The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 70, No. 27 - July 8, 2021
The Inglewood Police Department Would Like to
Congratulate Lieutenant Mejia on His Retirement
In 1988, Lieutenant Mejia started his law enforcement career as a police officer, was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant in 2013. He was an integral part of the community, coaching kids in the Police Activities League and the yearly Santa Sleigh
project. Leaders recognized Lieutenant Mejia for his involvement in the community. He held several assignments such as Narcotics Detective, Federal Drug Task Forces, Officer Involved Shoot Team, Field Training Coordinator and Watch Commander. Lieutenant Mejia finished
his career commanding Person Crimes (Homicide, Robbery/Assaults and Sex Crimes) in the Detective Bureau. We want to thank Lieutenant Mejia for his 32 years of sacrifice and service with the Inglewood Police Department. Photo courtesy Inglewood Police Department.
Natalie Strong from front page
but also given her the chance to pursue her
passions on the artistic side. So here are some
of Strong’s contributions: Vice-chairperson,
ES Arts and Cultural Advisory Council,
Art teacher with the ES Parks and Recreation
Department, private art teacher, with
students ranging from ages four to thirteen,
ES Art Walk participant, Administrator of
the ‘Room of Requirement at the ES public
library, part-timer at the El Segundo Museum
of Art, columnist for the ‘El Segundo
Scene’ magazine and published author in the
‘El Segundo Writes’ anthology.
And when she is not working for pay,
volunteering her time, or supporting her
husband and kids, Strong said she likes to
quilt and knit. When asked why she is so
passionate about participating in art-related
projects, Strong said she sees a vital need
for “everyone to express themselves. Some
people do it with gardening, some with
computer coding. Arts are an important way
to enrich the community, make the world
more beautiful.”
Strong has been working on the Arts
and Culture Council for three years. She
sees the council’s mandate as one that tries
to continue bringing culture to our city,
“lending a hand to existing projects,” as
well as developing new endeavors. She
is eagerly looking forward to, now that
the COVID scourge has decreased, the
resumption of the Art Walk program,
and other similar El Segundo cultural
outreach activities.
As for her post with the Parks and Recreation
department, which Strong said that
she has manned for about five years, she
is looking forward to working again with
the youths of El Segundo. “I can’t wait for
it to all come back,” she said while noting
a tentative resumption date of programs
this Fall. “I never stop being inspired by
the things kids think of,” she said. “Their
brains work definitely different than ours,”
she said.
She hopes her work with the El Segundo
Museum of Art will commence soon. She is
looking forward to teaching her ‘just draw’
class as soon as she gets the green light. “I
love the museum,” she said. “The people
over there are so interesting, and creative,
and inspiring.”
So, the definition of an alchemist, at least
the first one that I conjured up, is a person
who practices alchemy. Which is a useless
definition, right? I learned a long time ago
as I was studying journalism at the great Cal
State Dominguez Hills campus, under the
tutelage of the hopefully still strolling around
Mr. Davidson, was that you could not define
a word by using that same word. Easy way
out. So here is my second attempt to seek
a definition of an alchemist: “a person who
transforms or creates something through a
seemingly magical process.”
OK, that definition seems to encapsulate the
efforts of Natalie Strong and her endeavors
to make El Segundo a better place, striving
to” create gold out of every day.” •
Seniors from page 2
to speak to your physician often and openly
about your daily lifestyle. That way, your
physician can help personalize your treatment
which may include NSAIDs or other
types of pain management techniques,” said
Hasan Abed, MD, Anesthesiologist and Pain
Management Specialist, Advanced Pain Management
located in Timonium, Maryland.
If you take NSAIDs, it is important to talk
to your healthcare professional because as
many as one in four regular NSAID users
are at risk to develop stomach ulcers - sores
on the lining of the stomach caused by
stomach acid.7 In addition to taking high
doses of NSAIDs, other risk factors include
taking NSAIDs with aspirin, or while taking
corticosteroids or blood thinners, having had
a stomach ulcer in the past and being older
than 65 years of age. If you have more than
two of these risk factors, you are considered
at high risk for stomach ulcers.
Gastroprotection with Nsaids
Can Help Lower the Risk
of Stomach Ulcers
Over-the-counter and prescription NSAIDs
come in many different forms. They are available
topically, as a lotion or gel and can be
taken by mouth.6 Some NSAIDs include a
gastroprotective medicine to help reduce the
risk of getting a stomach ulcer.8
Because every case of arthritis is different,
it is important to talk to your physician about
pain management and the potential risk of
stomach ulcers if you take NSAIDs,” said
Dr. Abed. “If appropriate, your doctor may
suggest you take a medicine that can lower
the risk of getting a stomach ulcer when
taking an NSAID.”
For resources to help manage your OA
or RA visit www.horizonconnectedhealth.
com/patients/.
References: 1. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Frequently Asked Questions
- Arthritis. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/
basics/faqs.htm. Updated January 10, 2019.
Accessed May 12, 2021. 2. Creaky Joints.
Exercises for Arthritis. https://creakyjoints.org/
education/treatments/exercises-for-arthritis/.
Accessed May 12, 2021. 3. Creaky Joints.
Chronic Pain and Sleep. https://creakyjoints.
org/support/pain-management/sleep/.
Accessed May 12, 2021. 4. The Arthritis
Foundation. The Ultimate Arthritis Diet.
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/
healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/
the-ultimate-arthritis-diet. Accessed May 12,
2021. 5. The Osteoarthritis Action Alliance.
Weight Gain and Joint Pain. https://
oaaction.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/
sites/623/2018/08/OAAA_WeightGain_Joint-
Pain-AN-3.18.pdf. Accessed May 12, 2021.
6. The Arthritis Foundation. NSAIDs. https://
www.arthritis.org/drug-guide/nsaids/nsaids.
Accessed May 12, 2021. 7. Lanza FL, Chan
FK, Quigley EM. Guidelines for prevention
of NSAID-related ulcer complications. Am
J Gastroenterol. 2009;104(3):728-738. 8.
Crofford LJ. Use of NSAIDs in treating
patients with arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther.
2013;15(S3). •