2021-03-02 CC Agenda - Public Communications related to Youth Sports2021-03-02 CC AGENDA PACKET
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO YOUTH SPORTS
Harada, Patricia
From: Shilling, Mona
Sent: Tuesday, March 2, 2021 2:57 PM
To: Harada, Patricia
Subject: FW: El Segundo City Council Supports Safe and Immediate Return of all Youth Sports
Patricia,
Written Communication for Special Presentation a
Thanks,
Mona S
From: Weaver, Tracy (City Clerk) <tweaver@elsegundo.org>
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2021 7:18 AM
To: *ALL CITY CLERKS <ALLCITYCLERKS@elsegundo.org>
Subject: Fwd: El Segundo City Council Supports Safe and Immediate Return of all Youth Sports
See chain of emails below.
Tracy Weaver
City Clerk
Begin forwarded message:
From: Hal Hunt <halhunt@gmail.com>
Date: February 20, 2021 at 9:36:27 PM PST
To: "Giroux, Lance (Council Member)" <Iglroux@elsegundo.org>
Cc: ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS<ALLELECTEDOFFICIALS@elsegundo.org>
Subject: Re: El Segundo City Council Supports Safe and Immediate Return of all Youth Sports
Mr. Giroux,
Thank you for sharing a bit of the history behind the Council's decision to advocate at this time for a
return to youth sports activities. By the way, Mr. Boyles has kindly shared with me the Council's letter
to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. For my thoughts on the letter please allow me to refer you to
my email reply of yesterday afternoon. Thanks, also, for recounting your own involvement in the
process, along with your personal thoughts regarding the issue. I want you to know that I admire and
respect you and your colleagues on the Council for the work you do in service of our community. In this
matter, however, I fear you have gotten far off track.
I'd like to say that you do understand "my side of this," but you don't. Your sense of the kind of issue
we're dealing with here is lacking. You expressed the belief that a small, vocal self-interest group of
local parents "should be allowed to have the choice of what is in the best interests of
their families." That seems all well and good if we're talking about expanding sporting activities in a
Covid-free world. But given the current existential threat of serious illness and death to those
participating, as well as to everyone in our community with whom they come in contact, it is not all well
and good. You speak of minimal risk. I don't believe it's overly dramatic to ask if you and the Council
would consider the illness of a few kids, the hospitalization of a few parents, or the deaths of a few
grandparents a minimal risk.
I'd like to say that you and the Council mean well, but I don't think you do. Judging from the Council's
embrace of "Let Them Play CA" and the push for lawsuits and legislation, I don't think you mean
anything, really, except to step out onto the larger stage of California State partisan politics on the
coattails of Assemblymen Gallagher and Kiley.
Finally, Mr. Giroux, let me share five statements of the kind our school teachers warned us to be on the
lookout for when analyzing persuasive arguments, the kind of deceptive rhetoric they would have
described as "baloney":
"...as I and others started to dig further and further into the Science and the Data, the call
for advocacy became stronger."
"...we have actual data, live time Case studies and science that have shown that there is minimum [sic]
to no risk of transmission from playing Sports."
"This data comes from 40+ other states that did not shut schools or sports down."
"...the data that really began to concern me was the Mental and Physical health numbers in our
kids aged 5-17. The numbers are scary .. Anxiety, Depression, thoughts of Suicide, Isolation .. and
the huge spike in kids being put on anti -depressants to cope with everything that has happened to
them."
"This is not just my opinion, but also the opinion of health professionals across the country."
I hope you'll forgive me for pointing out that you made these statements to me, and for rebuking
you for the use of such rhetoric.
At that, please accept my sincere thanks for affording me the opportunity to express candidly my
opposition and, indeed, my disdain for the Council's decision to "[stand] in alliance with" the so-called
"Let Them Play CA" effort and Assembly resolution authors, Gallagher and Kiley.
Hal Hunt
Constituent
On Feb 19, 2021, at 8:50 AM, Giroux, Lance (Council Member) <Igiroux@elsegundo.org>
wrote:
Mr Hunt,
Thank you very much for your email. Since I was the Council Member who really began
pushing for this a couple of weeks ago, I'd be happy to explain what prompted it. The
truth is that I made a statement at the end of the 2/2 Council meeting. The push from
parents and Council came subsequently. As I and others started to dig further and
further into the Science and the Data, the call for advocacy became stronger.
