Page 2 August 13, 2020
Boys State’s Mock Government Perfectly
Simulates Our Democracy–Which is Both
Fascinating and Frightening
Ryan Rojas for Cinemacy.com
When Tom Hanks’ Greyhound released on
AppleTV+ a few weeks ago, I didn’t feel the
need to sign up for the streaming service
in order to watch it. Yet after an advanced
screening of the new documentary Boys State
(available to stream this Friday on Apple
TV+), I feel compelled to tell everyone I
know that they should absolutely sign up
for the streaming service, which is the film’s
exclusive distribution platform (and which I
might have to do just to watch it again, and
then maybe check out Greyhound).
The new release from A24, Boys State
first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
earlier this year and was awarded the Grand
Jury Prize for Best Documentary. An annual
event put on by the prestigious American
Legion (a national institution that’s included
members such as Dick Cheney and Rush
Limbaugh), Boys State shows a week-long
camp of 1200 teenage boys–all politically
aspiring in their own ways– whose primary
objective is to “run for office” of their respective
Federalist and Nationalist parties,
and win the votes needed to secure desired
positions. What ends up being captured is
an incredible simulation of our very own
American democracy, if it were run by
children (I won’t put too fine a point on
thoughts if this is how our political system
feels like it’s currently being run).
There are a few characters that Boys State
follows–including Ben, the political junkie;
Robert, the political “bro”; and the quiet,
yet inspiring Steven–each of whom bring
different ideologies and politics to their part
of camp. All bright and scholarly, the fun in
the movie is watching them all jockey and
campaign to win the votes of their respective
campers, making for suspenseful, funny, and
by the end, moving moments.
While it might be sad that we’ll know that
some of these young men will inevitably
become corrupted in their road to politics,
Boys State also brings the hope that we are
truly witnessing new voices in the next generation
that will lead us to a brighter future
and better state.
Distributed by A24, ‘Boys State’ is available
to stream on Apple TV+ this Friday. •
Boys State, courtesy A24.
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ABC Doc
Borders & Boundaries
By Dr. Don Brann
This is the first of my occasional columns
around topics pertinent to El Segundo and
its surrounding cities or areas. I’ll cover
a variety of issues or observations such as
boundaries/borders, residential life east of
Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), the historical
Japanese presence in El Segundo, comparing/
contrasting local schools and so on.
Before I begin topic one, I want to dedicate
these columns to my infamous great
grandfather, William Cowper Brann. Brann’s
“The Iconoclast,” was a newspaper published
in Waco, Texas, and had more than 100,000
subscribers west of the Rockies in the 1890s.
Brann was very opinionated, possessed a large
vocabulary and was bombastic in his writings
and oratory. He was fearless and willing to
take on established powers. Eventually, Brann
was attacked and then killed in a downtown
Waco duel. He and his work continue to be
studied in Texas to this day.
I want to address the borders around El
Segundo.
First off, the boundaries of the City are
roughly the Chevron Refinery or Rosecrans
on the south, the sand dunes between Imperial
and Grand, and then the Pacific Ocean
on the west, Imperial Highway on the north,
and Aviation on the east.
Remember, or know, this town started
when Standard Oil located their second (El
Segundo means the second in Spanish) California
refinery here, so we have blue-collar
roots. Actually, despite the nature of that
business operation, the southern border may
be El Segundo’s most attractive one due to
Chevron’s community consciousness. Also,
mostly thanks to Continental Development,
the Rosecrans section, east of PCH, of the
southern border has really been enhanced by
the replacement of ugly industrial complexes
with attractive retail and office developments
east to Aviation.
On the west side of El Segundo, along
Vista Del Mar, there is one industrial blight
after another between Imperial and Rosecrans—
Hyperion and Scattergood Steam
Plant (DWP) in the City of Los Angeles
with Chevron and Clearway Energy (NRG)
in El Segundo.
Would a desalination plant really stand
out in this cluster? Perhaps, in its relative
beauty. El Segundo has a beach, but is not
a “beach city” partly due to the disconnect
caused by the industrial plants. Certainly, the
Pacific Ocean is the best feature of the west
border, but the ambiance does not measure
up to the three beach cities to the south.
One fairly recent improvement near the west
border occurred when the nondescript tank
on the south side of Grand was “wrapped,”
creating a welcome artistic flair.
El Segundo’s northern border is Imperial
Highway and LAX, a major source of noise
and air pollution, as well as massive traffic
problems visited on El Segundo. The division
between the City of Los Angeles and
the City of El Segundo is a median strip
running east-west in the middle of Imperial
Highway from PCH to Pershing Drive.
It is unkempt and ragged, making the view
of El Segundo from the north unattractive.
This condition has persisted for years
due to neglect by the City of Los Angeles.
Typically, the City of LA (LAX) creates a
problem for El Segundo like the median or
early turns over El Segundo by pilots and
then promises to remedy the conditions in
exchange for concessions related to airport
expansion. LAX is the big, bad “neighbor,”
no city should have to tolerate.
The eastern border, roughly Aviation Blvd.,
from Imperial to Rosecrans, is as ugly as
possible, a real eyesore, moving south to El
Segundo Blvd. It’s loaded with construction
equipment, dirt/debris piles, lumber, etc.
related to Metro and LAX projects to the
north. It’s been a blight for years, much to
the chagrin of Del Aire residents.
On this border, there is some hope caused
by the Greenway proposal to create a beautiful
walk/jog/bike path that eventually could tie
into a network of safe bike paths across El
Segundo. The only real remaining obstacle
to transforming the east border is a railroad,
the BNSF, now unwilling to cooperate (not
a surprise!).
On El Segundo Blvd., there is a decrepit
railroad bridge spanning the street. Instead
of a mural or, at least, a “Welcome to El
Segundo” on the east face and “Thanks
for Visiting” or “Come Again” on the west
face, there is a beige paint period, a wasted
opportunity to enhance the east entrance to
the City.
So, there you have it, a great City surrounded
by four “world-class” borders and
bad “neighbors” like the City of LA, LAX
and Metro. However, at the same time, average
residential market values in El Segundo
now have surpassed $1.5 million, so these
borders don’t seem to impact or undermine
real estate values. In fact, the borders do
provide a relative geographical isolation for
the City of El Segundo.
With the surrounding boundaries protecting
the town and causing the majority of
entrances and exits from the east, it’s a
choice to visit El Segundo. Unlike travel
through surrounding cities, you just don’t
drive through El Segundo, as LAX, the
Refinery and the Pacific Ocean discourage
such a route. •
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