Page 2 March 7, 2019 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Vlasta was born May 5, 1921
in Lesterville, South Dakota and
died February 23, 2019 in Los
Angeles, California. She was born
to Frank & Anna Novotny, &
spent her childhood on the family
farm in South Dakota, tending
to animals & helping with their
crops. After attending college she
became a teacher in a one room
schoolhouse, teaching all grade
levels. At the beginning of World
War II she moved to California to work in the
defense industry at North American Aviation.
In addition to that job she also worked as a
carhop at Patmar’s drive-in & painted ceramic
designs at Metlox pottery. In 1946 she married
Elmer Ping on the Bride & Groom
radio show in Hollywood. They
settled in El Segundo where they
raised their 2 daughters. Besides
her talents in ceramics & oil
painting, she loved gardening.
She found joy in visiting with
people who stopped to remark
at how much they enjoyed the
flowers in her yard. She lived
in the same house she & Elmer
had built for over 60 years, until
needing caregiving after suffering a stroke 3
years ago. She leaves behind her 2 daughters,
Marlene Libby & Sherry Reed, their spouses,
5 grandchildren & 10 great-grandchildren.
A family service was held on March 2nd. •
Celebrate with the
Calendar of Events
Visit the Mattel Toy Store and celebrate 60 years of Barbie® with us!
During the entire month of March, the Mattel Toy Store will have
special Barbie® 60th anniversary doll launches and in-store promotions!
Hurry in while supplies last!
© 2019 Mattel.
Obituaries
In loving memory of Vlasta Ping
May 5, 1921-February 23, 2019
Local Teen Helps Kids with Loved
Ones Suffering from Cancer
Last September, 13-year-old Dylan
Brunkhardt lost his stepdad Robert Taylor to
pancreatic cancer. “Watching Robert suffer and
die from cancer was the hardest time of my
life,” Dylan said. “He was always so strong
and happy before he got sick. When he got
cancer, all of that changed.”
Robert Taylor was a fire captain for the
Chevron El Segundo Refinery. He was
diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer in
January, 2018. He underwent extremely high
doses of chemotherapy, but unfortunately the
cancer metastasized quickly to his liver and
he was told there was nothing else that could
be done. His wife, Jill Brunkhardt-Taylor, who
works in Corporate Affairs at Chevron, wasn’t
going to give up so easily. “We all were so
scared because we didn’t want Robert to die,”
Dylan said. “My mom told me and my sister
Bailee hat we weren’t giving up hope yet.
My mom has a lot of great friends and one of
them recommended that Robert try alternative
treatment in Mexico. So off to Mexico went
my mom and Robert. They were gone for three
weeks. I missed them a lot, but I was really
lucky to have so many friends and family
to keep me company while they were gone.
Although we were all praying the alternative
treatment would work, it didn’t either… and
Robert just got worse.”
Throughout his illness, Taylor remained at
home with Dylan, Bailee and Jill. Jill was his
primary caretaker. “Since my stepdad was at
home with us, I saw how awful cancer is,”
Dylan said. “He was so sick, couldn’t eat and
was in pain all the time. It made me really sad
and scared. I’ve never experienced anything
like it before. My mom took really good care
of him, and it was a ton of work for her. My
sister and I were so lucky that all of our friends
and family helped a lot by taking us to school,
bringing us food, and just being there for us.
I know there are many kids out there who are
We’re Not Alone
Your government monitors and records every
time that you drive from your house, every
visitor that you host, and every departure
that you make.
This is not Xinjiang. This is not Blade
Runner. This is not an Orwellian dystopia.
This is what the City Council decided by
purchasing and expanded array of Automated
License Plate Readers. As you enter town or
encounter a police patrol, your car is logged,
and its information can be searched. The
data is archived, and a map of your daily
life is created.
The motivations for this are virtuous, but
the method is not. Law abiding citizens do not
need to justify their expectations of privacy
and freedom from tracking. Law abiding
citizens do not need a digital file of their
lives maintained for government scrutiny. The
argument that because some of us choose to
carry phones with minimal privacy settings
or embrace internet personalization, that no
one expects privacy, is bad logic. The notion
that data is housed in your interest, is
worryingly naïve.
