EL SEGUNDO HERALD July 14, 2016 Page 7 School Spotlight Teen Take on Fourth of July in El Segundo By Cece Jane Stewart, a senior at El Segundo High School Fourth of July is a highly anticipated day among kids and teens in El Segundo. Our town does an exceptional job of making the celebration jubilant, and as a community, we all celebrate together throughout town. This year the day was full of fun, laughter, sunscreen, sun, friends, family and patriotism. The day started early, since everyone was so excited and eager to have fun. Most days, we teens like to sleep in, but July 4 was the type of day that you wake up, rip off the sheets and jump out of bed. Friends began gathering by 9 a.m. and there was excited chat-chit about where on the beach to go, and which parties were happening. The day began with the annual fair at Rec Park starting at 10 a.m. This fair has always been one of my favorite events. There were many food venues full of All-American junk food. Also, there was a bouncy house- even at seventeen my peers and I still love a bouncy house. Every year, the amazing recreation and parks staff puts together pie and watermelon eating contests (sponsored by El Segundo Kiwanis and El Segundo Rotary respectively). My goal is to win this contests one of these years. There was also a hula hoop contest, water balloon toss and sack race. There was a band at the baseball field playing patriotic music the entire day. Proceeds from the booths go to support our El Segundo school and community organizations. El Segundo teens who work for the recreation and parks department were prevalent. It was very fun seeing all of my classmates working for the town. But, one of the enjoyable aspects about the day was simply walking around our lovely town and looking around at everyone. Everywhere you look, people are wearing red white and blue clothes, beads and painted all over themselves. The streets are closed and people setup block parties in the streets with family and friends. Joyous laughter can be heard ringing throughout the town. Another wonderful, annual tradition the El Segundo does for us is the amazing fireworks show, sponsored by Chevron. Blankets cover Rec Park and Stevenson Field, and people surround the park in the streets with blankets and chairs. People settle down with burgers and hotdogs, to watch the best fireworks show they’ll ever see. The fireworks show started at 9 p.m. and it is easily one of the best parts of experiencing Fourth of July, El Segundo style. El Segundo always makes the Fourth of July so special for its citizens. Thank you to the parks department, and everyone else who worked to make this year’s Fourth of July amazing. I will never forget the fond memories of Independence Day in El Segundo. The 240th Fourth of July in America could not have been better. • Havana’s Reawakening Preparing to Take Flight By Rob McCarthy Cuba is the most intriguing travel destination on the planet right now, yet the only way for Americans to reach the island nation is by ship. That changes this fall when U.S. airlines begin daily service to Havana, including flights from Los Angeles International Airport. The U.S. Transportation Department last week released a short list of cities to service Havana and its other international airports, and Chicago and Washington, D.C., were snubbed. Their omissions were surprising, given that a D.C.-to-Havana route would “Los Angeles International Airport is the choice to become the West Coast hub for nonstops to Cuba. How many daily flights LAX gets is yet to be decided.” connect two nation’s capitals, and Chicago is the hometown of President Barack Obama, whose administration pushed for the agreement that normalized relations and opened trade and travel between the Cold War enemies. Los Angeles International Airport is the choice to become the West Coast hub for nonstops to Cuba. How many daily flights LAX gets is yet to be decided. Service to Havana, which is the closest major city to the U.S. mainland, is scheduled to begin in the fall. The airlines are waiting for the Transportation Department to say jump. Passenger demand is expected to soar, and an early fare sale by American Airlines priced seats at $398 from the West Coast, and $198 from the Southeast. South Bay’s connection to the newly opened Cuba doesn’t stop with LAX, however. A Loyola Marymount University film professor recently picked up an Emmy for The first U.S. cruise ship reached Havana on May 2, and flights carrying Americans are next. Photo Credit: ABC News. a short documentary about a lost piece of Cuba’s past. Loyola Marymount University Professor Glenn