At the beginning of the Pandemic when all sports were shutdown, kids and parents alike
were obviously unhappy. However, with so much unknown I believe we all agreed it
was a good idea. There was no road map and no data to draw upon to use as a
guide. Fast forward almost a year later and we have actual data, live time Case studies
and science that have shown that there is minimum to no risk of transmission from
playing Sports This data comes from 40+ other states that did not shut schools or sports
down. While I agree that California is by no means a normal size State, the data does
show that this can be and is being done across the country with minimal to no problems
as long as proper precautions have been taken.
However, the data that really began to concern me was the Mental and Physical health
numbers in our kids aged 5-17. The numbers are scary .. Anxiety, Depression, thoughts
of Suicide, Isolation .. and the huge spike in kids being put on anti -depressants to cope
with everything that has happened to them. A return to Youth Sports and Activities ...
please understand that I am also referring to Marching Band, Drama, Dance and all
other performing arts ... will have a huge positive affect on kids. This is not just my
opinion, but also the opinion of health professionals across the country.
I also understand your side of this. Others have the same concerns and I completely
understand and respect that opinion. Those that have these concerns are not going to
engage in these activities and I respect that. However, I feel that others should be
allowed to have the choice of what is in the best interests of their families. In my
position as an elected official I feel the responsibility to speak and advocate for what I
feel is right for the community and its residents. I also understand that not everyone is
going to agree with my opinion, and I accept that. My only hope is that by explaining
my reasoning behind what I decide, that it will at the least provide context.
Thank you again for you time and consideration
Regards,
Lance Giroux
El Segundo City Council
On Feb 18, 2021, at 11:47 PM, Hal Hunt <halhunt maii.com> wrote:
Drew,
In responding to the City Manager's recent email announcing the City
Council's intention to pressure the Governor, the L.A. County Board of
Supervisors, and the L.A. County Department of Public Health in support
of a small parent group's demand that the County immediately open
wide participation for their children in all sporting activities and
competition in spite of the existential threat of the pandemic, my
intentions were simply to express and explain my dismay and
disappointment and to offer a perspective on the Council's decision
which you may not have considered. Honestly, as you suggest, I did not
think to ask for the Council's thoughts on the matter, since the decision
3
to proceed as described in the announcement itself would seem to be
the expression of its thinking. Nor did I think to ask individual Council
members for their personal opinions.
Please allow me to apologize for my own lack of consideration in this
regard, and may I say that I would very much appreciate knowing your
opinions if you would care to share them with me.
Sincerely,
Hal
On Feb 18, 2021, at 9:46 PM, Boyles,Drew (Mayor)
<dbo les else undo.ar > wrote:
Mr. Hunt, Hal,
I did not miss any of your comments. You stated your
opinions, without asking mine.
I appreciate your sentiment and thank you for writing.
Sincerely, Drew
Drew Boyles
Mayor I City of El Segundo
On Feb 18, 2021, at 17:23, Hal Hunt
<halhunt mail.com> wrote:
Mayor Boyles, Drew, thank you for
your acknowledgment of my
"note." Let me add, however, that your
one -sentence response does not seem
to relate to anything I said, unless you
are suggesting that the El Segundo City
Council's surrender, its hubris, its lack
of judgement, and its lack of leadership
are justified by your claim that the
County "relaxed some of their [sic]
restrictions." You missed altogether my
comments regarding our need for
patience, creativity, courage, and
consideration for everyone in our
community, as well as our need to leave
it to actual health authorities to
determine when our children may
safely return to sporting activities and
competition.
In short, Drew, I don't think our City
Council has any business pressuring the
L.A. County Department of Public
Health.
Again, thank you for your attention.
Hal
On Feb 18, 2021, at
6:04 AM, Boyles,Drew
(Mayor)
<dba les else undo.o
rg> wrote:
Hal, thank you for your
note. You may have
seen that the county
relaxed some of their
restrictions the
following day.
Sincerely, Drew
Drew Boyles
Mayor I City of El
Segundo
On Feb
17,
2021,
at
23:11,
Hal
Hunt
<halhu
nt@gm
ail.com
wrote:
Ladies
and
Gentle
men,
lam
C
dismay
ed to
learn,
upon
receipt
of this
evening
is email
from
the City
Manag
er's
office,
that
you
are app
arently
bowing
to
pressur
e from
a very
few
vocal
parents
to
support
their
selfish
and ill-
informe
d
deman
d to
gloss
over
the L.A.
