EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 28, 2019 Page 5
School Spotlight
ESUSD Sports
Little League Season in Full Swing
Photos and Story by Gregg McMullin
The El Segundo Little League’s schedule is
in full swing after dodging raindrops to start
the season. The full schedule of games that
take place at Brett Field and Walton Field is
a welcome sight watching boys being boys
while have fun playing America’s game.
With the new age limits for Little League,
that changes how old a Little Leaguer can be
to compete. It has stripped away the older
players. It has resulted in fewer players at
the Major Division and thus fewer teams. In
the past during some seasons, there might
be one powerhouse team that dominates the
schedule -- but that’s all changed. There is
more equity between teams, which means no
lead is safe and everyone wins with closer
outcomes.
Each season, teams will be faced with
playing a doubleheader. The players love
the concept, but the parents… well, not so
much. Don’t get me wrong. The parents and
families coming to Brett Field enjoy watching
their kids. They also go to outlandish
levels to provide great in-between meals for
the players and families of their respective
teams. So they will sigh over the five-plus
hours they’ll spend at the field, but peel off
the surface and these same parents wouldn’t
want to be anywhere else.
The Angels and Cardinals played a doubleheader
where the Angels won the first game
3-1 and the Cardinals bounced back and
won 12-6 in the second game. According to
assistant coach Dave Lubs of the Cardinals,
the first game was more of a pitching duel.
The Angles came up with a three-run third
inning and then held off the Cardinals, who
scored their lone run in the fourth inning.
Townes Potter started and picked up the win
for the Angels, while Robert Cantu finished.
Logan Brookes was solid for the Cardinals,
but took the loss while Grady Lubs held the
Angels in check.
In the second contest, the Cardinals had
no ill effects after consuming a big lunch
between games. They put together a five-run
first inning en route to a 12-6 win. Cardinal
pitchers, including Aaron Newman, Mathew
Alvarez and Andre Sugden, kept the Angels
off balance.
On any typical Saturday, there will be
games all day long. With five Major Division
teams this season, it created a dilemma for
one team. The result was that team would
play against a squad from another local Little
League within District 36. So the Royals
faced the Mariners, a team from Redondo
Beach Little League.
As you might expect, no lead is safe in
a Little League game and the Royals, who
trailed 8-4 after two innings, would regroup
and rally for a 12-11 win. Owen Reed’s
three-run double gave the Royals a 10-8
lead. In the fifth inning, the Mariners took
Reed Abrams hit a double in the sixth inning and later scored the winning run.
Shaun Conley of the Royals makes a fabulous play in his team’s 12-11 win over the Mariners.
See Sports, page 13
El Segundo School Board Sees
Facilities Upgrade Plans
By Duane Plank
With Superintendent Dr. Melissa Moore out
of town attending the League of Innovative
Schools Conference in Seattle, Washington,
Director for Human Resources, Facilities
and Maintenance and Operations Dr. Dylan
Harris took her spot at the table during
Tuesday night’s El Segundo School Board
meeting. Farris had recently been selected as
the recipient of the Association of California
School Administrators (ACSA) Region 14
Personnel Administrator of the Year Award.
The award is typically bestowed upon an
administrator who has evinced strong support
for the school management team; practiced
exceptional leadership in managing myriad
school programs; bolstered educational and
student achievement; and championed educator’s
professional growth, creativity and
innovation in deftly dealing with challenges
currently facing public education.
Moore, in her letter of recommendation to
ACSA, touted Farris, calling him a “master
communicator” and lauding his “passion for
education and commitment to students.” She
wrote that he is “pragmatic and calm” and has
a “passion for the profession.” She detailed
the skill set that has made Farris valuable to
El Segundo Unified District in implementing
the Long-Range Facilities Master Plan
(LRFMP) and the allocation of bond monies.
Moore pointed out how Farris “works with
architects, construction management and
outside experts to see a facility improvement
from an idea to a reality.”
Prior to the meeting, Farris emailed that
he was “grateful to be recognized by my
colleagues and ACSA,” noting that “the
best education can only be provided by
high-quality teachers and staff. El Segundo
Unified is such a terrific place that it truly
makes my job easy! We attract great people
-- we have wonderful employees who are
passionate about their work.”
