October 2014
N E W S L E T T E R
F O R
T H E
E M P L O Y E E S
O F
L O S
A N G E L E S
W O R L D
A I R P O R T S
LAX Historian Pattison Honored as ‘Guiding Light’
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Looking Back
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Jay Berkowitz
Sumo Wrestler
FOR SERVICE—Ethel Pattison, center, is
flanked by well-wishers during the October 1
celebration heralding her as the recipient of
the Guiding Light Award from the Flight Path
Museum and Learning Center at LAX for her 60
years of service to aviation education. Pictured
among the many at the celebration are, from left:
Lucy Van Luven and Pat Ward, former LAX staff
members. At right are LAWA Deputy Executive
Director Samson Mengistu, and Sandra Miller,
Executive Assistant II. Since beginning her LAX
career in 1956, Pattison has served as chief
airport guide, heading airport educational tours;
as airport information specialist and historian,
assisting students and other researchers; and as
a board member and operations chair of Flight
Path, overseeing exhibits, library service and
audio-visual productions.
Annual AAE Yule Dinner-Dance Set December 13
My Best Shot
The Association of Airport Employees (AAE)
has scheduled its annual adult holiday dinner
and dance for December 13 at the Los Angeles
Airport Hilton, 5711 West Century Blvd. The
cocktail hour gets underway at 6 p.m., with
dinner, dance and other activities at 7 p.m. and
continuing until 1 a.m.
Tickets are $55 each and After Five formal
attire is suggested for the event. Tickets may
be purchased from representatives listed on the
AAE website at www.aaeclub.org. Discounted
room rates are also available for the holiday
dinner-dance.
Attendees are reminded that LAWA is not liable
for payment of workers compensation benefits
for any injury that may occur from voluntary
participation in any off-duty; recreational, social,
athletic, charitable or fundraising activity that is
not part of an employee’s work related duties.
AAE was founded in 1967 as a social and
benefits organization, administered by the
Continued on Page 2
Meet Jenelle Hamilton, Lightweight Sumo Wrestler
Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA)
employees never fail to amaze. There
always seems to be something or
someone to celebrate: the way they
volunteer to help their communities,
succeed in personal hobbies, or achieve
academic successes and career
advancements.
One such employee is Jenelle
Hamilton, a diminutive senior clerk
typist in the Maintenance Services
Division at Van Nuys Airport (VNY), who
has been sumo wrestling for the past
five years.
Sumo is a sport that is more than 1,500
years old, originating in Japan, the only
country where professional sumo can
be found. However, amateur sumo
wrestling is beginning to take ground in
countries around the world.
Athletes wearing a simple loin cloth
called a mawashi come together in a
ring with a diameter of approximately
15 feet. They begin with a ritual
before charging at each other, similar
to football, and fight with all of their
strength, energy and technique to take
their opponent to the ground or out
of the ring. The rules are relatively
simple with over 80 recognized winning
techniques that are at the athlete’s
disposal during the typically secondslong bout.
in Beijing, China (2010) and in St.
Petersburg, Russia (2013).
This year, she participated in the United
States Sumo National Championships
in Jackson, Wyoming, taking gold (first
place) in the lightweight and open
weight categories. The open weight
allows any participant of any weight to
be paired against each other and fight
through brackets in order to determine
the best overall contender in the event.
In addition to this year’s US Nationals,
Hamilton participated in various other
competitions this year, including as the
USA lightweight representative in the
August 10 Annual World Sumo Women’s
Championships in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
She also participated in the 2014
U.S. Sumo Open in Long Beach in
September and is recurrently airing on
NBC Universal Sports Network. The
Throughout the years, Hamilton
has been featured in articles by the
Los Angeles Daily News, Orange
County Register and the New York
Times, including a New York Times
documentary video available online at
http://youtu.be/0elJ4V35KAw.
“The biggest obstacle for sumo
athletes in the United States is funding
their travels to competition both
nationally and abroad for international
competitions,” Hamilton said. “It’s a very
expensive hobby. However, it’s the
elusiveness of the sport that overrides
the cost.”
