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EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 29, 2018 Page 11
School Board from front page
Film Review from page 6
Mayor Fuentes from front page
with a series of landmark events highlighted
in another video provided by El Segundo TV.
“Over the last 100 years, the achievements in
science and technology conceived and developed
in our small city would rival almost any
country,” Fuentes said.
Referring to El Segundo as “the aerospace
capital of the world,” Fuentes next discussed
the importance of Los Angeles Air Force
Base to the nation’s defense and the region’s
economy. She spoke of a productive meeting
with Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson
in December that reinforced El Segundo’s
relationship with the base as well as the key
role of The Aerospace Corporation in providing
supporting research and development.
Fuentes also provided highlights from each
of the City department accomplishments of
the past year, explaining that implementation
of a three-year strategic plan provided
the framework to achieve stated goals and
ensure realization of the mission to “provide a
great place to live, work and visit.” As proof
that El Segundo is a great place to work,
she reported that 4,809 people applied for
employment at the City and 128 positions
filled—40 full-time (half of those through
internal promotions) and 88 part-time.
Other City highlights noted by the major
included increased community and school
outreach for the El Segundo Police Department
as well as establishment of the
Citizens Police Academy, reinstatement of
the Community Lead Officer program, and
hire of a new chief, Bill Whelan. The El
Segundo Fire Department provided mutual
aid support during last year’s major fires,
added two new ambulances and received
major recognition for its role in providing
timely treatment to patients suffering from
ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Another
new hire, Emergency Service Coordinator
Randy Collins, prepared the Emergency
Management Strategic Plan and works with
all stakeholders on disaster readiness.
Fuentes went on to report that the City created
an Information Systems Department and
brought on Charles Mallory as the director to
enhance and expand technological capabilities.
The City Clerk’s Office began streamlining
contracts through all departments and began
the election process. The Finance Department
received a certificate of excellence in financial
reporting, was instrumental in adopting a
balanced budget while maintaining healthy
reserves, implemented an online business
license renewal system, and set up programs
to pay down long-term pension liability. The
El Segundo Public Library featured two guest
artists during the summer Art Walk program,
held a successful author presentation and
participated heavily (through its historical
committee) in the Centennial celebration.
In addition to involvement in all things
Centennial, the Recreation and Parks Department
made improvements to playgrounds,
replaced the Campus El Segundo Athletic
Facility turf, and took a lead role in the El
Segundo Aquatics Center project. El Segundo
TV provided extensive Centennial coverage
and expanded its viewer base. Meanwhile, Ken
Berkman became the permanent Public Works
Director last year after serving in an interim
capacity and oversaw many infrastructure
projects. Among those, Fuentes mentioned
the Imperial Highway repave, police station
renovations and roof replacement, Fire Station
#1 makeover, road repaves east of Sepulveda,
Main Street crosswalk lighting enhancements,
new electric vehicle charging station at City
Hall, 760 sidewalk repairs and replacement of
8,200 feet of sewer and water lines.
On the economic development side, Fuentes
was pleased to report that office vacancy rates
dropped to 9.9 percent – the lowest level since
2009 – with more than one million square feet
of space filled over the past three years. El
Segundo also experienced the largest increase
(11.6 percent) in year-over-year assessed value
of any city in Los Angeles County.
The mayor added that Chevron recently
donated an additional $125,000 in grant
monies to bring the six-year total to just over
$1 million dedicated to fostering economic
development, and that the City brought on
the Phelps Group as its marketing agency to
launch a hospitality and tourist initiative and
website as well as upgrade its existing business
website. She also mentioned that last
year, the City and the Economic Development
Advisory Council (EDAC) hosted the sold-out
Champions of Business Celebration. EDAC
and Economic Development Manager Barbara
Voss partnered with the Chamber to organize
an “Elite” Yelp event to bring 100 visitors to
Downtown El Segundo.
