The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 109, No. 20 - May 14, 2020
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................9
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................5
Legals....................................4
Obituaries.............................2
Pets......................................10
Police Reports.....................2
Real Estate.......................6-8
School Spotlight..................3
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
73˚/62˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
74˚/62˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
73˚/63˚
ES Fire Department to the Rescue
Last week, El Segundo units responded to a confirmed structure fire on the 600 block of West Pine. It was a quick knockdown with no injuries, the fire is under investigation. Thank you to Manhattan
Beach Fire, LA County Fire and Redondo Beach Fire for the help. Photo courtesy El Segundo Fire Department.
Beach Reopens, Just No Parking
By Rob McCarthy
Surfers and swimmers who were landlocked
for 60 days, returned to the ocean on Wednesday
Ali’i Fish Co. Brings Authentic
Poke to LA’s Mainland
Story and Photos by Chase Maser
Despite numerous businesses around
El Segundo closing shop due to recent
developments, Ali’i Fish Co.—located at
409 E. Grand Ave—keeps its doors open
with a positive mindset.
Co-owners, Shane Yoshimoto, Justin
Yamanouchi and Baron Miho have positivity
and high spirits in their blood.
Growing up on the island of Oahu,
Yashimoto shares that commercial fishing
and the fishing industry has always been
a part of his life.
“We’ve all grown up with fishing and
seafood in our in lives and our diets,”
says Yoshimoto. “We came out here to
show LA—and California—what we’re
all about. Over the years, we noticed
this huge poke trend starting around the
country, but it’s not authentic to what it
actually means to Hawaii.”
Poke, which is a diced raw fish served
over rice, is a traditional main course in
Hawaiian culture. Using various ingredients,
such as soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic,
onions and sea salt (among many others),
poke can take on many kinds of flavors
that blend well with yellowfin tuna, ahi
tuna and salmon. However, Yoshimoto
explains how Americanized poke is miles
away from the genuine experience.
“It’s just not even close to the real thing.
I’ve seen everything from blueberries to
See Ali’i Fish Co., page 5
after Los Angeles County gently eased the
beach closures. The revised order didn’t go as
far as city officials had hoped. There’s nowhere
to park because the lots remain barricaded to
discourage large crowds from showing up on
the weekends.
Councilman Scot Nicol welcomed the
small step back toward normalcy at Tuesday’s
question-and-answer session about the coronavirus
situation. “There are a lot of nuances to
this order,” he said because it didn’t reopen
the bike path, piers or the parking lot at El
Segundo Beach. Sunbathing on a towel and
building sand castles are not allowed either.
Protective masks and face coverings must be
worn by everyone, except surfers and swimmers,
while in the water. The city recommends
walking to the beach.
Groups must remain six feet apart, and
standing or sitting on the beach violates the
new beach-access order. Sneaking to the beach
to meet up with friends, classmates or other
families is discouraged under this order. Police
Chief Bill Whalen sees no wiggle room
for paying visits, even outdoors on the lawn,
with the neighbors sitting far apart. “I appreciate
creativity,” the chief said, however, the
distancing rule makes it clear: If you don’t
live together, stay apart until the immediate
danger of spreading the virus passes.
Right before Tuesday’s Q&A program
began, Los Angeles County’s public health
officer made a blockbuster announcement that
the stay-at-home order would be extended for
another 90 days. “We are learning and trying
to adapt to the changes,” Nicol said of City
Hall’s pivot from an emergency response to a
soft reopening of business and services.
Regrettably, popular El Segundo summer
events, including the Fourth of July fireworks
and concerts in the park, are being canceled,
the city’s Parks and Recreation director announced
Tuesday. Meredith Petit said the
family campout wouldn’t happen either this
year. “We’ve had to make the difficult decision
to suspend summer events and programming,”
she said. There isn’t enough time to organize
the scheduled summer events with any certainty
the county would allow them.
Recreation opportunities in El Segundo were
clearly on people’s minds at Tuesday’s third
town hall event. The Parks and Recreation
director addressed why playgrounds are still
closed, and she hinted about when court sports
at the Rec Park might return.
Playgrounds will reopen later than other
recreation facilities and programs, she said.
The gates, play equipment and water fountains
represent “touch points,’’ or surfaces, for
passing the virus between children and adults,
Petit explained. A big part of the public-health
campaign to reduce new cases of coronavirus
See Town Hall, page 9