The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 106, No. 27 - July 6, 2017 Rite Aid Merger Had Drugstore Customers Sweating By Rob McCarthy The announcement last week that Walgreens has downsized the deal to buy the Rite Aid drugstores nationwide means that South Bay shoppers won’t be saying goodbye any time soon to the small neighborhood retailer. Had Walgreens gone ahead with the original plan to buy all of Rite Aid’s stores, some store closings were very likely and the nostalgic Thrifty ice cream counter with its single, double and triple scoops was in jeopardy. Federal regulators had until July to decide whether to okay the planned merger between the numbers one and three drugstore chains in America, but Walgreens pulled the plug on the originally proposed deal first announced in 2015. Rite Aid said in a press release on June 27 that Walgreens had reworked its offer because of doubts the Federal Trade Commission would approve a merger of the former numbers one and three drugstore chains in America. The new deal calls for Walgreens to buy 2,186 Rite Aid stores for $5.175 billion. While the original deal included Rite Aid properties in California and throughout the West, those stores will continue to be owned and operated by Rite Aid, the company said. Rite Aid’s chairman thanked store employees for enduring a two-year wait to see what would become of their stores and jobs. Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................16 Classifieds............................4 Community Briefs...............3 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................6 Fourth of July Photos........9 Legals............................ 14,15 Police Reports.....................2 Real Estate........ 10-13,18-20 Sports.................................5,8 Weekend Forecast Richmond, Center Take First Place in Grand Match Gala Chess Tournament On June 24, 14 kids from Richmond Street School and Center Street School went to USC and competed in the 13th annual GMG (Grand Match Gala) chess tournament where they competed against other kids at their grade level playing chess. Richmond and Center took first place! In photo from left to right: Jeremiah Peisert aka Sir Peil; Ali Ellington aka Duke of Chess; Tiffany Duveray aka Ms. Tiffany; Rasheme Ellington aka RaRa The Great. Second row kids from left to right: Tyler Brooke, Sophie Carpenter, Declan Lister, Juddson Lister, Kai Carpenter, Tyler Kazen, Jarrett Sorbello. Not shown: Torbin LaPuente, Dylan Thomas, Aidan Steele, Max Larour, Shayal Karwa-Moricca, Trent Autin, Nathan Bustrum, Ms. Summer. Photo by Charles-Ryan Barber. More Rate Hikes for Water and Sewer Customers Kick in This Month By Brian Simon It’s happening again starting this month and there is nothing we can do to stop it— though it shouldn’t come as a surprise either. As scheduled annually through 2020, local water and sewer rates will again increase as of this month. The El Segundo City Council authorized new water and sewer rates in 2015 after a mandated Proposition 218 ballot protest process fell short of the required majority of customers needed to stop the increases. The additional fees help offset similar increases imposed on the City by outside agencies. Local water customers received a letter at the end of May from the City’s Finance Department with various tables highlighting the differences between the current and new rates. For actual water consumption, the City utilizes a four-tier rate structure that considers the amount of water used per 100 cubic foot (or one unit), with the vast majority of residents running less than 20 units per billing cycle. For single-family residences, those in the first tier of 0-10 will now pay $2.6857 per unit compared to $2.5578. Those using in the 10-20 range will see a jump to $4.9428 from $4.7075. Lifeline members (who qualify to pay lower rates based on falling below prescribed income levels) in the 0-10 range currently pay $1.2789 per unit consumed and will see that rise to $1.3428. In addition to consumption, capacity charges (based on meter size) will also rise. A typical resident has a 5/8 x 3/4 meter. Those customers will see the fixed rate swell to $10.84 from the current $10.32 with plans to eventually reach $11.95 by 2020. Lifeline capacity rates will increase from $5.16 to $5.42. Monthly sewer rate volume fees set will go up five cents for single family residential customers—63 cents to 68 cents per unit. The flat wastewater service fee will increase monthly from $5.66 for single-family residences that have a three-quarter-inch meter See Rate Hikes, page 14 See Rite Aid, page 16 Friday Sunny 78˚/68˚ Saturday Mostly Sunny 82˚/69˚ Sunday Mostly Sunny 81˚/66˚
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