EL SEGUNDO HERALD June 22, 2017 Page 3 Calendar of Events Deadline for Calendar items is the prior Thursday by noon. Calendar items are $1 per word. Email listings to marketing@heraldpublications. com. We take Visa and MasterCard. THURSDAY, JUNE 22 • El Segundo Farmers’ Market, 3:00 PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street, Downtown El Segundo. FRIDAY, JUNE 23 • Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00 minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Helen at: 310-416-9181 SATURDAY, JUNE 24 • Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45 PM., Cost: $3.00 Per Person, Adults of all Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705. SUNDAY, JUNE 25 • Bridge & Pinochle Groups, 11:30 AM. – 3:45 PM, Senor Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856. MONDAY, JUNE 26 • Canasta Group, 12:00 PM. – 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, Free, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856. TUESDAY, JUNE 27 • Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 PM., District Administrative Office, Board Room, 641 Sheldon Street. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28 • Bowling, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 50 Plus, Senior Club of El Segundo, Gable House Bowl, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, Cost: $8.00 for 3 games, Call Joyce at: 310-322-7621. • Evening Book Discussion Featuring The Fortune Teller, 6:30 PM., free, El Segundo Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa Ave., Call: 310-524-2728. THURSDAY, JUNE 29 • El Segundo Farmers’ Market: Stars, Stripes & Fun, 3:00 PM. – 7:00 PM., featuring watermelon eating, pies in the face, and colored sand, located on Main Street, Downtown El Segundo. FRIDAY, JUNE 30 • Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00 minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Helen at: 310-416-9181. • Free Computer Class: Excel 2013 Basics, 8:30 AM. – 10:00 AM., Seating is limited, Registration is required, El Segundo Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa Ave., Call: 310-524-2728. SATURDAY, JULY 1 • Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45 PM., Cost: $3.00 Per Person, Adults of all Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705. SUNDAY, JULY 2 • Bridge & Pinochle Groups, 11:30 AM. – 3:45 PM, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856. MONDAY, JULY 3 Canasta Group, 12:00 PM. – 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, Free, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856. TUESDAY, JULY 4 • HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!! • El Segundo Recreation & Parks Presents: The Fourth of July with Special Centennial Celebration Finale, Daytime Events: 10:00 AM. – 3:00 PM., Evening Events: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM., Fireworks begin at 9:00 PM. • CITY HALL IS CLOSED (All Day) • El Segundo Public Library is CLOSED (All Day) Douglass MORTUARY “Our Family Serving Yours Since 1954” B U R I A L - C R E M AT I O N - W O R L DW I D E T R A N S F E R P E T M E M O R I A L P RO D U C T S 500 EAST IMPERIAL AVENUE EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA 90245 Te l e p h o n e ( 3 1 0 ) 6 4 0 - 9 3 2 5 • F a x ( 3 1 0 ) 6 4 0 - 0 7 7 8 • F D 6 5 8 Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP AT T O R N E Y S AT L AW Lifetime El Segundo Residents Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation 310-540-6000 *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Community Briefs LA City Council Approves EIR for LAX Modernization Last week, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) for the proposed $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The project, which includes an Automated People Mover and a link to Metro rail, aims to dramatically improve the flow of passengers and vehicles in and near the airport‘s Central Terminal Area and help to alleviate congestion on local roadways. With its action, the LA City Council approved the General Plan Amendments, Specific Plan Amendments, and zone changes, and concurred with the California Environmental Quality Act certification of the EIR. LAMP consists of several primary components tied together by the Automated People Mover (APM), an elevated train with six stations that would transport passengers between the Central Terminal Area (CTA) and the other main project components located to the east. These components include a Consolidated Rent-A-Car center and two new Intermodal Transportation Facilities, which feature public parking and passenger drop-off and pick-up areas. So that passengers can access the Metro regional rail system, the APM system would include a station at the Intermodal Transit Facility East adjacent to Metro‘s proposed Airport Metro Connector station at 96th Street/Aviation Boulevard. In addition to the major components listed, LAMP also includes planned roadway improvements throughout the LAX area. LAWA prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for LAMP in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which was released on September 15, 2016. The official comment period for the Draft EIR ran from September 15 through November 15, 2016. Two public