The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 27 - July 4, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................10
Classifieds............................4
Community Briefs...............3
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment....................11
Fire Safety Corner..............3
Legals.............................. 9,10
Real Estate.......................6-8
School Spotlight..................5
Sports....................................5
Weekend
Forecast
Gundo Girls Gearing Up for
Tournament Run in Lancaster
The El Segundo Girls Softball 12u team heads to Lancaster this weekend for the State B Tournament. See Sports on page 5 for more details. In the photo, front row: Dallas Silva, Charli Pages, Caroline Mackechnie
and Allie Stevenson. Middle row: Taryn Walker, Peyton Jackson, Vanessa Rodriguez, Hailey Wantz, Sienna Mayer, Audrey Garcia and Taylor Peacock. Back row: Coaches Brandy Peacock, T.D. Mayer,
Ryan Wantz, Eric Stevenson and Jim Walker. (Photo Provided by Yvette Pages)
City Looks to Artists to Reimagine
the Main and Imperial Entryway
By Brian Simon
The City of El Segundo is looking for a
few good artists. Well, maybe one really good
artist or perhaps a cohesive team of innovative
creative types who can come in with a vision
to revitalize the decidedly outdated entryway
into the community at Imperial Avenue and
Main Street. Discussions to revamp the
longtime northwest welcome to town actually
started many years ago, but died on the vine
due to a mixture of fiscal limitations and lack
of a point person or group to spearhead the
effort. One of the suggestions was to enlist
the aid of the Boy Scouts or a non-profit to
handle the task pro bono, but that idea also
ran out of steam.
With a renewed commitment to rebrand El
Segundo in the midst of an unprecedented
growth period, the City Council in November
2018 authorized the formation of the Gateway
Committee to oversee creation of a new iconic
entry experience into town. The objective is
“to create a dynamic, distinct and memorable
entry… that reflects the unique and charming
character of El Segundo.” The challenge is to
successfully meld the old and the new in a
way that preserves the community’s historic
assets while accentuating its progressive aspects.
Plus it’s always important to make a
good first impression – and this gateway is
the initial glimpse most newcomers have of El
Segundo as they enter the town after exiting
the 105 freeway.
With that in mind, the City recently put
out a call for entries open to “emerging and
established artist/architect/landscape architects
over the age of 18 working in California.”
Team members may also include engineers
or signage company professionals. Candidates
have until 5 p.m. on July 31 to send in their
proposals and qualifications for the redesign.
In August, the Gateway Committee will review
the submissions and select the three to five
top artists/teams to further develop conceptual
components. The finalists will receive a $2,000
stipend and have six to eight weeks to further
fine-tune their ideas into a visual presentation
that will include detailed concepts as well as
estimated costs. The City’s overall budget for
the project as approved by the Council last
year is $150,000.
“While this project has been off-again, onagain
over many years, we look forward to
putting some real concreate ideas in motion,”
Recreation and Parks Director Meredith Petit
said. “This entryway is just as important as
those on PCH, where the City already has
entry signage located at PCH and Rosecrans
Avenue and PCH and Imperial Avenue.”
After reviewing the shortlist of candidates,
the Gateway Committee’s second jury will
pick a winner in October to contract with
the City for the project. “This is an exciting
opportunity for an artist or design visionary to
create a tangible and iconic welcome to our
incredible city,” said Gateway Committee Chair
and City Park Maintenance Superintendent
Christopher Hentzen. “We are truly excited
to see what can be imagined.”
The Gateway Committee met a number
of times over the first several months of
the year to discuss parameters for the
project and to prepare a Request for Qualifications
(RFQ)/Call to Artists/Request for
Proposal (RFP for the design of the signage
and art. In addition to Hentzen, the other
committee members are Lily Craig (Chevron
External Affairs Manager), Frank Glynn
(architect), Jay Hoeschler (El Segundo
Planning Commissioner and design director),
Marsha Hansen (El Segundo Chamber
of Commerce CEO), Brenda Newman
(El Segundo Planning Commissioner and
Main Street business owner), George Renfro
(El Segundo Art Walk coordinator and
graphic designer), Orlando Rodriguez (City
Senior Plan Check Engineer) Julie Stolnack
(El Segundo Recreation and Parks Commissioner)
and Barbara Voss (El Segundo Deputy
City Manager).
“The amount of local talent on the Gateway
Committee is truly remarkable and I know
they will steer this project in a direction that
makes sense for all city stakeholders,” Petit
said. “It was important to compile a team
of individuals with diverse viewpoints and
proven commitment to the greater good of
El Segundo. The new gateway will be an
expression of El Segundo that is as unique
as the city itself.”
While one of El Segundo’s calling cards
See Artists, page 11
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