Gebhard created the documentary, “Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution,” about two men never mentioned by Cuban historians. Gebhard, who teaches at LMUs’ School of Film and Television, said the film uses archival stock footage to tell the story about two revolutionaries who were brushed aside when Fidel Castro seized power on Jan. 1, 1959. The project took years to make, and involved several of his Loyola Marymount colleagues. “Hopefully the themes of this film will resonate beyond Cuba and highlight the importance of readdressing history, and understanding the reasons why history can be used in any country for political manipulation,” Gebhard said in his acceptance speech on June 18. LMU contributors to the film include screenwriter Tim Guest who co-wrote the film; lecturer Mario Congreve served as co-producer and cinematographer; Recording Arts Department’s Associate professor Kurt Daugherty recorded sound; professor Mladen Milicevic composed the music; and Clinical Assistant professor Gino Brancolini contributed to the script and editing of the documentary. Like the film’s producers, U.S. carriers sense there is a pent-up demand to know more about Havana and visit for the first time in 40 years. However, the Castro government clearly isn’t prepared for a flood of American tourists, more like a trickle. Havana has agreed to allow 20 flights per day from the United States to Havana, and another 10 to its other international airports. The U.S. Department of Transportation has selected eight U.S. airlines - Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. They proposed 60 daily flights per day, but the U.S. government is bound by its agreement with Cuba. The airlines are awaiting final approval from the department to begin selling fares. Airlines and airports that were not selected may appeal the DOT’s decision issued last week. Havana is the capital of Cuba, and a culturally rich urban center that is home to more than 2 million people. The port city sits on the Caribbean Sea, and offers unique architecture, Ernest Hemingway’s home that has been preserved, uptempo music, restaurants and plenty of walking. Passengers need a visa to travel to Cuba from the United States and can obtain one by falling under one of the 12 categories mandated by the U.S. government, the airlines contacted for this story reminded me. In the meantime, the surest route to reach Cuba is by ship. Cruise lines are ferrying Americans this summer across the Gulf of Mexico and the Strait of Florida to Havana, which lies at the northern end of Cuba about 90 miles from the Florida coast. The distance by air from Orlando, Fla., to Havana is 449 miles, and Orlando is one of the airports chosen last week by the Department of Transportation to offer air service from the mainland. “Restoring regular air service holds tremendous potential to reunite Cuban American families and foster education and opportunities for American businesses of all sizes,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said on July 7. The U.S. Department of Transportation gave LAX the West Coast hub; Newark, New York See Havana’s Reawakening, page 8 “Fourth of July is a highly anticipated day among kids and teens in El Segundo.” El Segundo Roty Club Presents SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 Gates Open: 4:00pm • Movie Starts at Dusk Beer • Wine • Tacos • Pizza • Hamburgers Hot Dogs • Popcorn & more! Giant Movie Screen • Entertainment • Train Rides • Moon Bounce • Face Painting At Chevron Park, El Segundo - corner of El Segundo & Sepulveda Blvd. Admission: $4 (kids 2 and under are free) bring blankets & beach chair - no high-back chairs please Tickets available now at Industrial Lock & Security, Big-5 El Segundo & the El Segundo Chamber of Commerce. For more information contact: information@movieinthepark.info. Or visit: www.movieinthepark.info Like us on Facebook! McDonald's INDUSTRIAL EL SEGUNDO POWER LLC A Fun Outdr Family Event! No Outside Alcohol Permitted No Drop-Offs or Pick-Ups Permitted No Pets Bonilla Family • El Segundo Firefighters Association • El Segundo Dermatology • El Segundo Police Officers Association • El Gringo Restaurants Shiela Fowler, Shorewood Realtors • The Mailbox • Brian Magovern, M.D., Torrance Orthopedic & Sports Medicine • Eloise Mendez, Palm Realty Boutique Dr. Michele Rogers • Bill Ruane • SAGA • Seligman Wealth Management • SJM • So. Cal. Gas Company LOCK & SECURITY The Reimann Law Group Good Ideas. Good Work. Solving Problems. Supervisor Don Knabe County of Los Angeles |Fourth District
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