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. 19 - May 5, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................14 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................6 Legals............................ 12,13 Mother’s Day Events..........2 Obituaries.............................2 Real Estate.....................7-10 School Spotlight..................3 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast El Segundo Boys Lacrosse Finish Season as League Champs El Segundo High School Boys lacrosse secured their second Ocean League title in a row with a 15-8 win over rival Culver City on April 29. The Eagles finished the season with an 11-4 record going 8-0 in the league. Photo by ESHS Lacrosse. Council Says Farewell to Atkinson, Fellhauer, Jacobson; Hello to Boyles, Brann and Pirsztuk; Fuentes Remains Mayor By Brian Simon This much was certain: Tuesday night’s El Segundo City Council meeting would see the departures of Dave Atkinson, Marie Fellhauer and Carl Jacobson from the dais followed by the oaths of office administered to newly elected Drew Boyles, Don Brann and Carol Pirsztuk--as well as returning incumbents Fifth Annual Ed! Gala Promises to Light Up the Night By Brian Simon A program of top-flight cuisine from nearly two dozen local restaurants, beer and wine tastings, live and silent auctions, and a live DJ performance highlight this year’s fifth annual El Segundo Education Foundation (Ed!) Gala. The event is set for next Friday, May 13 at Chevron Park, which has hosted the festivities every year since the inception of the major fundraiser that benefits local schools. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. and run until 11 p.m. This year’s honoree will be NRG El Segundo Power, LLC--singled out for its dedication to education in the community over the years. “In many ways, the Gala is the kick-off to summer in El Segundo,” said Ed! CEO and just-elected City Councilmember Carol Pirsztuk. “This year, we look forward to raising $1.1 million overall for the El Segundo Unified School District—and the Gala mixes fun, food and fundraising to help us reach our goal.” The Gala’s theme of “Light Up the Night” ties into Ed!’s community appeal theme of “The Power of Education” with all proceeds going to local schools. The organization’s 2016 $1.1 million grant target number is well over twice the amount from just five years ago, as challenges from State and other funding sources prompted Ed! to significantly increase its annual commitment. Among the many programs funded by donations See Ed! Gala, page 14 City Clerk Tracy Weaver and City Treasurer Crista Binder. What was still up in the air was whom the new Council might choose as the next Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. The end result was a scenario that Assistant City Attorney Karl Berger described as “a new one” in all the years he had overseen such votes. For Mayor, Brann nominated Suzanne Fuentes to retain her title. Pirsztuk then nominated Mike Dugan, who joined the Council in 2014. Fuentes and Dugan voted for themselves, leaving it up to Boyles to break the tie. Only he opted to vote for neither nominee, leaving a stalemate. “In a 2-2 vote, the motion fails,” Berger said. With no other vote on the docket, he recommended keeping the existing Mayor as is—and thus Fuentes will continue to serve in that capacity for the next two years. The selection for Mayor Pro Tem presented another unprecedented situation. Pirsztuk nominated Dugan for the role, while Fuentes did so for Brann. But Dugan then nominated Boyles, paving the way for another potential stalemate that could not be resolved by reverting to the previous Mayor Pro Tem (Jacobson). Pirsztuk ultimately cast her final vote for Boyles to provide the latter with the majority three ayes. Though that particular dust had settled with positions now in place, the topic of choosing the Mayor had only just begun. Both Dugan and Pirsztuk independently approached City Manager Greg Carpenter to place an item on Tuesday’s agenda aiming to change the current practice of electing the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem for two-year terms and to instead appoint the posts annually on a rotation system. Under the proposed arrangement, Council members would need to serve at least one year before being eligible to be elected Mayor; could only be elected to a one-year mayoral term during their overall four-year Council term; and could also opt out or defer their rotation. A recommended clause, though not required, was to base the rotation on number of votes received during the election process. Dugan called the change “an important step” and pointed to cities such as Manhattan Beach that rotate mayoral responsibilities. “I think it would serve to knit the Council closer together,” he said, explaining that the move would add more cohesion and teamwork See City Council, page 12 Friday Showers 63˚/55˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 62˚/55˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 65˚/55˚
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