The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 109, No. 41 - October 8, 2020
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................11
Classifieds............................6
Crossword/Sudoku.............6
Election 2020.................... 3-4
Entertainment......................5
Legals.................................8,9
Letters...................................2
Pets......................................11
Police Reports.....................2
Real Estate..................7-8,12
Weekend
Forecast
Newly Remodeled Washington
Park Playground is Now Open
The City of El Segundo Recreation and Parks Department reopened playgrounds for public use on Friday, October 2, 2020 in compliance with the revised Health Officer Order. All visitors to any
City playgrounds must comply with the posted guidelines that outline requirements from the California Department of Public Health. https://uqfh5.app.goo.gl/rkmG Photo courtesy City of El Segundo.
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
70˚/62˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
70˚/61˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
71˚/60˚
No Word Yet from Governor;
Halloween Is Looking Brighter
By Rob McCarthy
El Segundo is still awaiting an answer
from the governor on whether it can bypass
other Los Angeles County cities with higher
COVID-19 rates and begin to reopen. The
City Council on Tuesday learned about the
non-response to a September 10 request for
a waiver, prompting the members to consider
legal and other options.
“What are we going to do next?” Mayor
Drew Boyles asked after four weeks of silence
from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office. City
officials object to the governor’s criteria, revised
on August 28, which tethers El Segundo to the
whole county and 88 other cities. They say
it bogs down El Segundo’s recovery efforts.
The city had zero new COVID-19 cases as
of Tuesday, and its positive-test rate remained
among the lowest in the county. However,
Newsom’s revised criteria for safely reopening
California’s economy doesn’t recognize
El Segundo’s progress to slow the spread
of the coronavirus. Other South Bay cities
have objected and are on record with the
governor’s office.
Los Angeles County, as a whole, remains in
the bottom tier for reopening indoor dining,
bars and gyms. The county’s numbers still
indicate widespread transmission of the virus,
according to the county health department.
With the county in the lowest tier, along with
cities including El Segundo, there is a fear
local businesses will be waiting months for
closure and indoor restrictions to be lifted. “I
don’t think we should just give up,” Mayor
Drew Boyles said about Newsom’s silence on
whether El Segundo deserves some leeway.
“We should push harder on the governor’s
office to answer us.”
Mayor Boyles pressed City Attorney Mark
Hensley, whether El Segundo can file a lawsuit
to have the state’s COVID-19 response
plan lifted. Faith-based groups have filed
lawsuits and the owner of an indoor-shopping
mall challenged the social-distancing limits
in court, Hensley revealed. So far, none of
the California lawsuits filed by churches on
religious grounds have been successful.
The council members on Tuesday night
sought other ways to press the governor for
a quicker restart for El Segundo’s economy.
Councilman Lance Giroux suggested city officials
“be as noisy as possible” because the El
Segundo community has abided by the health
orders - as evidenced by the data. Perhaps
the city would be more successful asking for
specific relief, such as reopening 25 percent
of indoor dining, Giroux suggested. Mayor
Pro-tem Chris Pimentel and Councilwoman
Carol Pirsztuk also favored keeping up the
pressure on Sacramento’s administration.
Play ball! There was encouraging news about
youth sports and Halloween. Sports leagues
are returning to El Segundo this fall. The El
Segundo Girls Softball season got underway
on Monday, October 5, and AYSO fall soccer
is expected to start on October 26, according
to Fire Chief Chris Donovan. He serves as the
COVID incident commander, giving regular
updates about the pandemic and government
response since it began.
City playgrounds have reopened, and nail
salons may move indoors with 25 percent
occupancy for clients, according to the latest
health order from Los Angeles County officials.
Breweries that qualify and serve alcohol and
food outdoors, the county announced at 4:30
p.m. Tuesday. “These are important, positive
things for our community,” Chief Donovan said.
Though trick-or-treating at doors is discouraged
this year for social-distancing
reasons, Halloween will still be celebrated
in El Segundo. The Recreation and Parks
Department and civic groups are planning
numerous family-friendly events, including a
drive-through trunk-or-treat. on October 31,
a family swim and movie night on October
24, a nightly surprise beaming all month long
from the Water Tower and house-decorating
and pumpkin-carving competitions.
The City Council also announced the nine
members of El Segundo’s Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion Committee. The council held
final interviews with 20 finalists on Sept. 29
and 30. The nine people chosen to sit on
the newly formed advisory panel are Lauren
Abercrombie, Kenneth Chancey, Kelsey Chittick,
student Natacha Lee, Shad McFadden,
Avery Smith, Christina Vasquez. Christibelle
Villena and Steven Wood. The city received
69 applications to join the new advisory
panel, which Deputy City Manager Barbara
Voss called an unusually high number. The
committee will advise the City Council and
See City Council, page 4