Let me be clear, your local government
monitors and records every time that you
drive from your house, every visitor that
you host, and every departure that you make.
The city council should strive to protect
you from ruinous pension obligations, a
county that treats you like an ATM, and a
state that treats you with contempt. The city
council should strive to provide our police
with the manpower, training, and appropriate
tools to target and defeat criminals, but not
at the expense of the freedoms enshrined
in our customs, traditions, and constitution.
– Chris Pimentel •
Letters
Deadline for Calendar items is the prior
Thursday by noon. Calendar items are $1
per word up to 25 words. Email listings to
marketing@heraldpublications.com. We accept
Visa and MasterCard.
THURSDAY, MAR. 7
• El Segundo Certified Farmer’s Market, 3:00
PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street,
Downtown El Segundo.
• El Segundo Historical Committee Meeting,
7:00 PM. – 8:00 PM., El Segundo Public
Library, 111 W. Mariposa Ave., Call Sari
at: 310-364-0117.
FRIDAY, MAR. 8
• NO SCHOOL FOR ESUSD Students
• Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00
minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon Street
• Star Party at Hilltop Park, 8:00 PM. – 10:30
PM., Sponsored by City of El Segundo Rec
& Park and the South Bay Astronomical
Society, located in Hilltop Park Parking
Lot, For more info call: 310-524-2700.
SATURDAY, MAR. 9
• Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45
PM., Cost: $5.00 Per Person, Adults of all
Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo,
339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705.
SUNDAY, MAR. 10
• Bridge & Pinochle Groups, 11:30 AM. –
3:45 PM, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856.
MONDAY, MAR. 11
• Canasta Group, 11:30 AM. – 3:00 PM., 50
Plus, Free, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856.
• RSS PTA Meeting, 6:30 PM., Richmond
Street School Auditorium, 615 Richmond
Street, Call: 310-606-6831.
TUESDAY, MAR. 12
• Pinochle, 11:30 AM. – 3:30 PM., Senior
Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call
Pam at: 310-318-2856.
• Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 PM.,
District Administrative Offices –Board
Room, 641 Sheldon Street.
WEDNESDAY, MAR. 13
• Bowling, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 50 Plus,
Senior Club of El Segundo, Gable House
Bowl, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance,
Cost: $8.50 for 3 games, Call Joyce at:
310-322-7621.
THURSDAY, MAR. 14
• El Segundo Certified Farmer’s Market, 3:00
PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street,
Downtown El Segundo.
• Bay Cities Coin Club, 6:00 PM., We have
show and tell, auctions, 50/50, and a raffle.
All Ages are welcome! We have gifts for
kids, El Segundo Public Library, 111 W.
Mariposa Ave, Contact: baycitiescc@
gmail.com.
• CSS PTA Meeting, 9:15 AM. – 10:30 AM.,
Center Street School Cafeteria, 700 Center
St, Call: 310-615-2676.
• Eagles’ Nest PTO Meeting, 6:15 PM., 641
Sheldon Street, Call: 310-615-2650.
FRIDAY, MAR. 15
• Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00
minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon Street
SATURDAY, MAR. 16
• Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45
PM., Cost: $5.00 Per Person, Adults of all
Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo,
339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705.
• Concerts in the Library: Susie Hansen
Latin Trio—Latin Music, 2:00 PM., El
Segundo Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa
Ave., Call Sari at: 310-364-0117.
SUNDAY, MAR. 17
• Bridge & Pinochle Groups, 11:30 AM. –
3:45 PM, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856.
MONDAY, MAR. 18
• Canasta Group, 11:30 AM. – 3:00 PM., 50
Plus, Free, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856.
• ESCPTA Executive Board Meeting, 7:00 PM.
Dylan Brukhardt and sister Bailee hold a check donated to Walk With Sally. Photo Provided by Jill Brunkhardt-Taylor.
See Local Teen, page 9 See Calendar of Events, page 4