EL SEGUNDO HERALD August 19, 2021 Page 11
Avery Smith from front page
“We connected a lot,” Alcala said, “based
on our coaching philosophy and backgrounds.
We both just wanted to make sure all the kids
had a blast…Winning was important, but not
the ‘utmost’ important,” citing their shared
philosophy that if the youngsters had a positive
experience, they would be much more
apt to, when they became parents, sign their
children up for youth sports competitions.”
Alcala said of Smith: “His heart is in the
right place. He is doing everything for the
greater good. He wants the community to
be better, which makes everybody better.”
So, with all his work-related and volunteering
duties, what other endeavors pique Mr.
Smith’s interests? Well, about five years ago,
he said, he began writing weather forecasts on
a popular El Segundo social media platform.
A self-proclaimed “weather geek,” Smith’s
knack for correctly predicting local weather
patterns, coupled with his “detailed descriptions
of weather patterns and climatology,”
quickly gained Smith in-town popularity, with
his followers branding him as “El Segundo’s
unofficial weatherman.”
Here is a blurb from a recent post on the
El Segundo Weather Facebook page: “We
registered a few drops/sprinkles this morning
and expecting that activity to push out to sea
soon with clearing skies and humidity. Temps
will go up through the weekend with a big
cool down coming next week.”
Good to know, right? Time to find that
umbrella?
How did Smith cultivate his interest in
weather and weather patterns, you thoughtfully
ask? His father is from Louisiana,
and his mother is from West Africa. Family
opportunities and obligations had Smith
spending time in London. At age seven,
after his plane was diverted from a London
landing strip to Edinburgh, Scotland, Smith
said he “saw my first snowflake, and I was
hooked. It was the most amazing thing that
I had ever seen.” He said that, as he got
older, he became interested in climate and
climatology and their effects on weather. He
started delving into the science of weather,
and soon was posting on the El Segundo
Parents Network social media page, and
before you can say “climate change,” the
popularity of his prognostications, so help
me retired meteorologist Fritz Coleman,
“literally just took off.”
“It has been very rewarding,” Smith said
of his posting climate prognostications, noting
that he receives outreach from locals
who may be partying in Mammoth or Palm
Springs and seek his advice on weather patterns
and possibilities.
Smith said that when he arises each morning,
he will quickly check “about a half-dozen”
weather and sports websites.
An alum of the University of California,
Irvine, a proud Anteater, who majored in
History, Smith moved to El Segundo in
2002. He grew up in the Los Angeles/
Baldwin Hills area, attending Palisades High
School before continuing his education at
UC Irvine. While Smith travels extensively
for business, he said he has not strayed too
far from his So Cal roots. Smith said that he
was “tremendously inspired” by his eighthgrade
History teacher, “I was fascinated by
the way (he) told stories that could capture
the class. The entire class was mesmerized
by his teaching.” He said that his teacher
was able to bring historical occasions to life,
challenging the students to try and get into
the minds and thought processes of historical
icons like George Washington as they faced
their biggest challenges.
Post-graduation from UC Irvine, Smith was
not sure about his next move, so he leaned
on his Mom, who had a background in the
insurance industry, and began his career in
that field, a career that has spanned more
than 20 years.
As for landing in El Segundo, Smith
said that he had started a “new relationship,”
and his now wife, who pitched him
on settling in El Segundo. Although Smith
grew up a dozen-or-so miles from our town,
he was not particularly familiar with the
city’s offerings.
Once he settled into town and started
having kids, Smith, who played high school
baseball and basketball, as well as “every
sport I could when I was a kid,” began to
volunteer to coach Little League baseball,
trying to help develop his son and other
youths into “the next George Brett,” a notso
easy task that El Segundoians have been
fervently attempting for decades.
His years of coaching yielded long-term
friendships with local families, as well as
shaped the baseball talents of many of his
players, who have gone on to continue their
pursuits up the youth baseball ladder. “I take
credit for that,” Smith said with a smile. “That
was a very cool introduction,” he said, of
meeting community families through sports.
“It is such a rewarding experience to volunteer.
I felt that I always ‘got back’ so much, too,”
noting the excitement of guiding the young
athletes, while also mentioning the all-tooprevalent
“drama” with some of the parents,
looking to parent “the next George Brett.”
