The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 109, No. 27 - July 2, 2020
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................10
Classifieds............................4
Community Briefs...............3
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................5
Legals.................................4,9
Letters....................................3
Pets......................................11
Police Reports.....................2
Real Estate..................6-9,12
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
71˚/60˚
Saturday
Sunny
72˚/63˚
Sunday
Sunny
76˚/64˚
Two Young Girls Bring Smiles
to the Residents of El Segundo
What was originally meant to entertain Valerie and Sienna for one afternoon turned into a new-found creative outlet that became a daily ritual for months. Their sidewalk art brings smiles and positivity
to El Segundo. To find out more, read their story below. Photos courtesy Jeff Williams and Rolland Mattoon.
El Segundo Sidewalk Artists
Work to Brighten Your Day
Story by Duane Plank
Photos by Jeff Williams and
Rolland Mattoon
If you have been cooped up in your home
for three months like most El Segundo residents,
See Sidewalk Artists, page 5
Household Census Count
Builds Momentum
By Rob McCarthy
The once-per-decade count of people
living in American households reached
the midway point this week, and it
appears at least three South Bay cities
are headed for an undercount. The
census-response rates for Inglewood,
Hawthorne and Lawndale were slightly
below the statewide and national averages,
as of Sunday.
Census results are used to determine how
much funding local communities receive
for social services, including public health
and housing. An undercount can be costly
to local governments because of federal
agencies’ base funding on population and
income data.
The 2020 count will be used to allocate
seats in Congress - and it’s a possibility
California could lose a congressional
seat. The household surveys also serve
as a snapshot for drawing boundaries
for congressional and state legislative
districts, along with school districts. The
pandemic added to the herculean task of
counting everyone.
The U.S. Census Bureau, in March,
mailed surveys to every home across the
South Bay, asking how many people lived
with them on April 1. The information
about each individual, including their
gender and nationality, is kept private
and not shared with law enforcement or
unable to go to the gym or run on the
track at the high school to get your daily
exercise, you may have taken to walking or
jogging on our city streets. And you may
have noticed patches of sidewalks adorned
with “sidewalk art,” colorful chalk renderings
meant to cheer-up and inspire residents,
boosting our morale as we all deal with one
crisis after another.
Two young ladies who have utilized
their artistic talents to brighten the streets
of El Segundo are nine-year-old Valerie
Williams and Sienna Mattoon. They have
colorfully chalked inspirational messages on
patches of local sidewalks, hoping to provide
positive, thought-provoking messages to
those out-and-about, momentarily escaping
the stay-at-home edict. The girls also setup
an outdoor stand for a couple of weeks
that provided masks and other supplies to
residents passing through the neighborhood,
seeking to collect donations to replenish their
chalk supply.
According to information gleaned from the
somewhat reliable Internet, sidewalk chart
art had its genesis in the Stone Age. 16th
Century Italians were credited with scratchingout
somewhat of a living by coloring the
cobblestones with depictions of the Madonna
(not the singer). Folklore says that in the late
19th century, English “screevers,” took to the
streets with chalk, sometimes spicing their
offerings with a moralistic or political slant.
Sidewalk art has evolved over the years to
the point where there are reportedly more
than 50 chalk festivals typically held each
year in the United States.
Jeff Williams, Valerie’s father, said that “What
was originally meant to entertain them for one
afternoon turned into a new-found creative outlet
that became a daily ritual for months. The
girls really do like to put a smile on people’s
faces,” he said, “and we all enjoy watching the
different families walk by to enjoy the pieces.
Our favorite part was all the kind notes left
in the box when the girls were giving away
masks and supplies and collecting donations
for more chalk. It is then they realized that
they could have a positive impact on others.
Thank you to our community!”
Rolland Mattson, Sienna’s father, said his
daughter gets a chance to utilize her creative
talents while colorfully adorning the pavement.
“Sienna is a very competitive girl,
and always wants to give her best,” he said.
“She now challenges herself every day to get
more creative and put a smile on the people
See Census Count, page 9