The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 109, No. 30 - July 23, 2020
Inside
This Issue
Business Briefs...................3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................8
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................5
Legals.................................4,9
Obituaries.............................2
Pets......................................10
Police Reports.....................3
Real Estate.............6-8,11,12
Weekend
Forecast
Wiseburn Aquatics Center is
Working Hard to Keep You Safe
The Recreation and Parks Department is now offering family swim, youth lap swim, regular adult lap swim and team training at the El Segundo Wiseburn Aquatics Center. The staff is working hard to ensure
a safe experience for everyone. Reservations for a time slot or to reserve a lane can be made at esrec.org or by calling 310-524-2738. Photo courtesy El Segundo Recreation and Parks.
Friday
Mostly
Sunny
70˚/61˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
71˚/61˚
Sunday
Sunny
72˚/61˚
City Will Try Short-Term Rentals
By Rob McCarthy
El Segundo has put out the welcome mat
for short-term rentals in private residences
once the coronavirus restrictions for the
region are lifted again. The City Council decided
Tuesday to allow short-term rentals in singlefamily
homes, duplexes and condominiums on
a temporary basis. The program will run for
15 months and is expected to pay for itself.
City leaders welcomed the popular homestay
option for tourists and business travelers,
which passed on a 4-0 vote after nearly five
years of study and public debate. Mayor
Pro Tem Chris Pimentel recused himself
because of a business-related conflict of interest.
Proponents of renting out rooms in homes say
it provides a property owner with additional
income to afford taxes and rising maintenance
costs. Critics counter that allowing visitors to
stay in private homes in neighbors will lead
to noisy parties and parking problems.
El Segundo’s trial program will depend on
booking sites, including Airbnb and VRBO,
to cooperate with the city. All hosts who plan
to rent rooms to overnight guests will register
with the trial program, be insured for liability,
and collect the bed tax and pass that revenue
along to El Segundo. Participating hosts will
also pay a fee to register their home-based
business, which is expected to cover the cost
of the new program.
Hosts must occupy a home, duplex or condominium
to qualify. Occupancy is limited to
two adults per room in a home, not including
children under age 13. Guests may stay longer
than 30 days with a host, under the zoning
regulations that the council agreed to loosen
for the duration of the 15-month trial period.
The City Council, police chief and department
heads will monitor complaints about loud
parties or large gatherings in rental homes,
and the council may end the program early
at its discretion.
For a property to qualify, the owner must live
on the premises 183 days per year. Guest stays
cannot be advertised on booking sites unless
the owner first obtains city permits and pays
all fees and costs to participate. El Segundo
will hire a consultant to monitor complaints
from neighbors, and police will respond to calls
about nuisances at short-stay rental properties.
The booking sites have agreed to cooperate
with the city.
Hosts who rent to overnight guests must carry
a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance.
The program has a two-strike policy for
homeowners who fail to supervise their guests.
A first violation of the rules to control noise
and overcrowding will result in a $2,500 fine.
See City Council, page 9
Remembering Bill Field
an El Segundo Icon
By Gregg McMullin
His name was Bill Field, and for those
who knew his passion of playing an
elaborate organ, they will never forget
his well-known talent. He didn’t just
play any organ; he enjoyed the fruits of
his enthusiasm on a Mighty Wurlitzer. It
is quite frankly the holy grail of organs
with its more than 2,000 pipes and 244
keys arranged on four keyboards. Along
with stop keys that trigger the sounds of
bells, cymbals, trumpets and drums, it is
in short, a full orchestra. Bill passed away
on June 28, his death likely a result of
a stroke he had suffered many months
ago; he was 80.
To trace Bill’s connection to El Segundo,
you have to go back to 1951 when he was
12 years old. He found his avocation and
future while wandering through a Barker
Brothers Department store in downtown Los
Angeles. He was captivated by the sound of
a pipe organ roaring and mesmerizing in the
background as shoppers browsed. His obsession
with learning and playing the organ
consumed him. Soon after, he was hired as
the organist at the Los Angeles Theatre on
South Broadway Street, and he would also
play in church and at community centers.
As he got older Bill’s interest in music
and the organ increased even more. He’d
See Bill Field, page 2