Hamilton enjoys the sport where female
participation is low, but growing, and
credits the sumo community for keeping
her love of the sport alive.
“From the moment athletes approach
the ring to the last bow of respect,
sumo demands good sportsmanship,
humbleness, and respect from its
athletes and sports authorities,” she said.
Hamilton has participated in national
and international competitions as a
lightweight contender (143 pounds or
less) in amateur sumo wrestling.
In addition to national events, Hamilton
has represented the United States in
SportAccord Combat Games, once
event brought contenders from all over
the world. The women’s competition
consisted mainly of American
contenders with the exception of a
middleweight (144-176 pounds) from
New Zealand. Hamilton was undefeated
in the lightweight category and won the
bronze in open weight, losing only to
the New Zealander.
ALL SMILES—Jenelle Hamilton, center,
is pictured with two teammates during a
sumo tournament.
Hamilton said she hopes to help
broaden the United States perspective
of the sport and entice more athletes
to transition to it, especially females,
as the sumo world begins its quest to
broaden worldwide interest and support
for the sport.
Annual AAE Yule Dinner-Dance Set December 13
Continued from Page 1
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
employees. AAE promotes the
LAWA and provides support for
LAWA employees and adjacent local
communities by sponsoring various
projects and activities.
AAE meetings are open to all LAWA
employees and are held the first
Tuesday of each month, usually held
in the Construction & Maintenance
lunchroom at Admin West.
Meetings may be rescheduled when
a holiday falls on the first week of
the month. Contact AAE Recording
Secretary Donna Erie (424) 646-7613
to confirm meeting date and location.
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Other 2014 board members are: Jimmy
Sparks, president; Korey Holmes, vice
president; Elaine Williams, treasurer;
Laronda Echols, corresponding
secretary; Richard Jimenez, sergeantat-arms; Stephanie Martinez and Diana
Valencia, representing LA/Ontario;
and Ani Ghoukassian and Belinda
Quinteros, representing Van Nuys.
Six Airport Police Officers Cited (Again) for Heroic Actions
TThe California Peace Officers
Association (CPOA) presented six
Los Angeles Airport Police officers
with the Association’s Award of Valor
on October 6, for their heroic actions
during the November 1, 2013 shooting
incident at Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX). The six honored were
Sgt. Steve Zouzounis and officers
Raymond Woods, Daniel Yu, Brian
Lopez, David Lalicker, and David
Pedregon.
recognizes those acts that, at their very core, demonstrate the
nobility of the policing profession.
Also attending the ceremony were Los Angeles World Airports
(LAWA) Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey; Airport Police
Chief Patrick Gannon, LAWA Deputy Executive Director Jackie
Yaft; Assistant Airport Police Chiefs Michael Hyams, Ethel
McGuire, and Brian Walker; Airport Police Captains Mario Patrick
and Latasha Wells Amerson; and immediate family and friends.
Following the CPOA’s presentation, City Councilmembers Mike
Bonin and Mitchell Englander presented City of Los Angeles
Certificates of Recognition to the group at the City Council meeting
in Los Angeles City Hall on October 17. During the presentation,
Councilman Bonin described the officers as “not your typical
everyday heroes, they are Super-Heroes.”
The CPOA honors those who have
shown extraordinary valor above
and beyond the call of duty. To be
considered, public safety officers must have exhibited extraordinary
courage, decisiveness and presence of mind, and unusual
swiftness of action, regardless of their own personal safety, in
an attempt to save or protect human life. With this award, CPOA
Previously, on September 15, the officers received the Public Safety
Medal of Valor from California Governor Jerry Brown. The Medal of
Valor is the state’s highest award bestowed for heroism.
Looking Back: 2005
Admin Building Named to Honor Former Executive Director
In recognition of the many achievements of Clifton Albert
Moore, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) named its
administration building after the world-renown leader in civil
aviation, who served 25 years as LAWA executive director.
Moore began his career with the airport as a building
superintendent. He soon assumed additional duties as
administrator for the construction of what would become
LAX. Moore became deputy general manager of LAWA in
1966 and advanced to executive director in 1968, in charge
of all its airports. He retired from his post in 1993.
