rockets played the Ghostbusters. The Ghostbusters and Red Rockets traded wins and ties this season and are two very evenly matched teams. Excellent goaltending has been a big factor for both teams and this would be a very competitive contest. In what would certainly go down as one of the most memorable playoff games in recent memory, the Red Rockets would come from behind and eventually defeat the Ghostbusters 7-5. Landon Aubert gave his Ghostbusters’ teammates a 2-0 lead at the 17:50 mark. But that deficit didn’t stall the Red Rockets’ offense. Blake Romo, who notched a hat trick, scored the first of his three goals well into the first half. With less than a minute remaining in that half, Romo found an opening and fired one past the outstretched goalie Zirak Engineer to even the game. In the second half, each team picked up the pace on both ends. The Red Rockets’ had back-to-back goals four minutes apart to take a 4-2 lead. Aiden Loiacano scored three minutes into the second half and Hayden Song pounded one in with 17:11 remaining. Aubert, who had a hat trick for the Ghostbusters, scored at the 12:50 mark to cut the deficit to 4-3. Romo scored his third goal less than a minute later to give the Red Rockets a 5-3 advantage. Lucas Loiacano’s goal gave the Red Rockets a 6-3 lead. Aubert’s slap shot goal cut into the lead 6-4 and when Zirack Engineer scored off a faceoff with less than three minutes remaining the game, it set up a frantic last remaining time in the game. Ellee Mueller scored the final goal when she sent the puck flying into an empty Ghostbusters’ net when their goalie was pulled to ice the Red Rockets’ 7-5 win. The win sets up a Championship Saturday matchup between Mite 6-8-year-olds Red Rockets and the Fantastic Beasts at 11 a.m. In the Squirt Playoff, the Devils took on Blue Lightning. The Blue Lightning have played well throughout the season with great team chemistry and outstanding goaltending. The Devils looked to take their continuing improved play over the past few games right through this playoff match and hopefully into the championship game. Things started out close, but the Blue Lightning had too much in the second half and won relatively easily, 7-1. The Devils would score their only goal early in the first half when Nico Azarcoya got one by Ryan Pilkvist, who is considered one of the top goalies in the league. The teams would play intense defense on both ends until Zach LaChance scored with just 35 seconds remaining in the first half. The Devils’ defense led by Kimberly Kehl, Zach Patterson and Jack Gil helped stymie an aggressive Blue Lightning team. In the second half the Blue Lightning woke its offense up and scored six goals out of 21 shots taken. Jaden Rico scored an early goal and Zach Cauble’s goal shortly after marked the start of a long afternoon for the Devils. Rico scored another goal on a breakaway to make 4-1. Dylan Pilkvist scored the first of three goals when he found the net open and fired in the shot. Less than a minute later, he See In-line Hockey, page 18
Herald_020217_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above