EL SEGUNDO HERALD December 10, 2020 Page 7
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Ray Gen from front page
online presence.” In his ideal world, education
would be a mix of in-classroom and online
teaching, especially if it helps students manage
their own time more effectively. For example,
many of his students play sports, join student
government, participate in clubs, and take AP
classes. However, this becomes difficult to fit
in their schedule, and often they end up having
to sacrifice one thing or another. Having an
online option, he believes, could help relieve
some of these scheduling conflicts. When the
world returns to normal, or a new normal, he
hopes that “we don’t just say, ‘let’s trash zoom
and never do that again’. We did do some good
things here, and for some students, it worked
really, really well.”
When he first surfed the internet around 1990,
Ray knew that this was the future of education.
Little did he know that in 2020, schools would
be almost totally online. According to him, this
could be a benefit or a detriment depending
on the student or teacher. “Technology is a
magnifying glass,” he describes. “It’s not inherently
good; it’s not inherently bad. It’s a tool.
So if you’re a pretty good student, technology
will help you become a better student. But if
you’re a poor student, technology will magnify
that, too.” With this philosophy, Gen says the
most difficult aspect of online learning is the
lack of social interaction, which many of his
students need and crave, and a screen just
doesn’t cut it. He, too, says he misses seeing
his colleagues and interacting with his students
in a classroom.
For others, this virtual experience is being
used as an opportunity. “No matter what the
circumstances are, you have to make the best
of it,” he advises. “Some kids are learning to
play the guitar, and some kids are developing
skills and learning languages and reading novels.
They’re not wasting time.” Three of his previous
students just presented an app that they
developed in his class to U.S. Representative
Ted Lieu in a congressional app contest.
Gen, too, has seized this opportunity of time.
Citing the publishing of actor John Lithgow’s
latest book as inspiration, Dr. Gen published
his own book earlier this year between teaching
classes. Using his knowledge of the educational
landscape as things stand, his book Online
Learning for Low-Tech Teachers with co-author
Ron Vincent went on sale in spring. In addition,
he used his Covid-safe summer vacation
to completely finish a novel he’s been working
on for the last fifteen years, which he describes
as “The Da Vinci Code meets Jurassic Park.”
He plans to complete two more installments
to make a trilogy.
This technological innovation in the face
of a biological barrier can be beneficial for
more than just education moving forward,
Gen thinks. Referencing the empty sky rises
and businesses in El Segundo, he points out
that “these businesses have not gone belly up.
They’ve just gone online.” He believes we’re
seeing a shift in the use of office space, in that
employees are getting their work done without
physically being present in the office for forty
hours a week. This, he theorizes, could be a
money saver in office supplies and space if
only part of the workforce uses the office on
different days of the week.
A twenty-year resident of El Segundo, Ray
Gen loves his city and his students. When
he’s not teaching at the high school or writing
his novel, he frequents some of his favorite
El Segundo restaurants, La Paz and Rock &
Brews. He takes long walks around the city
every evening. And he encourages everyone
in the El Segundo community to donate to
the El Segundo Education Foundation (Ed!),
which puts money directly back into K-12
classrooms. •
Ray Gen
Dornblaser from front page
players on their side of the ball.
On the baseball diamond, Dornblaser called
Stevenson a “good commander on the field,
(who) got the most out of his players.” Dornblaser
gained some notoriety around town when
he was selected as a member of the 1974 World
Series Championship El Segundo Babe Ruth
team that took the 13-15 title in the tournament
that was played in Abbeville, Louisiana.
As part of his “give-back” to the community,
Dornblaser has served as the Babe Ruth Beavers
manager for six seasons. A big proponent of
youth sports, Dornblaser has also served stints
managing and coaching teams in the El Segundo
Little League and Girls’ Softball programs and
volunteering his time in the American Youth
Soccer Association soccer program, working
as a referee.
He is a big proponent of local sports programs
and laments that outside club and travel teams
often siphon off young El Segundo athletes.
He yearns for the days of yore when local
youths would bond together, playing in-town
recreational sports for a decade before departing
for college. “You get to play with friends in a
small community,” he said regarding in-town
sporting opportunities. “There is nothing better
than beating your buddies. I believe in youth
sports,” citing his belief that youth sports provide
an avenue to “give kids the chance to learn
a lot of self-respect, take care of themselves,
take care of the team.”
Bob Motta is the chairman of the El Segundo
Recreation and Parks Commission and
runs the Babe Ruth program. “When his son
Cam was 13 and ready for Babe Ruth,” Motta
emailed, “I asked Joe to manage a team. He,
along with best friends Bob Gilbert and Bill
Nusbaum jumped at the chance and have
been a tremendous asset to the program. By
the way, they were both on that same World
Series Championship team with Joe.
“He continues to manage a team even after
his son moved on from the program. He enjoys
sharing his knowledge of the game with
the young players, and they really enjoy his
coaching methods. He is such a good guy that
will do anything for anybody. Your profile
on him is an honor that is well deserved and
long overdue.”
Longtime El Segundo High School educator
and coach Craig Cousins is another Dornblaser
supporter. “I have known Joe and his family
for around 50 years. I got to know Joe more
as a student/athlete during his high school
years. Joe was a very good baseball/football
player, especially as a running back. As Joe
got older, we even spent some great summer
days surfing together. It was great when Joe
chose to take over his dad’s hair salon.
“Joe is the type of person that gives back
to his community,” continued Cousins. “I
also had the pleasure of coaching his son in
baseball and couldn’t say more about what a
great kid he was. A lot of that comes from
Joe. (He) is a well-rounded, great person who
loves our little town and shows it through his
community service.”
Emailed longtime Dornblaser customer Don
Brann: “Joe Dornblaser has cut my hair the
better part of the past 30 years. I am one of
his many satisfied customers. Joe is a loyal El
Segundo native, a part of our town’s fabric.
Through his network of customers, friends,
and neighbors, he has helped shape ES culture.
Joe has his finger on the pulse of this city.
He is a lifetime resident and longtime local
business owner, and a family-first community
volunteer. Joe Dornblaser makes a difference
in representing the best of ES.”
Dornblaser, who met his wife, Lisa, at the
now-demolished Thrifty Wash Laundromat
in the Rite Aid parking lot in April of 1992,
has seen the evolution of establishments and
commerce on the South stretch of Main Street.
He said that when he was cutting hair in the
1970’s, he felt that he was working in “the
forgotten end of Main Street,” and that the
city fathers did not show much inclination to
develop that area of town. He noted that the
annual Christmas Parade ended at Franklin
Street, disregarding the establishments located
south of Franklin Street.
Well, a lot has changed over the years, with
the influx of a vibrant eating and drinking scene
(pre-pandemic), making south Main Street a
destination spot for residents and out-of-towners.
With Dornblaser’s shop located smack-dab in
the middle of the action, Joe chuckled and said,
“now everybody wants to buy my building!”
Although Dornblaser has made a nice living
cutting hair for more than four decades,
he related that, in his younger days, he was
really into woodshop, with aspirations to be a
cabinet maker, but his father “talked me into
doing hair.” He said part of his father’s sales
pitch was that Joe could “meet some girls, have
some laughs.” Well, at least, Dornblaser said,
he has had a good time over the years, but “to
be honest with you,” he said, “I really didn’t
meet any girls, but I love the business, working
with my hands. I have the best job ever!” •
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