EL SEGUNDO HERALD June 17, 2021 Page 3
A Class We Won’t Forget
Business Briefs
Free Dementia and Alzheimer’s Support
Groups for New Awareness and Early Stages
Eagle Swimmers Have a Bright Future
By Gregg McMullin
The next time you’re in the high school
main gymnasium, look up on the side walls,
and you’ll see the league championship and
CIF championship banners hanging proudly.
Nearly every sport the school has supported
over the decades is represented. El Segundo
high school can boast several CIF Southern
Section championship titles in baseball,
softball, basketball, boys volleyball, boys
soccer and girls soccer, boys water polo, and
girls water polo, and, of course, swim titles.
The first CIF-SS title El Segundo won was
a team title in swimming in 1948 and led
by Jack Spargo, Bob Hughes, and George
Allen. The most recent swim team titles
were won in 2008 when Chelsea Kemp and
Mattea Perotta led the girl’s squad to a title.
The boy’s team won the Division II title in
2011. This year’s team didn’t win a team
title, but the boy’s team did well enough to
finish fourth overall while the girls placed
14th out of 44 teams. Both teams are loaded
with underclassmen, so the future looks bright
for the swim program.
This season the boys won the Pioneer League
team title and had three who won individual
titles. Sophomore sensation Alexander Cole’s
1:40.46 in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard
freestyle in 4:34.39 and earned his SoCal
Swimming Futures cut in both events. Taisei
Saito won the 200-yard Individual Medley
in 1:56.22. Four-year standout Hirota Inoki,
blistered the 100-yard freestyle in 46.96 to
win that sprint event.
School Spotlight
Maybe you’ve noticed a decline in your
memory that is concerning. Maybe an actual
diagnosis for yourself or a loved one. Either
way, this discovery can be daunting. As
questions abound, one of the best first steps
may be to walk the path with others who
are sharing similar experiences. At Family
Connect Memory Care we call this Memory,
Coffee & Compassion, a gathering of people
that share support, tips, and authenticity – a
place where everyone can feel at ease and
welcomed. Our group includes those in mild
stages, or those caring for a loved one with
dementia, Alzheimer’s or other forms of cognitive
decline. And now, as our groups meet
online over Zoom, anyone from around the
globe can join – including friends or family
members. Not sure this is right for you? Other
concerns? Call Lauren Mahakian, Certified
Dementia Practitioner, for a complimentary
15-minute chat. Join us on Tuesdays (10-11am
PST) or Wednesdays (10:00-11:30am PST).
Learn more at www.FamilyConnectMemorycare.
com/support-groups/, email Lauren
at Lauren@FamilyConnectCare.com or call
(310)383-1877. You are not alone.
Remember to sign up for our Live.Love.
Art Summer Program. This exclusive FCMC
program taps into Paint, Poetry, Literature,
Music, Movement and Movies as a form of
cognitive stimulation for those experiencing
dementia, Alzheimer’s or other forms of
cognitive decline. Meetings are Tuesdays and
Thursdays for 8 weeks. Lunch included. Sign
up by June 25th at FamilyConnectMemory-
Care.com to receive your enrollment package.
Second Vaccination Site at LAX
LAX has added a second COVID-19 Vaccination
Site at Terminal 1 Extension. On Tuesday,
LAX officials announced the addition of a
second site where guests can receive COVID-19
vaccinations free of charge. The new site is
located on the Lower/Arrivals level of the new
Terminal 1 extension on its far west end. Both
vaccination clinics are open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Saturday, and currently offer
one-dose vaccinations from Johnson & Johnson
to anyone age 18 or older. Vaccinations are
administered by the Los Angeles Fire Department
and are available without appointments.
There is no cost for the vaccine and no proof of
insurance is required. The Johnson & Johnson
vaccine requires only one dose, so those who
receive it will be considered fully vaccinated
two weeks after receiving the shot.
Wells Fargo awards
$1.25 million grant to Together for L.A
Wells Fargo has awarded a grant of $1.25
million through their Open for Business
Fund to Together for L.A., the Los Angeles
collaborative for small business recovery
and resilience, to address the COVID-19
economic crisis by significantly expanding
business technical assistance services to LA
County’s small businesses and microenterprises
led and owned by women and Black,
African American, Latinx, Asian American,
American Indian, and Alaska Native people,
focused on those in low and moderate income
(LMI) communities.
The founding members of LA Collaborative
include the grant’s lead applicant
and fiscal agent Los Angeles County Economic
Development Corporation (LAEDC),
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce,
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Los Angeles (LISC-LA), The Dr. Lucy Jones
Center for Science and Society, and The
Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD),
which are working together to advance a
more equitable, sustainable and resilient
economic recovery.
By Gregg McMullin
The El Segundo High School graduated
its ninety-third class, but it may go down
in history as one of the most memorable
classes. The Commencement was void of
a tradition for the seniors graduating being
escorted through the arch bearers. Instead,
the Class of 2021 processional was serenaded
by the “Pomp and Circumstance” by the
school band and paraded around Hazletine
Field’s track. This was to allow the friends
of those viewing the Commencement from
the visitor’s stands. Senior members of the
choir opened the Commencement with an
emotionally charged rendition of the National
Anthem and later with ‘Rise Up’.
The Class of 2021 missed some memorable
events and milestones. When Ryan Whalen
gave his Valedictorian Address, he walked
his classmates down memory lane and how,
as a freshman, they were wide-eyed and
curious. As sophomores, they became more
involved in different clubs on campus and
sports. As juniors, something called Covid-19
interrupted their everyday lives that would
shut down their in-person classroom setting.
Ryan reflected on the things that make high
school life fun and memorable. He reviewed
how they overcame challenges and how proud
they should all be.
Mellissa Gooden, the high school’s principal,
addressed the over 300 seniors of the Class
of 2021 and how proud she and the whole
community was of them. “You’ve all overcome
the adversity and will be known in the future
as ‘The Covid Class.’ She wound down her
comments with, “Don’t forget the power of
human connection.”
One of the traditions of each class is to
present a gift from the graduating class to
the school—the funds earned by various
fundraising events, including running the
snack bar at football games. Senior Class
Governor Thomas Davies announced that
their classes’ gift was being transferred to
the Class of 2022.
Benny Villa, ASB President, thanked his
classmates for four great years even if they
were on zoom calls. He said they showed
tenacity and hope for the future and demonstrated
that they were the future.
School Superintendent Dr. Melissa Moore
remarked, “You’re at the finish line, and with
what you’ve overcome to get to this point,
you have a bright future ahead.” Then Dr.
Moore presented the class for certification
and acceptance.
And with that, the graduates of the Class
of 2021 took off their masks and accepted
their well-earned diplomas with smiles we
haven’t seen in over a year. •
For Graduation Photos go to page 15
See Business Briefs, page 6
See Eagles, page 10
SHS Swim team had another successful season (Photo courtesy of Marie Beetner)
The value of a loving
father has no price.
Mark and Paige Curtis David and Olivia McPherson
Sunday, June 20
Happy Father’s Day
From all of us at Herald Publications