meetings were held in October 2016 that allowed the public to learn about LAMP and its components, with attendees able to See Community Briefs, page 9 Herald in Norway Carrying their trusty copy of the Herald, Dennis and Jennifer Lord were recently on the ice in Hornsund Fjord, Norway on the way to Svalbard. • Police Chief from front page at Garden Grove told me they were hiring for fulltime police officers, so I decided to go for it. I fell in love with police work and never looked back.” After a nine-year stint in Garden Grove, Whalen moved to the City of Irvine and served for that police department in various capacities---including as an officer on foot patrol at the Spectrum Center, a detective sergeant who dealt with a number of significant cases, and an internal affairs sergeant. A particularly favorite period was as a lieutenant heading up the emergency management division. “I have a passion for emergency management that you don’t see too often on the law enforcement side,” Whalen said, adding that he was especially New El Segundo Police Chief Bill Whalen. proud of building Irvine’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program to levels unseen in the region. He noted that he hopes to work with Fire Chief Chris Donovan to continue expanding El Segundo’s own revitalized CERT program. Before accepting the job in El Segundo, Whalen had risen up the ranks to the position of Police Commander, overseeing a nearly $40 million budget and a staff of 120 in the wide-spanning Operations Division within a municipality named multiple times as one of the “Safest Cities in the United States.” He hadn’t thought of leaving Irvine until it was pointed out to him while attending Law Enforcement Command College a couple of years ago that he could potentially benefit the law enforcement profession as a whole even more if he brought his skill set somewhere else. Then one morning late last year, Whalen’s boss pulled him aside. “He said he thought I had the requisite knowledge to be a chief right now and that I should look for an opportunity,” Whalen said. “And then as it happens, the following week the El Segundo flyer came out advertising the chief position. When I researched El Segundo, I saw the similarities with Irvine. El Segundo is a community that takes pride in itself--that cares about itself. It’s an environment I am used to and the values here are in line with mine, so it was a no-brainer to apply.” Whalen was one of over 80 applicants for the job, spurring an extensive interview process with panels consisting of both the City’s internal executive team as well as chiefs and top police executives from other agencies. After narrowing the list down to six, City Manager Greg Carpenter indicated that Whalen “emerged as the most qualified candidate,” adding that the new chief “really fits the City’s commitment to be service-focused, strategicthinking and innovative. He has the experience serving in a variety of roles and is highly analytical, but able to relate to people at all levels.” Relating with people is Whalen’s first order of business when he arrives. “One of the strongest things I do is community involvement and engagement,” he said. “I plan to meet everyone inside and outside the organization, from the employees to the community stakeholders. Everyone has a seat on the table. As part of the application process, I spoke to people at different service organizations. We all have a collective goal of making El Segundo the best place we can. The message rings loud and clear how much people appreciate living and working here.” While admitting it’s way too early to announce specific goals, Whalen identified an immediate challenge of addressing the crime increases that have adversely affected virtually every city in the region, including El Segundo. “Some of it’s due to the changes in legislation that we’ve seen with more people committing crimes being put back out on the streets,” he said. “It all comes at a time when municipal governments don’t have the same financial resources they used to have. So this will be something to monitor going forward.” Married with two sons (18 and 20 and both on their way to state colleges), Whalen identified himself as a “water guy” who enjoys deep sea fishing and boating. However, he doesn’t expect to have much time to pursue his hobbies for the foreseeable future. “It’ll be some seven-day workweeks for awhile and hitting the ground running for sure,” he said. “Understanding the culture of the organization as quickly as possible is extremely important.” Helping Whalen with the learning curve is the outgoing chief. “I met Chief Tavera through the applicant process and he is very proud of the men and women at El Segundo Police Department and what has been achieved here,” Whalen said. “He has been very gracious in the transition and I can’t thank him enough. I assured him that I will do my absolute best to maintain the high level of professionalism and service that the department experienced under his watch. El Segundo has a stellar, very strong and respected police department. Even so, my mantra is that no matter how good we are today, we have an obligation to be even better tomorrow…” •
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