Said Smith about being involved in youth
sports programs: “It was a really wonderful
way to become involved in the community.”
For recreation, Smith said he was initially
on the path to garnering a pilot’s license, but
that stalled out. He now does his “piloting”
virtually, but does have aspirations, at some
point, to “finish up” acquiring his actual pilot’s
license. It seems a good fit, with his interest
in the machinations of weather patterns and
how they might affect airborne travel.
He also anticipates continuing being an
unpaid Uber driver, ferrying around his
children as the new school and sports year
commence.
Smith cherishes the uniqueness of El Segundo.
“Small town community aspect,” he
said, ensconced in an isolated corner of the
sprawl that is the county of Los Angeles.
He even (somewhat) embraces the Hyperion
sewage debacle, which has brought the
community together to have to deal with a
widespread problem.
As for inclusion in the DEI Committee,
Smith said that he embraces the opportunities
now available. “We have a very accepting
city. Obviously, there are always people who
are not, but overall, we have a wonderful,
wonderful place. But I think the image of
the city, unfortunately, has been tarnished by
events in the past.”
He is hoping to help guide El Segundo in
the process of becoming a model city, which
could be emulated across the country, embracing
diversity and inclusion, all the while
listening to differing viewpoints, and not just
to the echo-chambers available on both the
right and left sides of the political spectrum.
“I think we have a great town, but gosh,
it could be even better,” he said.
With the polarizing political climate currently
out there, it is comforting to know
that you can always get info on today’s
less-contentious weather climate by checking
in online with Mr. Smith.
Remember that eighty-plus-year-old Jimmy
Stewart film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?
Well, El Segundo has its 21st Century
version of Mr. Smith, right here in our own
backyard. •
Police Reports from page 5
One male adult was arrested at 1110
hours from the 100 block of Vista Del Mar
for burglary.
A shoplifting report was taken at 1513
hours from the 700 block of South Pacific
Coast Highway. The two suspects stole over
$600.00 worth of merchandise.
One male adult was arrested at 1615 hours
from Apollo Street and Park Place for possession
of drug paraphernalia
One male adult was arrested at 2037 hours
from the 500 block of North Pacific Coast
Highway for petty theft.
A violation of a domestic violence restraining
order report was taken at 2108 hours
from the 1600 block of East Grand Avenue.
An online petty theft report was taken at
0519 hours from the 600 block of Arena
Street. Taken were two air conditioners
An online misdemeanor hit and run report
was taken at 0520 hours from the 600 block
of Illinois Court, vehicle versus vehicle.
Wednesday, Aug 11th
One female adult was arrested at 0748 hours
from the 800 block of South Douglas Street
for driving a stolen vehicle and possession
of a controlled substance.
An assault with a deadly weapon report
was taken at 0812 hours from El Segundo
Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.
An online report was taken at 0727 hours
from the 300 block of East Maple Avenue.
Unknown suspect(s) stole a package from
the victim’s front porch.
One male adult was detained at 1603
hours from Grand Avenue and Pacific Coast
Highway and transported to Martin Luther
King Hospital for a 72-hour psychiatric
evaluation.
One male adult was arrested at 2324 hours
from Hyperion Way and Vista Del Mar for
driving a stolen vehicle and two LAPD
misdemeanor warrants.
Thursday, Aug 12th
A found property report was taken at 0741
hours from the 1400 block of East Imperial
Avenue. Found was drug paraphernalia.
A robbery report was taken at 1100 hours
from the 500 block of North Pacific Coast
Highway. Unknown suspect took several items
from the business and threatened employees.
A hit and run (no injuries) report was
taken at 1108 hours from the 2000 block of
East El Segundo Boulevard. Vehicle versus
vehicle.
A found property report was taken at 1100
hours from the 300 block of Main Street.
Found was a grey fanny pack containing a
wallet with miscellaneous cards.
One male adult was arrested at 1243 hours
from the 600 block of West Grand Avenue
for assault with a deadly weapon, assault
with a stun gun/taser and vandalism.
A traffic (injury) accident occurred at 1419
hours from the 400 block of South Pacific
Coast Highway. Vehicle versus vehicle.
