The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 110, No. 51 - December 23, 2021
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................13
Classifieds............................4
Holiday Artwork................15
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................5
Legals............................11-12
Pets......................................14
Real Estate.......................7-9
Sports.................................3,6
Travel............................... 2,10
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Rain
60˚/52˚
Saturday
Rain
58˚/48˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
56˚/45˚
Holiday Coloring Contest Winners
Wow, we got many gorgeous submissions. Thank you, El Segundo! We all had a tough time picking just one winner for each age group. Thank you to all the participants. Everyone sent in such great creative
works. Winners get $20 gift cards from Target. Winners: Upper Center, 19 years old and up, Stephanie Cwikla; Lower left, 5-8 years old, Zoe Ma; Lower right, 9-12 years old, Josie Page.
Herald Gets Santa Interview
By Kiersten Vannest
The El Segundo Herald has had the distinct
honor of interviewing many interesting, important,
‘Human Error’, Lack of Maintenance
Behind Hyperion Emergency
By Liz Spear
involves creating two bridges for rail traffic
In its final regularly scheduled meeting
and moving utilities, among other aspects,
of 2021, the El Segundo City Council
and received the latest news on reimbursements
green-lighted plans for the Los Angeles
to residents who’ve submitted claims
Chargers to move forward with building
due to the Hyperion Plant malfunctioning
its headquarters and training facility on the
and subsequent emergency in early July.
east side of the city. In a 4-1 vote, with
As is a common practice of the El Segundo
council member Lance Giroux dissenting,
City Council, council members as a
the path has been cleared for construction
whole and individually thanked community
to begin in January. It was also noted that
members for their efforts on behalf of residents.
“human error” and a lack of maintenance at
At the beginning of the meeting, a
the Hyperion Plant were behind the cause
special presentation was made highlighting
of the emergency sewage spill and plant
the annual long-lived free Christmas Eve
flooding in July. Council also viewed plans
Community Dinner that began in 1983 and
for the Park Place roadway extension, which
and unique individuals over the years.
From backyard collectors to CEOs, the paper
has featured neighbors of all walks of life.
However, this year, writers got an exclusive
interview with the season’s biggest celebrity,
the man in red himself. Christmas icon
Santa Claus shares his thoughts on visiting
El Segundo.
With Christmas Eve just a few nights away,
Claus’s busiest day of the year, he shares
his plans, hopes, and fears about visiting El
Segundo this year. “It’s been a tough year
for children all over the world, but I’m seeing
more names on my nice list this year
than I have in a long time,” says Claus. He
goes on to mention how much good he’s
seen kids in El Segundo do this year, from
active listening to donating to saying kind
things to each other. He mentions one boy
who organized a food drive for El Segundo
families in need and a girl who collected
items to give to animal shelters.
He also noticed that kids all over town
showed great patience in transitioning between
in-person and at-home learning. “Change is
difficult, and El Segundo has done so well
with it,” he says. Students at Richmond Street,
Center Street, and all schools across the city
had to be brave again this year, dealing with
an ongoing pandemic and mixed learning
methods and mask-wearing. Claus says that
it’s important for them to know that it doesn’t
go unnoticed and that they’re doing a good
job. That’s why he’s especially excited for this
year’s journey.
After reading millions of letters and listening
to children’s requests across the globe, Santa
Claus is fully packed and prepared for his
trip down the chimneys of town. This year,
he says many children asked for toys that
were Paw Patrol themed, fidget toys, putty
and slime, Legos, L.O.L. Surprise toys, slot
cars, and squishable plushes.
Some kids asked for a bike or roller skates;
others asked for a phone or a camera. Some
kids, he says, asked for more abstract gifts.
Wishes for loved ones to heal and hopes that
people and animals can be safe and happy,
sometimes even requests for other kids.
Though these presents are harder to bring,
See Santa Claus, page 10
See City Council, page 5