Downey Considers Hazard Pay for Retail, Grocery Workers
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Thursday, May 13, 2021 Vol. 20 No. 6 NEWS PAGING DR. FRISCHER REAL ESTATE CRIME REPORT New police officers When do Covid Farmers agents Street racing detail sworn-in symptoms end? honored makes arrest SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 11 SEE PAGE 4 City Downey considers hazard ponders pay for retail, grocery fireworks Friday 75˚ ban workers Saturday 70˚ ■ If approved, grocery stores and drug stores would be Sunday 65˚ ■ “I think it’s time the City required to increase workers’ of Downey starts looking at pay by about $5 per hour. enacting a ban on fireworks,” says Councilman Sean ON THIS DAY Ashton. By Alex Dominguez Staff Writer MAY 13 By Alex Dominguez 1607: Staff Writer DOWNEY – The City Council An English colony was settled at will continue to explore several Jamestown in present-day Virginia. DOWNEY – Downey may be options surrounding the potential to bring hero pay – or something 1846: moving towards an outright ban similar – into the city. of fireworks in the city. The United States declared that a The idea to bring hero pay for During his comments at the state of war existed against Mexico. grocery and drug retail workers Council Meeting on Tuesday, in the city was first presented by 1862: Councilman Sean Ashton Councilwoman Catherine Alvarez. suggested that it may be time for According to Alvarez, a hazard Southern slave Robert Smalls the city to “move away” from the pay ordinance would typically commandeered the Confederate’s controversial Independence Day require employers to pay $4-$5 USS Planter and passed it to the tradition. extra an hour to their frontline Union. He was later appointed as “It’s that time of year. It grocery and drug retail employees captain, becoming the first Black man seems when the weather gets for 120 days. to command a U.S. ship. warm, and people have idle time According to staff, there would that the fireworks issue comes be approximately four large retail 1914: up and it’s starting to happen; I stores in the city affected, along Joe Louis, the American boxer who heard a lot of it this weekend,” Councilman Sean Ashton shops at Aldi’s during the grocery store’s grand opening in 2017. with nine grocery stores and six was world heavyweight champion for said Ashton. (Photo by Alex Dominguez) retail drug store pharmacies. a record-setting 12 years, was born. “I know we’ve looked into These include Albertsons, Aldi, increasing the fines for fireworks, Food for Less, Amapola, Stater closed…Grocery stores have a very 1917: increase patrolling for the Bros., Vallarta, Walmart, two small profit margin, and they sell fireworks. This is tough for me to Ralph’s, Grocery Outlet, and two on volume. Even though it may be Three peasant children near Fatima, say, but I’m to the point where I Dollar Trees. for 120 days, what that does to their Portugal, reported seeing a vision of think it would be a good idea to The item came up against bottom line, it’s a break it or make the Virgin Mary. consider a ban on fireworks in the immediate resistance from Mayor it.” city of Downey.” Claudia Marroquin-Frometa, who The city has not had any 1940: believed it would be inappropriate “I’ve wanted to kind of see conversations with any of its Winston Churchill told the British to target just one sector. what we can do to maybe push grocery stores at this time. House of Commons in his first speech this off, and maybe see if it’ll “People in healthcare dealing According to staff, there are as prime minister, “I have nothing to work itself out. I personally don’t with life and death right in front of currently three – Long Beach, offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” see it and I think it’s time that the them…we have to remember that Montebello, and Whittier - of the 27 City of Downey starts looking at that particular sector did not get gateway cities who have considered enacting a ban on fireworks.” hero pay,” said Frometa. “When implementing hero pay, although 1958: we consider what other cities have Many churches and non- Whittier ultimately declined. Staff Vice President Richard Nixon’s done, I have to bring up from my profit organizations often sell also added that there are 16 cities limousine was battered by rocks perspective that while I would “safe and sane” fireworks during that have passed hero pay that are thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in like to be able to help everybody, currently in litigation. Caracas, Venezuela. the week of 4th of July as a means I consider unfair that we would of fundraising. While the city has not been of the tunnel, the light’s there, grocery stores,” said Pacheco. choose a sector versus another threatened with litigation over the hopefully it’s not the train coming “They’re not actually making it a Unfortunately, the city has 1960: that we consider essential, because matter as of yet, it did receive a at us,” said Ashton. “We’re on the requirement.” been plagued by a steady increase a lot of people are essential and Hundreds of University of California, letter from the California Grocers downhill side of this and shame on “What they didn’t want is to in the use of illegal fireworks. have been essential during this Berkeley students congregate for Association and its legal counsel, us for not looking into this earlier be involved in any negotiations As Ashton mentioned, the city response.” the first day of protest against a visit outlining what they felt were when this was more of an issue.” between the grocery stores and has previously tried to curb the Frometa and some of her family by the House Committee on Un- the legal infirmities of hero pay “I don’t know if 120 days is the their employees, they didn’t want American Activities. trend with an uptick in patrols and members work in the healthcare implementation. right number; maybe something to get involved in the contractual increased fines, which can total field. There was also some discussion less. Maybe something where it relationships. Because of that, they 1981: anywhere up to $3,000 depending Frometa also said that “local that currently numbers are not wouldn’t effect employees that opted on not pursuing the hero pay Pope John Paul II was shot and on the number of violations. governments should not interfere as bad as at the height of the were making a certain amount per se in their city.” seriously wounded in St. Peter’s However, it is notoriously in what is already established labor pandemic, and that vaccines are over minimum wage…you have As the conversation continued Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet difficult for officers to catch union bargaining process.” now available. minimum wage workers who are to evolve and expand from hero pay Ali Agca. violators while they are actively “While I want to do the right However, Councilman Sean really struggling, and I think that’s for grocery and drug store workers discharging an illegal firework. As thing, I also fear that by us inserting something that would really help.” Ashton voiced the opinion that to minimum wages, the council 1985: such, many are able to avoid the ourselves in an area that really is the council should have done Mayor Pro Tem Blanca Pacheco ultimately decided to ask staff subsequent citations. not up to local governments, we something sooner. His suggestion offered the idea of using funds from for more information at a future Philadelphia police dropped an Ashton asked that staff bring will make a detrimental decision,” tied more into minimum wage. the American Rescue Plan, similar meeting. explosive onto the headquarters of back information to the council said Frometa. “We have seen what “I would like to see us at least to what the city of Calabasas is The council voted 4-0. Mayor the radical group MOVE; 11 people other cities have done, but they’re detailing the pros and cons of a do something, because the other currently considering. Frometa left for an undisclosed died in the resulting fire, including involved in litigation now.” firework ban. issue that was brought up is we’re “They’re utilizing that money reason and was absent from the five children. Sixty-one homes were “We also have to remember destroyed. Downey Fire Department kind of at the end of the line, end to pay for the employees of the final vote. that some of those stores have responded to nine fires – including one house fire – between the 1995: hours of 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. on Alison Hargreaves, a 33-year-old Independence Day last year. British mother, became the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas. Paramount City officials eye 2003: The government unveiled a new version of the $20 bill - the first to summer for be colorized in an effort to thwart Blvd. counterfeiters. LGTBQ picnic 2011: closed this Two suicide bombers attacked paramilitary police recruits heading ■ The picnic will likely take Furman or Apollo parks during home after months of training in weekend place at either Furman or the afternoon hours of either July northwest Pakistan, killing 87 people 10, 24, or 31. Apollo park, with support in what the Pakistan Taliban called With concerns about potential revenge for the U.S. slaying of Osama DOWNEY – A stretch of from the city. Paramount Boulevard will be closed safety risks in the wake of the bin Laden.