One male adult was arrested at 1649 hours
from the 800 block of South Pacific Coast
Highway for possession of stolen property,
resist/delay a peace officer and two outstanding
warrants.
A stolen vehicle report was taken at 1925
hours from the 300 block of Main Street.
Unknown suspect(s) took the victim’s 2015
Hyundai Elantra without her permission.
One male adult was arrested at 1952 hours
from the 700 block of Maryland Street for
possession of a controlled substance and
possession of drug paraphernalia.
One male adult was arrested at North
Pacific Coast Highway and East Walnut
Avenue for one outstanding Kern County
Sheriff Department misdemeanor warrant.
One male adult was arrested at 0203 hours
at Eucalyptus Drive and East Maple Avenue
for driving with a suspended license.
One male adult was arrested at 0203 hours
at Eucalyptus Drive and East Maple Avenue
for one outstanding LAPD misdemeanor
warrant.
Friday, Aug 13th
A traffic collision (with injuries) occurred at
0541 hours at Continental Boulevard and El
Segundo Boulevard, vehicle versus vehicle. •
Nina Baumler from page 2
exciting adventures,” she laughs.
When she got to America, Baumler shifted
her law practice, deciding to work on behalf
of the employee rather than the employer.
Having met so many people on her journey
and seeing how companies sometimes take
advantage of monolingual Spanish speakers,
she began taking cases regarding wage theft
and backpay compensation for underpaid
workers.
Wage theft occurs when employers do not
pay workers fairly under the law. This is most
commonly seen, says Baumler, in what she calls
the “gray economy,” wherein work is legal,
but unrecorded and unregulated. Think, for
example, like domestic work or construction.
Money is often paid under the table, and
workers have difficulty negotiating stability in
wages, despite laws regulating the economy.
She makes sure that minimum wage, hours,
and overtime are fairly paid so that workers
are not being taken advantage of in the state
of California.
California, according to her, has excellent
laws in place protecting workers and ensuring
their fair compensation. The problem, she
explains, is in the enforcement of these laws.
The state lacks proper funding and is often
unable to enforce rules against companies
owing money to employees.
One loophole she sometimes sees is an
employee filing a claim against a corporation
and having a judgement passed in favor of
the employee. The employer, she describes,
sometimes will close that corporation and
open a new one for the exact same business
under a slightly different name, and since
the judgement was passed on the specific
corporation that no longer exists, they can
evade paying fairly. This then leads her into
further litigation and longer cases.
Because these types of cases can get
complicated and run long, workers often
have trouble finding access to legal guidance
that specializes in these types of cases.
Baumler aims to help as many workers as
she can through her practice and volunteer
work with nonprofits around El Segundo
like Bet Tzedek, which provides free legal
services for low-income individuals, and
Wage Justice Center, which provides legal
services to day workers.
Amid all of her work for the South Bay
community and beyond, Baumler was asked
to join the PTA council. Wanting to help her
children’s schools and participate in a program
designed to encourage creativity in youth,
she volunteers her time as the El Segundo
PTA Reflections Chair, the art competition
in which schools throughout California participate.
Students K-12 are given a prompt
every school year, which they may respond
to with entries in one of six categories:
dance choreography, film production, literature,
music composition, photography, and
visual arts.
Judged by age division, over 300,000
entries from across the nation are judged at
the school level, council level, state level, and
beyond. This program has existed for more
than fifty years, and Baumler is excited to
be an active part of it for her community.
“That was definitely a challenge,” she says
of parenting two children during a pandemic
while working a full-time job and volunteering,
“but I have really enjoyed the Reflections
position because it’s given me insight into
the PTA system. It’s given me an awareness
of how many people in the community [are]
doing these amazing things and spending
lots of time.” Baumler humbly describes
her volunteer work as “minimal” compared
with some of the folks involved in the PTA.
In the future, though she doesn’t see an
end to her work, Baumler hopes for changes
in the way wage theft cases are enforced in
the state, for more funding to state agencies,
and stricter rules on loopholes. Mostly, she
wants everyone to have fair pay under the law.
The theme of the Reflections program last
year was “I matter because _____.” Nina
Baumler, because of her career, volunteer
work, and PTA involvement, matters greatly
to the wellness of our community. •