Fuentes spoke of key newcomers to town
such as the cancer treatment center Chan Soon-
Shiong Institute for Medicine and several future
commercial projects. The short list includes
a 23-acre creative office campus on former
Northrop Grumman property on Douglas
Street, Boeing’s S50 building addition, DR
Horton’s multi-unit residential project at 540
Imperial, architect Frank Gehry’s “beautiful blue
building” on the corner of Utah and Douglas,
and a new center on El Segundo Boulevard
featuring restaurants, a market and medical
offices. She also spoke of the revised Smoky
Hollow Specific Plan as that area continues
its transformation, and of the formation of
the Downtown Committee that spearheaded
the recent installation of new landscaping on
Main Street.
Fuentes lauded the continued achievements of
local schools, with El Segundo Unified home
to the 2017 Los Angeles County Teacher of
the Year (Renee Hoover) and 2018 Region
14 Superintendent of the Year (Dr. Melissa
Moore). Recognitions also went to El Segundo
Middle School (California’s 2-18 “Schools
to Watch—Taking Center Stage and Apple
Distinguished School) and El Segundo High
School (Apple Distinguished School and
High School of Business Program selection).
Vistamar School received kudos for launching
new STEAM initiatives, a health and
wellness curriculum, and an international
student program as well as for thriving in area
robotics competitions. Fuentes praised Head
of School Dr. Karen Eshoo, who is leaving
the campus after seven years to run a school
in Connecticut. She also singled out another
soon-to-be retiree in Wiseburn Unified Superintendent
Dr. Tom Johnstone after a 40-year
academic career. Fuentes noted the opening of
the new Wiseburn High School in 2017 after
27 months of construction and also reported
“steady progress” on the El Segundo Aquatics
Center on target for a mid-August completion.
She thanked Continental Development
Corporation’s Richard Lundquist and Sherry
Kramer for leading the fundraising campaign
for the facility.
After the video and in line with the theme
of the Lakers’ legacy of 16 titles in the
team’s history, Mayor Pro Tem Drew Boyles
called his colleague a “champion” in several
areas where she made an especially major
impact: preparedness, aerospace, protecting
El Segundo’s interests within the region, and
maintaining the town’s heritage. Boyles thanked
Fuentes for her “tireless effort” on behalf of
the community.
“I’m almost speechless,” the mayor said at
the end of the tribute. “El Segundo is my heart.
Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to
serve as your mayor for the past four years.” •
the dogs must fight for survival -- lest man’s
best friend be eradicated from civilization.
The story and staging are all very refined and
tight, which makes sense since this isn’t Anderson’s
first foray into stop-motion animation.
His 2009 outing,Fantastic Mr. Fox, saw the
auteur first explore the stop-motion medium by
bringing the seminal children’s book to the big
screen. While it was acclaimed for all of the
right reasons, it also felt like a director doing
a one-off homage to beloved source material
(P.T. Anderson’s under-appreciated Inherent
Vice feels like a similarly executed auteurist
exercise). But with Isle of Dogs, we get an
original story from Anderson and collaborators
Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman and
Kunichi Nomura. It feels like an even tighter,
more coherent story that paces fantastically
all its own.
And while Anderson has literally shrunken
down the size of the production for Isle of
Dogs, it should be noted that he expands in
his exploration of a new cultural landscape
and continent, bringing every bit of Japanese
culture and detail to life in his storybook
world. And no matter the size, whether as
grand as The Grand Budapest Hotel, or as
intimate as Isle of Dogs, one thing always
remains the same: Anderson’s films are about
a spirit of adolescence that stands out, or
up, to a larger and more absurd adult world.
Anderson’s youthfully defiant films speak to
our innermost selves.
So, where does Isle of Dogs rank next to the
rest of Anderson’s other brilliant works? To put
the finest point on it, Isle of Dogs is his most delightful
work. I loved every minute and moment
of this film, and it’s not hard to do exactly that.
How Anderson and company are able to make a
movie so funny with the most minute gestures,
glances and moments is something that will
have audiences wagging their tails over in
pure joy.
101 min. Isle of Dogs is rated PG-13 for
thematic elements and some violent images.
Now playing in select theaters. •
confidence grew during the season, with
the regional championship being the result.
With only three seniors on this year’s roster
and up to nine starters returning next year,
Kelly anticipates facing high expectations in
2018-19. “Keeping a level head is going to
be the focus for next year,” he said.
Next on tap was Chief of Police Bill
Whalen, who spoke to the Board on matters
relating to school site safety.