County
Depart
ment of
Public
Health'
s Reope
ning
Protoco
Ifor
Youth
and
Adult
Sports a
nd ope
n wide
6
particip
ation
for
their
childre
n in "all
sportin
g
activitie
s and
compet
ition"
at this
time. I
am
dismay
ed by
your
lack
ofjudg
ement
and
leaders
hip, as
well as
the
hubris
you
display
in sendi
ng
letters
"urging
the Gov
ernor a
nd L.A.
County
Board
of Supe
rvisors t
o issue
new
guidanc
e
allowin
g all
kids to
play
sports
again."
Frankly
it's
11
embarr
assing.
It is
clear
that
youth,
indeed,
all of us
are "at
risk of
sufferin
g long-
standin
g
trauma
associat
ed with
anxiety
and
depress
ion." I
agree,
too,
that
"youth
sports
[can
provide
childre
n] with
directio
n,
discipli
ne and
hope."
Yet, in
this
time of
pande
mic, it
falls to
parents
to show
patienc
e,
creativi
ty, and
courage
in
providi
ng for
s
their
childre
n's
needs,
in
mitigati
ng
emotio
nal
stress,
and in
practici
ng and
modeli
ng care
and
conside
ration
for
everyo
ne in
our
commu
nity.
What's
really
clear is
our
collecti
ve need
to leave
it to
actual
health
author!
ties to
determi
ne
when
our
childre
n may
safely
return
to
sportin
g
activitie
s and
compet
ition.
9
Respect
fully,
Hal
Hunt
420 1/2
Lomita
St.
El
Segund
10
Harada, Patricia
From: Shilling, Mona
Sent: Tuesday, March 2, 2021 2:32 PM
To: Harada, Patricia
Subject: FW: DB_YouthSportsinCA_February182021.pdf - Written Communication for Special
Presentation a
Patricia,
Please post attached email related to Special Presentation a
Thanks,
Mona S
From: Weaver, Tracy (City Clerk) <tweaver@elsegundo.org>
Sent: Monday, February 22, 20217:19 AM
To: *ALL CITY CLERKS <ALLCITYCLERKS@elsegundo.org>
Subject: Fwd: DB_YouthSportsinCA_February182021.pdf
Not sure if this was email was in the chain.
Tracy Weaver
City Clerk
Begin forwarded message:
From: Hal Hunt <halhunt@Pmail.com>
Date: February 19, 2021 at 6:41:39 PM PST
To: "Boyles,Drew (Mayor)" <dbo les else undo.or >
Cc: ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS<ALLELECTEDOFFICIALS@elsesundo.or >
Subject: Re: DB_YouthSportsinCA_February182021.pdf
Mr. Boyles,
Thank you for sending along the Council's letter. From it I can readily discern your earnest and
passionate desire to respond to the expressed needs of a very few residents and to participate in a
wholly misguided adventure with those fellows from Yuba City and Rocklin who are apparently content
with "limiting infections." It is apparent, too, contrary to your statement, that the Council does not
really "understand the need for a cautious approach to issuing public health guidelines," rather, it is
willfully disregarding public guidelines issued by actual public health officials. Simply said, I believe you
are putting El Segundo's "approximately two thousand students," their families, and the greater
community at risk.
Finally, I remain disheartened by the Council's inclusion in its letter of two patently ludicrous
inferences: first, that families are unable to figure out how to provide "periodic exercise" for
themselves; and second, that without organized sports the mental health of El Segundo's youth will
suffer to such an extent they will fall victim to "suicide ideation, anxiety, depression, and suicide
itself." This kind of thoughtless hyperbole is unworthy of you.
I appreciate you affording me the opportunity to offer my thoughts on this matter.
Best,
Hal Hunt
On Feb 19, 2021, at 3:37 PM, Boyles,Drew (Mayor) <dbo les else undo.or > wrote:
Mr Hunt, this letter reflects the sentiment of the Council and me and answers your last
question regarding my opinion on the matter.
Drew Boyles
Mayor I City of El Segundo
<DB_YouthSportsinCA_February182021.pdf>