Nicknamed “Mr. Airport,” Moore passed away in April 2002
at the age of 80 and may be best remembered for the
construction of the present-day Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX). He brought a two-runway airport surrounded
by beanfields into the “Jet Age” during the early 1960s.
He was also responsible for the around-the-clock,
comprehensive remodeling of the airport with the addition
of a new international terminal and a second level roadway,
connecting the terminals in time to welcome the world to the
1984 Summer Olympics.
During his tenure, Moore was a member of – and even
helped form – some of the world’s most prestigious airport
organizations. He served two terms as president of the
International Civil Airports Association and president of
the Airport Operators Council International in 1976-77,
the predecessor of Airports Council International, the
organization representing the world’s airports.
Cheryl Peterson, president of the Board of Airport
Commissioners, said during the February 22, 2006
dedication ceremony, “This
is a wonderful occasion
to celebrate and honor
the man who is truly
responsible for the airport
system we have today. He
recognized the importance
of an airport system to the
city and the region, and
worked incredibly hard
to develop not only LAX
but its other airports as
well and to ensure that all
airports were prepared to
meet the regions demands
for air passenger services.”
Clifton A. Moore
JET AGE TERMINAL – The newly completed Jet Age Terminal at
Los Angeles International Airport is in the foreground, and the
Theme Building, under construction is in the background, at left.
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Students Take 1st in LAWA Logo Design Contest
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
office at Los Angeles World Airports
(LAWA) has selected a team of students
at the LeRoy Haynes School in La Verne
as winner in its Autism Logo Design
Contest. The logo will be used in LAWA’s
future autism education campaigns.
The winning design was created as part
of a team effort by students at LeRoy
Haynes School. The creative team
consisted of 13 students ranging in
age from 10 to 17. Suzanne Evens is
their instructor and Laticia Lerma is the
teaching assistant.
LAWA has been working with airline
partners, the Transportation Security
Administration, wheelchair service
providers, tenants, and LeRoy Haynes
School on developing a program to
address the needs of families with autism
when traveling by air, and to create public
awareness about autism and possible
behavioral issues they may encounter at
the airport or inflight.
“There are many families that do not fly
simply because they fear not knowing how
their loved one will act or how others will
react to possible behavioral situations that
may arise,” said Larry Rolon, LAWA’s ADA
coordinator.
Everybody who has autism is different.”
Others who saw the design at the October
ADA committee meeting had similar
comments. The consensus was that
the logo expresses the many facets that
makeup the autism spectrum.
To aid in public education
and to assist families with
autism, the partner group
had a contest to create
a unique autism logo for
the LAWA community.
The Autism Logo Design
Contest was open to family
members within autism of
LAWA’s airport communities
and students from LeRoy
Haynes School.
Sam Overton, chairman of
LAWA’s ADA Committee,
said upon seeing the
design, “I think this is a
brilliant concept. I like it
because autism is a puzzle.
My Best Shot
Aerogramme is published monthly
by the Public Relations Division to
cover developments at Los Angeles
World Airports.
HUMAN KINDNESS—
This touching photo was
taken at LAX’s New Tom
Bradley International
Bradley Terminal by
Customer Service
Representative Cynthia
Darmasaputra. Cynthia
describes the emotion
she felt when she came
upon the scene: “It was a
fellow Customer Service
Representative interacting
with the most adorable
visitor during one of the
airport’s busiest times.
As I approached the two
I saw that neither age,
language, nor ethnicity
became barriers between
them. A simple human
touch erased all that.”
Send news items via e-mail to
[email protected], or by
U.S. mail to Los Angeles World
Airports, P.O. Box 92216, Los
Angeles, CA 90009-2216; or
telephone (424) 646-5260.
Editor.. ............... Marshall Lowe
Designer. . ............. Albert Wang
As a covered entity under Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, the City
of Los Angeles does not discriminate on
the basis of disability and, upon request,
will provide reasonable accommodation
to ensure equal access to its programs,
services and activities. Alternative
formats in large print, braille, audio,
and other formats (if possible) will be
provided upon request.
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