Farris was one of the key presenters at
Tuesday’s meeting, giving an update on District
facilities projects for the wind-down of the
2018/19 school year and beyond. The District
and stakeholders have identified $92-million
in the LRFMP needs. Farris, joined by PBK
Architects Principal Gilbert Baez, updated the
Board on construction projects as the District
looks to prudently spend the matching $92
million in bond money it was granted when
El Segundo voters passed Measure ES last
November.
Farris began his presentation noting that
the facilities, maintenance and operations
team includes 15 custodial members and
four maintenance staff members, as well
one warehouse/maintenance worker. Farris
also mentioned two positions under his guidance
that are currently vacant: Director of
Maintenance and Operations, open after the
recent resignation of Alfredo Perez, who took
a position in another school district; and the
newly created title of Bond Projects Manager.
Farris added that there are three different
ways that Phase 1 of the LRFMP projects
will be funded, including utilizing monies
from the recent passage of the bond measure,
funds gleaned from the sale of the Imperial
property, and “modernization funds” that could
be available down the road from the State of
California. He said that many Phase 1 projects
are about “safety and security,” including not
only securing the site perimeter, but beefing
up “visitor monitoring.”
Next Farris detailed the positions on the
Facilities Advisory Committee, including
parents/community representatives, management
representatives, and bargaining unit
representatives. Former School Board member
Chris Powell is serving as the chairperson of
the committee. Farris then delved into Phase
I of the District’s modernization plans. At
El Segundo High School, proposed projects
include the long-postponed science building
HVAC project, as well as the much-anticipated
modernization of the campus library, plus the
gymnasium renovation involving the bleachers
and improved acoustics.
At El Segundo Middle School, a new
gymnasium project is on the docket, as well
as a redesign of the administration building.
The hope is to limit school day chaos that
tends to occur with the current administration
building configuration.
At Center Street Elementary, a “shade
structure” project is on the drawing board.
Richmond Street Elementary will receive
upgraded security infrastructure as well as
well as an upgrade to the entrance area to
the school, its own “shade structure,” and
the rebuilding of a new version of Madsen
House that will be utilized by the Learning
Connections pre-and-post school day programs.
Farris also reported that the windows in the
main building are past their prime and need
to be replaced. The Madsen House replacement
plans were front-and-center during
Tuesday’s presentation, with Baez speaking
of the current site plan for the new TLC
facility, detailing architectural plans. Farris
said before the meeting that he wanted to get
the word out that there are multiple required
parameters that must be met before many of
the construction projects can begin.
Farris explained that while the optimal
outcome is to complete upgrade programs
during the summer months, he said “we are
just going to have to get comfortable with
the idea that we are going to have projects
ongoing while school is session.” He indicated
there could be construction projects
taking place during the school- ear for the
foreseeable future.
Prior to Farris’s presentation, Center Street
fifth grader Rushil Ghosh was recognized for
two recent accomplishments. On March 9,
Ghosh competed in the Los Angeles County
Scripps Regional Spelling Bee and remained
among the top competitors -- a tremendous
feat, considering the more than 35,000 students
attending schools in Los Angeles. Ghosh
also competed in the 2019 California State
Geographic Bee, earning a spot in the top 100
students. Ghosh will compete in the upcoming
state “Geo-Bee” competition in Fresno, and if
successful would represent California in the
“Geo-Bee” national championship in May
that will take place in Washington D.C., with
college scholarships and further recognition
on the line at the National Geographicsponsored
event. Center Street Elementary
Principal Martha Monahan introduced Ghosh.
Monahan spoke about how proud the Center
Street Elementary community was of the fifth
grader’s accomplishments.
Eagles’ Nest Executive Director Guadalupe
Grijalva, along with El Segundo High art
teacher Tracy Kadanoga and some of her
advanced art students, made a presentation
regarding the creation of a new mural at the
preschool. The present mural was deemed in
need of repair -- necessitating a fresh design
incorporating teaching tools and numerical
identification, counting, occupations and
careers, community helpers and inclusivity.
The proposed timeline for the project should
have the new design in place by mid-May.
Board President Nancy Cobb lauded the
project, commenting on the importance of
See ESUSD, page 10