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. 16 - April 14, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................15 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................4 Legals.............................. 6,13 Letters...................................2 Pets......................................13 Real Estate.....................7-12 School Board.......................3 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast Cougars Make A Difference Center Street Cougars make a big impact: Center Street Student Council along with Center Street School families recently raised $1473.00 with their Annual Student Talent Show. This year, the Student Council chose to support a local organization with the proceeds from the show. C.A.S.E. was the lucky organization selected by the Council and all monies will be used to assist El Segundo families in need. Just one of the many ways our Center Street Cougars provide a service to their community. Photo by Brooke Tice. • Mayor Fuentes Speaks of El Segundo’s Innovation at State of the City By Brian Simon Innovation was the buzz word for El Segundo Mayor Suzanne Fuentes last Wednesday as she summarized the past year highlights during her State of the City address held at Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB). “This year, we celebrate innovation in our community, our public services, our economy, and our new developments,” she said. “As a community, we have demonstrated time and time again our ability to solve complex problems, find new and unique solutions and work together to build a thriving city.” Fuentes began by recognizing LAAFB’s “critical role in America’s military success” that entails generation of nearly 50,000 jobs in the County, management of $60 billion in facevalue contracts, and employment of 90% of the individuals involved in the nation’s military space work. She also noted that El Segundo is home to many of the country’s largest defense firms. Continuing with the theme of innovation, the Mayor thanked local residents and businesses giving back to the community through service on City and school boards, committees and commissions, and those participating in sports, arts and philanthropy. “Our residents have contributed so much to this city,” she said. As examples of community efforts, Fuentes singled out El Segundo’s role last summer as host town for the Special Olympics when teams from Barbados and Macedonia visited and took part in an array of local activities. She also praised the volunteers who spearheaded last summer’s inaugural and highly successful El Segundo Art Walk. “This is a model for the type of innovative and creative new ideas that benefit our entire community,” Fuentes said of the event. Looking within the City itself, which she said will celebrate its centennial on January 18, 2017, Fuentes provided an overview of departmental accomplishments and innovations over the past year and praised leadership for jobs well done. The Library expanded high-speed fiber bandwidth, will publish a new pictorial book on El Segundo’s history (courtesy of Director Debra Brighton) this fall and participate in the next Art Walk. Recreation and Parks received a grant to revamp the Hilltop Park playground, which will be a national demonstration site. It also partnered with local organizations to make enhancements to public property and the community, and made a variety of other improvements such as resurfacing playgrounds and installing new equipment. Fuentes also announced that El Segundo TV surpassed one million views and has 800 regular subscribers. On the public safety side, the El Segundo Police Department continued with community outreach and education--most notably through 25 presentations to businesses and schools on the Active Shooter Program. Fuentes also congratulated Sergeant Tom Jones and Officers Erik Atkinson and Luke Muir, who will receive the South Bay Police and Fire Memorial Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award. The Mayor welcomed new Fire Chief Chris Donovan to the fold and spoke of the department’s innovation in patient care and firefighter training. Of the new Electronic Patient Care Reporting system, Fuentes said it “allows Fire Department personnel to document medical care rendered in the pre-hospital environments and electronically transfer that medical information See Mayor Fuentes, page 14 Friday Sunny 75˚/59˚ Saturday Sunny 75˚/57˚ Sunday Sunny 76˚/58˚ City Council Incumbents Voted Out; Measure B Passes By Brian Simon On Tuesday, local voters opted for a new direction and did not reelect El Segundo City Council incumbents Dave Atkinson and Marie Fellhauer to second terms. With three seats up for grabs (the other incumbent, Mayor Pro Tem Carl Jacobson, did not run) newcomers Drew Boyles and Carol Pirsztuk were easily the top vote-getters, followed by former Councilmember Don Brann who will serve his second term after a four-year break from the dais. Unofficial results as of press time had Boyles with 2,330 votes, Pirsztuk 2,135, Brann 1,439, Fellhauer 1,238 and Atkinson 692. Provisional ballots had yet to be counted, but were not expected to change the overall results. Meanwhile Measure B, the transient occupancy tax (TOT) increase, passed overwhelmingly–with 72.1% of the votes in favor (2,197 to 848). The tax assessed on patrons staying at local hotels will now rise from 8% to 12%. According to estimates, the City will realize an additional $3.2 million in annual general fund revenues from the additional TOT. “Congratulations to El Segundo voters for passing Measure B,” Mayor Suzanne Fuentes said. “These funds will allow the City Council to make strategic infrastructure decisions based on a steady revenue stream. I realize how cautious our residents are about raising taxes and I am committed to being a good steward See Election Results, page 14
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