By Jennifer Evans (Updated: Thursday, November 29, 2007 10:54 AM PST)
Carl Jacobson
The look on Carl Jacobson's face was enough to know that he was the only one who was left in the dark when El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell announced that he had been named El Segundo's Citizen of the Year.
During a Chamber of Commerce mixer held at the Mattel Employee Café last week, Jacobson was enjoying his meal and listening to the speakers when all of a sudden, McDowell announced Jacobson's name as El Segundo's Citizen Of The Year. “The look on his face was great,” McDowell said. “He was truly surprised. Nobody is more deserving of this award than Jacobson.”
As his name was revealed, Jacobson's family came onto the stage. “My family was hiding behind the curtain, I couldn't believe they had kept it a secret from me,” Jacobson said.
During the presentation, the 35-year El Segundo resident was joined on stage by his two daughters, two grandsons and his wife, Nancy. “I was so surprised, I don't even remember what I said because I was in shock, but I was very thankful,” he said.
Jacobson, who was elected to the City Council in 2004, also served on the City Council from 1984 to 1996, serving as mayor from 1988 to 1996. However, his service to the city started well before his political career. Moving to El Segundo in 1972, Jacobson immediately joined the Aviation Safety & Noise Abatement Committee, which is committed to dealing with noise issues generated from Los Angeles Airport.
When his children started in the El Segundo School District, both he and his wife were active in the Parent Teacher Association as well as Girl Scouts. To this day, his oldest daughter, Jennifer, and his wife, Nancy, still volunteer with the local Girl Scout troop.
“I do what I do because I love this community,” Jacobson said. “It's been a great place for us to live and raise our family. My children are grown and have families of their own, and they still reside here in El Segundo. It's a very special place to live.”
Jacobson, who works at Glen Tek in El Segundo, moved his family to El Segundo 35 years ago. He explained that at the time his wife worked for the Hawthorne School District and the two of them wanted their home to be in close proximity to work.
Chamber of Commerce President Chris Powell said that the panel that voted on Citizen of the Year is made up of people from all areas of the community. “The decision to choose Carl was unanimous,” Powell said. “Besides his work with the council, he has done so much for this community. He genuinely cares about this city; it's evident in all that he is involved in.”
Upon receiving the recognition, Jacobson will now star as the grand marshal of the city's annual Holiday Parade, which will proceed down Main Street Sunday, Dec. 9.
Question: Proposed plans of development for the Manhattan Village Shopping Center's revitalization were recently submitted to the city after revisions finally appeased mall neighbors. The first phase of the project to add shops and parking drew criticism from Manhattan Village homeowners due to the location of the original proposed parking structure. * What do you think of the new plans?
* Are you happy with the decision to move the parking structure closer to the center of the mall?
* Do you feel that efforts should be made to preserve the smaller Manhattan Village theaters?
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