The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 106, No. 9 - March 2, 2017 Inside This Issue Best of the Best..................3 Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................18 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................6 Legals............................ 16,17 Pets......................................19 Police Reports.....................7 Real Estate................8-13,20 Sports.............................. 5,15 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 73˚/50˚ Saturday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 64˚/52˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 59˚/47˚ Chevron Refinery Firefighters Donate $3,000 to C.A.S.E. Last week Chevron El Segundo Refinery firefighters made a much-appreciated donation of $3,000 to benefit C.A.S.E. (Community Alliance for Support and Empowerment), the organization that provides food pantry and assistance for local residents. Pictured left to right are: Stephen Jolley, Terence Campbell, Austin Tuer, Father Alexi from C.A.S.E., Brett Morrow, Tim Brown, Leroy Diekmann and Alex Zepeda. Photo Courtesy of Chevron. Police Department, Animal Control Release Coyote Management Plan By Brian Simon About the middle of last year, El Segundo and other communities around the South Bay began to notice a sizable uptick in coyote sightings—especially during daytime--with reports of increasingly aggressive behavior and attacks on unleashed dogs and feral cats. The dunes and dense brush in the surrounding airport property make El Segundo a prime breeding area for coyotes—and with limited food sources available in their natural habitat due to the prolonged drought, the animals ultimately looked to residential neighborhoods School Board Ponders District Data Center Options By Duane Plank Six special presentations headlined the Tuesday night El Segundo School Board meeting agenda. The first two presentations recognized El Segundo Unified School District employees, including El Segundo High School science teacher Daniel Horvath, and five employees who were feted by the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) at a February 22 event that took place in Redondo Beach. Horvath, who is in his first year of teaching at El Segundo High, was recognized for his stalwart contributions as a Master Teacher Fellow in a program funded by the National Science Foundation. The program, which is housed at Cal State Dominguez Hills, offers participants who are experts in their field professional development experiences. The participants conduct “action research” with CSUDH faculty and then publish their findings. Executive Director of Human Resources Dylan Farris extolled the scholarly exploits of Horvath, noting that “e are grateful to have such a qualified teacher teaching our students.” District employees Leana Tsue (School Psychologist), Angelica Tipon (RSS Special Ed teacher), Steven Sturgeon (CSS Instructional assistant), Denise Bordieri (CSS Instructional assistant), and Melissa Blanco (CSS Instructional for alternate options such as fruits and vegetables as well as small mammals in the vicinity. The increase in coyote incidents spurred public outcry and prompted City staff to consider feasible steps to mitigate the impacts on the community. After several months of discussions with other cities experiencing similar problems and researching Humane Society and California Department of Fish and Wildlife guidelines, the City recently unveiled its Coyote Management Plan through the El Segundo Police Department and Animal Control Division. Citizens may access the document by visiting the City’s website (www.elsgundo.org). “The Coyote Management Plan is a guide to dealing with coyotes within our community,” said El Segundo Police Chief Mitch Tavera. “Because they are an essential part of our local ecosystem, which can’t be infringed upon, we can’t simply get rid of coyotes. This plan is a way to educate residents on coyote behavior and provide safe steps to deter these animals from coming into our proximity.” Key to understanding why coyotes venture into local neighborhoods is knowing what draws them here in the first place. Number one on the list is food. El Segundo has a prevalence of mice, rats and squirrels that attract coyotes. But residents may unwittingly compound the problem by leaving out pet food, unsecured compost or trash, and fallen fruit. The City’s plan provides a series of tips to remove potential coyote access to these items. “Coyotes are always on the lookout for easy food,” Tavera said. “Water is another issue. Although we’ve experienced a great deal of rain lately, coyotes will look for water sources in dry conditions—which we will see again sooner than later. It’s never a good idea to leave a pet water bowl outside.” Tavera also urged residents to keep small pets indoors and to not allow them to be outside unattended or without a leash. “This See Coyote Management, page 15 See School Board, page 2
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