Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 61, No. 3 - January 17, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................7
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Food.......................................5
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Lawndale..............................4
Legals.................................4,6
Pets........................................7
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
63˚/51˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
70˚/52˚
Sunday
Cloudy
69˚/52˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
Council Welcomes New Member
During a special meeting of the Hawthorne City Council, Mike Talleda was appointed to fill the vacancy created when Nilo Michelin left the Council. The oath was administered by City Clerk Paul Jimenez
and Phillipe Adams. Photo: City of Hawthorne.
Wiseburn Board Honors Tragedy
Victims in First Meeting of 2019
By Duane Plank
Last Thursday evening, Wiseburn School
Board met for the first time in 2019. What
should have been a positive look forward to the
remainder of the cuurent school year started off
on a somber note, with Board President JoAnne
Kaneda opening the meeting paying respects to
Wiseburn residents Jolene Gardner Castillo, a
playground supervisor at Anza Elementary; and
her daughter Payton Castillo, a fourth grader
at and Anza. The two were tragically killed
in a horrific automobile accident in the early
morning hours of Jan. 1. Kaneda asked for
nine seconds of silence to honor the passing
of the 9-year-old Payton.
Superintendent Dr. Blake Silvers had sent a
letter out to Wiseburn Unified School District
families after the accident. He noted that the
“entire Wiseburn community is devastated by
the news,” and offered all possible support to
the surviving members of the Gardener Castillo
family as well as to Anza students who had
to cope with this tragedy when they returned
to school on Jan. 7.
An emotional Anza Principal Alberto Paredes
spoke to the Board, mentioning the incredible
support given to his school and the entire district
in the wake of the tragedy. “It has been
very hard,” he said. “I just want to show my
appreciation and gratitude” for the support
shown, he said, by Silvers, Wiseburn personnel
and neighboring school districts that banded
together in the time of need to offer their
services and staff to help in any way possible.
At the conclusion of Paredes’ remarks,
Kaneda said, “Thank you for your leadership,”
and noted how the tragedy has affected the
whole Wiseburn community.
New Wiseburn Education Foundation (WEF)
Interim Executive Director Rebecca Marie
Hamburg Cappy, asked in December to fill
the position temporarily, was next to address
the Board. She updated current initiatives and
spoke about the possibility of a WEF 2019
summer camp. Later in the meeting, the Board
ratified Cappy’s selection.
Board member reports then followed, with Dr.
Neil Goldman commenting on the “senseless
tragedy” that occurred on Jan. 1, echoing thanks
to Paredes and all who have been involved in
support of the community. “Our hearts go out
to the family,” Goldman said, and “our thanks
go out” to all in the Wiseburn community who
have offered their support.
Member Israel Mora also commented on the
tragic accident and lauded neighboring districts
for their offers of support. “Great to see,” Mora
said. “I appreciate it deeply.” He also spoke of
the conclusion of Phase I of Wiseburn High
School and other facility construction projects
on the docket in the calendar for 2019.
Member Nelson Martinez also mentioned
the “senseless tragedy” and thanked the District
leadership, offering that the Board would
“continue to see what we can do to help.” He
also noted the opening of the new gymnasium
that took place on Dec. 20.
In her comments, Kaneda also mentioned
the loss of the two Wiseburn family members,
emphasizing how hard it is to cope with the
“realization that those people are just…not
there” anymore. She spoke about the grieving
process and thanked surrounding districts for
their support, response and “love” prevalent
when students returned to school on Jan. 7.
She also mentioned the grand opening of
the gym, pointing out a few Board members
who were in attendance on Dec. 20 and had
“attempted” to play basketball at the opening
-- apparently not too successfully.
District Chief Financial Officer David Wilson
elaborated on new California Governor Gavin
Newsom’s proposed budget, which at this point
earmarks more money for California schools
-- welcome news to state educators. Wilson
said that there is a “long time between now
and June 15” when the state budget will be
approved and implemented, but preliminary
information appears to be positive for California
school districts as Newsom takes over
the reins of the governorship.
Prior to the meeting, Silvers had commented
that after the tragic traffic accident, the people in
the classrooms had shown a tremendous amount
of leadership. [It made] “a huge difference as
the whole community mourned. When one
of us grieves, we all grieve,” he said. He also
discussed the December gymnasium opening,
calling it “awe-inspiring when you walk into
that building and see it come to life.”
Looking forward to rest of the 2019 school
year and beyond, Silvers said that Wiseburn
continues to strengthen its relationship with
the community, including upgrading facilities,
ramping up security at campuses and “trying
to make the right decisions” -- as well as
increasing its social media footprint that is
key to a transparent communication process.
He also noted that while new facilities are a
welcomed upgrade, it is the actual teaching
and learning that occurs in said buildings that
will ultimately define success for Wiseburn. He
said he is always “mindful” of the classroom
teachers, giving them free rein to explore new,
innovative classroom strategies.
In other District news, the much-anticipated
grand opening of the El Segundo-Wiseburn
Aquatics Center took place on the chilly morning
of Saturday, Jan.5, kicking off at 10:30
a.m. with comments from officials, followed
by open swimming in the facilities pools, with
attendees taking advantage of food trucks,
live music and various community informational
booths. The new facility, which boasts
a 53.2-meter competition pool, is a result of
a joint-use agreement between the City of
El Segundo, Wiseburn, and the El Segundo
Unified School District, and is located on
the northwest portion of the Douglas Street
property that houses Wiseburn High. Silvers
called it “a really fulfilling day,” thanks to the
partnership among the three entities.
The next regularly scheduled Wiseburn School
Board meeting is calendared for Thursday
evening, Jan. 24. •