Page 2 August 12, 2021 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Obituaries ABC Doc
Letters
Herald Made Error on Error
Please allow me — a proud grandparent
of one of the El Segundo Little League allstars
who captured the Southern California
championship Aug. 2 — to offer a small correction
to the El Segundo Herald’s otherwise
much-appreciated coverage last week of their
incredible achievement. The game-winning,
title-winning, two-run rally in the Aug. 2
final versus Sherman Oaks was started by a
lead-off single by my grandson, Logan Meyer.
Your article incorrectly said he got on base
because of a throwing error. This sounds
trivial, I know, but please realize Logan, as
one of two 9-year-olds on the team, was a
reserve and limited to one precious at-bat per
game. Coming through with a solid single in
such a pressure-packed situation was, as they
say, awesome. As Logan progresses through
life, some day he may want to look back on
that moment and see how it was recorded for
posterity in the local newspaper. It is with
that in mind that I offer this account and hope
he finds it — either in your paper or in his
scrapbook — when that time comes. Thanks.
Community Briefs
Richard Upton
BBS & Swatik LLP
LAW Douglass
Burkley Brandlin
AT T O R N E Y S AT L AW
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– Gary Meyer •
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An Overview of Portal Schools
By Don Brann
Last September, in my fifth column, “Schools
of El Segundo,” I focused on the growing number
of high schools in this City. I noted that in
the last fifteen years, high school options had
increased from two (both ESUSD) to seven.
Four of the “new” high schools are charters
(see the column in 9/17/2020 Herald) opened
by the independent Da Vinci Schools Board
and authorized by Wiseburn Unified School
District (the majority of Wiseburn’s territory
is in the City of El Segundo, although there
are no residents allowed east of Pacific Coast
Highway). The seventh high school option in
El Segundo is a private or independent high
school named Vistamar.
Beginning in the 2021-22 school year (this
August), the eighth high school option is
opening in El Segundo. Portal Schools, a new
non-profit independent high school, will open
its doors to a founding 9th-grade class. Portal’s
model presents a new opportunity for students
and families, as it is quite different than the
other high schools in the neighborhood. As a
private school, Portal families will pay a modest
tuition, which varies by scholarship and need.
Portal Schools’ first site will be embedded
within Belkin International, the leading global
technology company that recently announced
its move to El Segundo. Portal plans to add additional
sites around greater Los Angeles in the
coming years, all situated on corporate partner
sites across a range of sectors. Each individual
site will be a micro-school comprised of 60 or
fewer students. Through this model, Portal students
will benefit from small campuses with a high
degree of personalization and leverage the larger
network of campuses and corporate partners.
Portal’s model offers several advantages to
students, which include student voice and choice,
intentionally diverse student community with
small cohorts, early college model, completing
high school and college coursework simultaneously,
career-immersed learning, including
mentorship and internships and flexible schedule
designed to meet a family’s need.
With amazing high school options in El Segundo,
Portal adds to family choice and offers
an untraditional experience for those seeking a
connection between high school, college, and
career. To learn more about Portal Schools,
visit portalschools.org. •
Last Day for Hyperion
Reimbursement Program
LA Sanitation updated its webpage at lacitysan.
org to officially announce that it extended
the deadline for the Hyperion reimbursement
program to Thursday, August 12. The extension
allows participants to make purchases and
finalize hotel stays by August 12. For those who
selected the hotel reimbursement option, the
extension allows you to check out the morning
of August 13, 2021. The updated webpage also
clarifies that the $182 nightly limit for hotel
stays is exclusive of tax per federal GSA per
diem standards. For those who are unsure if
they’ve received approval of their applications,
LASAN encourages participants to look
for an email with the subject line “Hyperion
Reimbursement.” This email should have a
blue box with a link to the reimbursement
form and the email serves as your approval
letter. Please note when submitting receipts
and documentation on LSAN’s secure online
form that all documents should be loaded at
once to avoid reimbursement delays. Call the
24-hour Customer Care Center to answer any
of your questions at 1-800-773-2489 or go to
the City of El Segundo’s website for more
extensive information and links.
Free Memory Loss, Dementia and
Alzheimer’s Support Groups
Maybe you’ve noticed a decline in your
memory that is concerning. Maybe an actual
diagnosis for yourself or a loved one. Either
way, this discovery can be daunting. As
questions abound, one of the best first steps
may be to engage with others with similar
experiences. At Family Connect Memory Care
we call this Memory, Coffee & Compassion,
a free community gathering of support, tips,
and authenticity – a place where everyone
can feel at ease and welcomed. Our group
includes those in mild stages, or those caring
for a loved one with dementia, Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, or other forms of cognitive decline.
Join us in-person on the 2nd & 4th
Wednesday of each month, at 10:00am, at
the Peninsula Library, or online on the 1st &
3rd Wednesdays, from 10:00-11:30am PST.