Whalen, who received Board member questions
via email prior to the meeting, talked
about campus safety concerns and noted how
the massacre that occurred in Parkland, Florida
on February 14 had been a game-changer.
He spoke of heightened security on campus,
offering his thoughts about the possibility
of having armed campus security. Whelan
said that “there are challenges with having
people with guns that are not police officers
on the campus of a school,” mentioning his
concerns about the level of training received
by armed campus security guards. He also
mentioned the quick police response time in
El Segundo that can mitigate campus violence
and the need to limit “unauthorized people
from coming onto our campuses.”
The chief additionally talked about the
necessity of the school resource officer
to continue to be proactive, and how there
will be a second school resource officer
hired to work for El Segundo Unified. “It
is a different time now and we have to do
everything we can to keep our kids safe,”
Whalen said.
The final presentation was made by a trio
of District administrators. Executive Director
of Human Resources and Facilities Dylan
Farris, Executive Director of Ed Services
Marisa Janicek, and Director of Innovation
and Student Support Jack Plotkin divulged the
results of the California Healthy Kids Survey
(CHKS) administered to select grade levels
of students, parents and faculty in November.
The purpose of the survey given to grades
5, 7, 9 and 11, is to help school districts
ascertain strengths and weaknesses, and
game-plan to address perceived areas of
need. Fifth grade students completed the
core survey, with those in the other grade
levels not only completing the core survey,
but also surveys relating to alcohol and drug
usage as well as campus climate.
The anonymous and confidential survey
yielded data that the District will be able to
mine as it looks at specific patterns, goals
and trends -- and whether current program
strategies and resource allocations dovetail
with survey results.
The survey addressed safety and school
climate issues, including student experiences
with harassment or bullying and campus
rumor-spreading – and also whether the
respondents had seen a weapon on campus.
Substance abuse and mental and physical
health issues were also broached, including
whether the respondent had considered
suicide. A tick over 15 percent of the 9th
grade respondents said they had, in fact,
considered suicide.
New mental health initiatives to be tackled
by the District were delineated, including
suicide prevention training. The presentation
also noted the hoped-for implementation of
“next steps,” including the development of
recommendations for interventions and support
for students in need of help.
Among the nine consent agenda items
approved Tuesday were a musical assembly
at El Segundo Middle School on April 19;
The Learning Connections (TLC) summer
rates; an agreement with a vendor to repair
restroom facilities at Center Street School;
an agreement for inspection services relating
to this summer’s planned renovation project
on stairs at Richmond Street School; and
addressing IT issues involving the District’s
WiFi network and fiber optic services.
The April 19 assembly will feature Omni
Brass and will include five musicians providing
“an in-class recital with two trumpets, one
trombone, one tuba and one percussionist.”
The TLC summer program will commence
on June 20 and run through August 22. Fees
range from $230 a week to $275.
Action items included a three-year iPad
lease agreement; approval to start the bidding
process for this summer’s stair renovation
project at Richmond Street School; a proposal
to develop the architectural plans to provide
security fencing throughout the district; and
approval to set the School Board election
on November 6 when the seats of current
members Emilee Layne, Jim Garza and Bill
Watkins will be up for grabs.
The iPad lease program has worked successfully
since 2014 and will now entail
leasing 2,170 student iPads at a total cost of
$777,182. The iPads will be utilized in the
classroom and for after-school study at home.
The devices will contain 32GB, which will
allow the students to quickly access needed
programs. Moore said this program was
“filling a definite need.” Layne described it
as “a necessary cost,”
PBK Architects will be tasked with meeting
with District officials to ascertain campus
fencing needs as delineated in the Long-Range
Facility Master Plan. They will also make
site visits to review current safety measures
in place; provide construction documents
to aid the bidding process; and observe the
construction process and provide, as needed,
direction to the selected contractor. The
District estimates that the cost of PBK’s
services will be $42,400. Garza expressed
his concerns about “fencing off certain areas”
at El Segundo High.
There were no information pending action
items on the agenda. Moore quickly
highlighted upcoming District events, with
Spring Break beginning after the final bells
ring Friday.
The next regularly scheduled El Segundo
School Board meeting is slated for Tuesday
evening, April 10. •