Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 2, No. 34 - August 20, 2020
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................8
Classifieds............................2
Entertainment......................2
Hawthorne............................3
Hawthorne Hotspot............3
Lawndale..............................4
Inglewood.............................5
Legals.......................... 2,4,6,7
Pets........................................8
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Mostly
Sunny
81˚/69˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
84˚/70˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
80˚/69˚
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Healthcare Heroes Get Support
from the Hawthorne Rotary Club
The Hawthorne Rotary Club generously donated four-hundred and thirty face shields. This will help our healthcare workers stay safe in the fight against COVID-19. Thank you Hawthorne Rotary Club.
Photo courtesy Centinela Hospital Medical Center.
Mayor Vargas Keeps the City of
Hawthorne Moving Forward
By Cristian Vasquez
Mayor Alex Vargas is no stranger to challenging
times while in office. As a councilman,
he worked alongside three different mayors,
all of whom left the office under a cloud
of controversy as the city’s financial health
deteriorated. In 2015, The City of Hawthorne
was on the verge of bankruptcy due to years
of budget mismanagement that resulted in a
deficit of more than $6 million. And that’s the
year voters took a chance on Vargas for Mayor.
“What I am happy about is that we have
been able to accomplish a lot; we’ve been
able to put Hawthorne on the map just by
doing things right,” said the mayor. “We’ve
done away with the politics of the past and
behind the scene conflict, and I’m glad that
during my time on the council and as mayor,
we’ve been able to get things done right.”
Through Vargas’ leadership, more businesses
have opened, public safety has improved, and
infrastructure upgrades have been ongoing.
From the opening of Elon Musk’s SpaceX,
The Boring Company, the two Marriot hotels,
to the two new breweries on the east side of
the city, Hawthorne has become a destination
for new businesses.
“I think Alex has brought transparency to
the city council,” Hawthorne resident Don
Harris said. “During the prior two mayors,
there was a lot of bickering between different
council members and I don’t see that since
Alex has been mayor. I think there is a level
of honesty and there is a spirit of cohesiveness
in the entire city council,” Harris added.
Approved in 2014, the Hawthorne Boulevard
Revitalization Project allowed the city to upgrade
its storm drain system along Hawthorne
Boulevard. The city has also experienced more
than $4 million worth of street improvements
along Marine Avenue and Aviation Boulevard.
Public works crews have cleaned more than 2.3
million square feet of graffiti, replaced 1,500
feet of curbs and gutters, poured 11,000 tons
of asphalt, and replaced more than 25,000
square feet of sidewalk.
“The residents have seen, through my voting
record, that I have been a good watchdog for
the city. I’ve made sure that we have attracted
good-quality companies to move here and
ensured that only good-quality developments
come into the city,” Vargas said. “The residents
have my continued commitment to this
standard because that is what they voted for
and that is what I am going to continue to
do: keep Hawthorne on track.”
Unlike the challenges from the past, Mayor
Vargas is now tasked with ensuring the growth
and safety of the city while balancing the
quality of life that residents expect.
“I would like to see more opportunities for
home ownership, such as starter homes for
young families to be able to buy their first
home,” said Harris, who purchased his first
home at age 23. “Home ownership would
create a bigger sense of community in all
the different areas in town.”
Mayor Vargas has earned a reputation for
being open with constituents, and not shying
away from face-to-face conversations when in
public. During past re-election bids, Mayor
Vargas has made himself available to public
discussion and it’s something he looks forward
to during this election cycle leading up
to November.
“I have supported his [Vargas] campaigns
in the past and will continue to support him:
he’s a good man and I would like to see him
get four more years,” Harris said. “Mayor
Vargas is a leader who is bringing people
together for a common good.” •