The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 107, No. 43 - October 25, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................6
Legals............................ 12,13
Obituaries.............................3
Pets......................................15
Police Briefs........................6
Real Estate.....................7-11
Sports....................................5
Weekend
Forecast
PD Pups Put Paws to Pavement
Meet the newest members of the El Segundo Police Department’s K-9 crew “Paws on Patrol.” El Segundo dogs are putting paws to the pavement, looking out for suspicious people and activity in their
neighborhoods. When something doesn’t look normal, ESPD asks dog owners to call 9-1-1. Photo: ESPD.
Cruikshank, El Segundo Cares
Continue Quest to Help Veterans
By Brian Simon
Though now in her 80s, longtime El Segundo
resident Jan Cruikshank continues to devote her
time and energy to volunteerism. For about a
decade up until just a few years ago, she was
known as the “queen” of a group of women
who comprised the El Segundo Red Hat Society.
The original nine members (who had to be at
least 50 years of age and wear purple clothing
and a red hat as the criteria to join) started the
club as a strictly social and cultural endeavor.
But then a Valentine’s Day 2012 visit to the
VA Hospital in Westwood changed everything.
Cruikshank and her cohorts gave out socks, tshirts,
underwear, blankets, hygiene kits, DVDs
and other items they personally donated to the
hospitalized vets. The contingent returned a
few months later to help serve the food at a
lunch barbecue across the street and then soon
after got another invite to hand out clothing
the hospital had in its closets. “I immediately
knew this was my calling,” Cruikshank said.
“I grew up during World War II, even though I
was just a kid, but I read all of the papers and
knew how awful the war was. So I resigned as
the Red Hat queen, told the ladies what I was
going to do and that they could come with me
if they wanted to. Pat Gerber, Stephanie Young
and Caroline Spear came with me. Today, we
have 12 regular volunteers who always go to
give out the donations.”
Those donations came slowly at first, but
then Cruikshank and company began to put
the word out that they were now known as El
Segundo Cares. “The first load mainly came
from my son and friends --- it all fit in my
car trunk,” Cruikshank recalled. “From there,
it has grown to sometimes we have had to use
a large moving truck. We do not take funding.
If someone wants to give money, we tell them
to donate directly with the hospital for the
barbecues or buy needed items for us to take.”
Cruikshank’s primary role with the non-profit
El Segundo Cares is to sort the donations received
by size, tag and bag. She also coordinates
facility visits, carpooling, public outreach and
scheduling. “We no longer just go to the VA
Hospital,” Cruikshank noted. “We gather and
take items to a housing complex for homeless
vets – men, women and children – in Long
Beach. Donations include household items as
well as the obvious. We also furnish items to
another location in Inglewood that houses 600
homeless men vets. Those two locations are
supported by a group called the United States
Veterans Initiative.” In fact, the El Segundo
Cares crew stopped by the hospital and the
Inglewood site on Sept. 21. They also took
donations of household goods, clothing, toys
and treats to the Long Beach facility on Oct. 3.
Unlike the Red Hat Society, there is no
minimum age, gender or apparel requirement
to lend a hand with El Segundo Cares. Proof
See El Segundo Cares, page 11
False Report Of An Emergency
911 Call Regarding Arson,
Weapons, and a Hostage Leads
to the Arrest of a Man For the
False Report of an Emergency
On Monday, October 22, 2018, El
Segundo Police Officers responded to the
300 block of Richmond Street regarding
a 911 call of a man setting a fire and
holding a victim hostage with a gun. Area
residents, preschool children, and local
employees were locked down for several
hours before SWAT team members were
able to evacuate them to a safe location.
With the assistance from several South
Bay police agencies, area SWAT teams,
and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
bomb squad, El Segundo Police
detectives were able to determine the report
of the emergency was false. Several streets
were blocked off for six hours until the
scene was determined to be safe.
A 59 year old male resident of El
Segundo was arrested on suspicion of
making a false report of an emergency
and was booked at the El Segundo Police
Department.
– Provided by El Segundo
Police Department.
Friday
Mostly
Sunny
72˚/64˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
73˚/64˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
75˚/64˚