Contact us for information and links at info@
FamilyConnectCare.com, or call (310)383-
1877 Not sure this is right for you? Other
concerns? Call Lauren Mahakian, Certified
Dementia Practitioner, for a complimentary
15-minute chat. •
Matthew Paul Blackstock
Matthew Paul Blackstock of
El Segundo, Phoenix AZ, Reno,
NV, entered into eternal life on
July 26, 2021 at the young age
of 45. He was born April 4,
1976 at Little Company of Mary
in Torrance. He was the first
born child to Michael and Alice
Blackstock but the 20th child to
the two of them combined. Matthew
is survived by 8 brothers
and 12 sisters. He was preceded
in death by his parents Michael and Alice
and his brothers Bill Blackstock (ES) and
Bob Blackstock (ES) both of Phoenix AZ.
Matt attended his early elementary
years in Reno, then
back to ES where he attended St.
Anthony’s and ES High School.
He later moved to Phoenix AZ
to work construction with his
brothers Tim and Bob.
Matthew never married so
of course got to be everyone’s
favorite Uncle Matty Poo to
over 75 nieces and nephews and
COUNTLESS greats! Matthew
had the heart of a lion or of Wolverine! He
is going to be missed greatly and is now in
perfection with his Lord and Savior! •
James (Jim) Leo Norris
James (Jim) Leo Norris passed
away in Jackson, California on
June 3, 2021 at the age of 90.
Jim was born on July 7, 1930 in
Salt Lake City, Utah, to Leo and
Erma (Davis) Norris. His family
moved to El Segundo, California
at the beginning of WWII and he
attended El Segundo High School
(ESHS) where he was 1948’s Student
Body President and a guard
on the water polo team. In 1947,
the ESHS team won the first CIF
Championship and went on to the
Pan American Games in Buenos
Aires in 1948 and then the 1952
Helsinki Olympics, where Jim
served as team captain. ESHS was
also where he met his high school
sweetheart, Lynne (Oldmen), whom
he married on April 6, 1951. Jim
was awarded a four-year Navy
ROTC Scholarship to the University
of Southern California, studying
zoology. After graduating with his BS from
USC, Jim spent three years as a gunnery officer
and athletic director on the USS Los Angeles
in the US Navy and served in the Korean War.
Upon his retirement from service, Jim got his
teaching credential at UCLA, taught at several
South Bay high schools, and got his Master’s
in Counseling at CSU Los Angeles. He was a
counselor at El Camino College in Torrance and a
recurrent LA County Lifeguard; he resided in
Manhattan Beach for 35 years.
His sense of adventure and
wanderlust then led him to move
to the Santa Ynez Valley (Santa
Barbara County), where he lived
for 35 years, becoming a renowned
local historian and Westerners
member with a specific interest
in California Missions and the
fur trade. He was an avid reader
and researcher and he and Lynne
published over 60 books under the
publishing company, The Olive
Press. Jim moved in 2008 to the
historic Gold Rush city of Jackson,
CA, where he lived out his days
reading, researching, teaching
his family about local flora and
fauna, and volunteering at the
local archive and museum. He
was a lifelong learner and devoted
friend to many. He and Lynne
celebrated their 70-year wedding
anniversary earlier this year.
Jim is survived by his four children, Michael
(Kathy), John, Jeanie (John), and Jane Suzanne
(Steve), his eight grandchildren, Alyssa, Aaron,
Jason, Austin, Kenda, Paul, Andre, and Neal,
and his siblings Richard, David, and Kitty. He
was preceded in death by his parents and his
sister, Mary. A celebration of life and final
paddle toward the Green Flash will be held
at a later date. Donations may be made to the
Surfrider Foundation in James Norris’ name. •
George Richard “Dick” Upton,
age 87 passed away at his home
on July 29, 2021.
Richard was born in August
1933 in Flint Michigan to parents
George and Hazel Upton.
Married to wife Frankie for over
63 years, the love of his life.
Richard attended Venice High
School where he excelled at music,
basketball and baseball.
After a brief baseball scholarship
to LMU, Richard joined the U.S. Army
and was eventually stationed at Ladd AFB,
Fairbanks Alaska, 9th Army band.
After completing his military commitment
he married Frances, and worked at the Bank
of America in Culver City. Soon he went back
to school and graduated with degrees in music
and teaching.
Richard worked as the music instructor
in the Wiseburn School District for 29 years.
Richard loved his wife Frankie, sons Kip
and Jim, Daughter in law Lynn, grandsons
Tracy and Chris. Additionally,
Richard was a noted scholar on
the American West. Focused on
Fort Custer and The Battle of
the Little Big Horn, he wrote
and published many books with
his company, Upton and Son’s.
Richard was a professional
musician (trumpet), Senior
softball world series champion,
and Detroit Tiger fan. Good
natured, positive outlook, and a
great sense of humor were some of Richards
notable characteristics. Up to the end Richard
would comment, “the death of an old man is
not a tragedy.”
Richard is survived by his wife Frances, son
Kip, and grandsons Tracy and Chris.
Predeceased by son Jim and parents George
and Hazel. A Promotion to Glory service will
be held on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 10:00
AM at the Long Beach Salvation Army.
An Additional service to be held in Montana,
date TBD. “What an adventure.” •