The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 110, No. 33 - August 19, 2021
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Community Briefs...............5
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................6
Legals............................12-13
Police Reports.....................5
Real Estate.....................7-10
Restaurant Review.............2
Sports.............................. 3,10
Weekend
Forecast
Concerts in the Park Brought
Music, Food and Fun to the City
The City of El Segundo Recreation & Parks Department presented Summer Concerts in the Park sponsored by Bill Ruane R/E Max. These free concerts took place on selected Sunday evenings at Library
Park. Activities began at 4 p.m. with music starting at 4:30 and running until 6 p.m. Gourmet food trucks were on site and kids could stop by the gazebo for free face painting and arts & crafts provided
by Camp Cowabunga Day Camp. Thank you Bill Ruane R/E Max and the City of El Segundo Recreation & Parks Department for a fun summer. Photo courtesy Bill Ruane R/E Max.
El Segundo’s “Unofficial Weatherman”
Avery Smith Indulges his Passion
By Duane Plank
Avery Smith has been a resident of our fine
town for nearly two decades. He financially
supports his wife and three children, toiling
as the president of Kelsey National Corporation
located in Los Angeles. “(KNC) is an
experienced marketer and administrator of
fully insured group and HMO benefit plans,
developed especially for small businesses and
trade association members across the United
States.” At least that is what the website says,
adding that “KNC offers a competitive line
of group medical, dental, life and disability
income products. Additionally, KNC offers
a portfolio of quality insurance products and
HMOs to individual customers.”
So, there is that. But, for the well-adjusted
amongst us, work does not, and should not,
define us.
Smith is much more than a big cog in the
always-expanding United States insurance
industry. He has also volunteered in the
community, coaching local Little Leaguers
for a decade, and became a member in
2016 of the Santa Monica Bay Chapter of
the Young Presidents Association, which is
touted as “the premier association for executives
worldwide.”
And Smith was selected in 2020 to become
a member of El Segundo’s nascent Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion Committee. So, you
can see that Smith strives to give back to
his community in multiple ways.
Long-time friend and neighbor Veronica
Bryce was asked her thoughts on Mr. Smith:
“I’ve known Avery Smith for the past several
years. We are friends and neighbors (our kids
have been in the same grade and schools),”
she emailed.
“Avery is one of the most genuine individuals
you will meet. He is thoughtful,
friendly, empathetic, and always welcomes
innovative ideas and discussions. He strives
to understand others’ perspectives and truly
does look to establish partnership and alliance,
be it a professional or social situation. He is
a good egg, through and through.”
El Segundo resident Michael Alcala has
known Smith for a decade, through coaching
stints and following youth sports endeavors.
And it turns out that Smith and Alcala now
have a working relationship, with Alcala
working for the past seven years with Smith.
See Avery Smith, page 11 El Segundo’s Avery Smith. Photo courtesy of Avery Smith.
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
71˚/63˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
69˚/62˚
Sunday
Sunny
70˚/62˚
LA Sanitation Officials Explain
Hyperion Plant Failure
By Liz Spear
remedial work at Hyperion.
For close to 2-1/2 hours at its meeting
The Hyperion plant, located in the City
Tuesday night, the El Segundo City Council
of Los Angeles, borders El Segundo to
heard from and queried high-level staff
the west, along the coastline, and sits
from government agencies involved in
between the city and the beach and ocean.
the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant’s
It is run by the Los Angeles Sanitation &
sewage spill July 11-12 and its aftermath.
Environment department and is the largest
That spill, which triggered the release of
treatment facility in the U.S. and one
some 17 million gallons of sewage into
of the largest treatment facilities in the
the ocean about a mile offshore, has
world. Operating since 1925, Hyperion
caused community concern and alarm
is the city’s primary treatment facility
over the way the emergency was managed.
and has a capacity of 450 million gallons
Including the lack of prompt notification
per day (mgd) and up to 800 mgd during
to area residents and ocean users, and
wet weather.
the resulting barrage of foul odors in El
Four executive staff members from
Segundo, as well as the health concerns
LASAN: Barbara Romero, director and
arising from the ongoing clean-up and
See City Council, page 6