Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 Vol. 15 No. 41 NEWS FEATURES ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT Homeless count Patriot Music Sonnen Tuesday on vacation and art show vs Ortiz SEE PAGE 9 SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 3 Wienermobile stops in Downey as part New class of nationwide road trip at Downey Wienermobile was built in 1936. FridayWeekend60˚ “Carl Mayer, Oscar Mayer’s nephew, was actually the first one to at a High: build one,” said Ruiz. Glance Local residents were able to bring their families to take pictures Saturday 62˚⁰ and – of course – get their Oscar Mayer Weenie Whistle. Friday 68 real estate This falls right into what Ruiz described as the mission of the By Alex Dominguez Wienermobile. Staff Writer “The mission of the Wienermobile is always to create smiles. We Sunday 59˚70⁰ always like to say ‘miles of smiles,’” said Ruiz. “Everywhere we go we Saturday DOWNEY – Continuing in always like to see people smiling, telling us how much, you know, ‘oh the mission to prepare students I remember the Wienermobile when I was little!’ Those are always the for their lives and careers after great memories that they have with us… “ graduation, this past year saw the According to Ashley Eisert, the other half of Sunday’s Hotdogger THINGS TO DO introduction of a new Real Estate crew, the Wienermobile appeals across all generations. class at Downey High School. “We definitely get the older generation; those who remember The new class, articulated with when it first came out,” said Eisert. “But then we also get the new Cerritos College, is the first of its DOWNEY – Downey residents were able to relish in an American generations, and that’s because the grandparents and the parents are kind in the city of Downey. It is bringing their kids to show it off. So it really is a wide range, we like to taught by Business teacher and tradition that they could sink their teeth into when the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile rolled into town on Sunday. say ‘kids of all ages’, who come to see the Wienermobile. It is a great girls swim team coach Sal Castro. tradition and a great memory starter.” “To become a real estate The 27 foot long, 11 foot tall and eight foot wide vehicle shaped Those who missed the Wienermobile while it was in Downey and agent you need three classes, and like a hotdog wiener is a sight hard to miss wherever it goes, however wish to “ketchup” with the classic American Icon are encouraged to Jesse Cook this will take care of the first one,” Sunday afternoon saw it parked in front of Vallarte Market. download the Wienermobile app for updates and locations. Friday - Downey Theatre, 8 pm said Castro. “So that way if they’re Currently, the Wienermobile and its two “hotdogger” crew are The Canadian musician is a three-time interested they can [continue] – By Alex Dominguez, staff writer celebrating its 81st anniversary. winner of “Guitarist of the Year.” online through Cerritos, so by According to “Hotdogger” Francisco Ruiz, the first ever Watch him perform live. the time they turn 18 after they graduate, all they need to do is take the state exam and become a realtor.” Downey’s Real Estate Police officers raise money for Special Principles class is a part of the school’s College and Career Ready strategy. Olympics by working at Lazy Dog “This is definitely just one way to promote a possible career for Women’s March these young kids,” said Castro. the Downey Police Officers Association. “We always come out to these Saturday - Pershing Square, 9 am Castro himself has been events whenever possible, just to show our face, like ‘hey we’re apart Peaceful march for human rights, a realtor for several years. He of you guys too.’ We may be police officers, but we’re a part of you civil liberties, and compassion for shared humanity. hopes that his experience and guys, we’re here to serve you guys in whatever capacity we can. It’s connections may help him in very meaningful for us to come out here and serve people for a good enriching the students’ real estate cause.” education. According to restaurant General Manager Patrick Weyland, this is Currently, the school offers not the first time Lazy Dog has hosted events in conjunction with one four sections of the class with of Downey’s organizations. approximately 120 students “We have done a few events with the city already; some Chamber of enrolled. Curriculum mirrors that Commerce events, we did the Gangs out of Downey golf tournament of Cerritos College, with some for the Ricky Galvez memorial…,” said Weyland. “We’re just trying to other projects and assignments get out there in the community and do everything we can to be a part Uncorked: LA added by Castro. of it and help out as much as we can.” Saturday - Union Station, 5 pm One such assignment will The fundraiser was held in support of the Special Olympics. Wine tastings, champagne bar, gourmet require each student to research Photo courtesy Special Olympics According to Special Olympics athlete and coach Dustin Plunkett, food trucks, blind tasting bar, and estimate the value of their fundraisers such as this one have more of an effect on the participants, live music, and more. own homes. DOWNEY – Downey Police Officers tied aprons around their waists athletes, and community than just raising funds. “What they’re going to do is and served residents in a whole new way as a part of the Tip a Cop “The community gets more knowledgeable about The Special research the value of it, and let’s fundraising event Wednesday evening. Olympics, and these officers get to learn more about the community say they did want to sell it. They’re The event was held at Lazy Dog within the Promenade. that they’re serving in on a daily basis,” said Plunkett. “And for the looking on any of the websites athletes, we just get to be there and meet more kinds of people and to try and get a real market A handful of DPD’s officers took to the restaurant floor assisting value, trying to create the flyer servers with drink orders and other minor server duties, all while they get to hear our story, and our story gets out there to many more to advertise, putting their picture talking to customers about supporting the Special Olympics. people.” as the agent,” said Castro. “You “For me personally, and I think for most officers, it’s just about – By Alex Dominguez, staff writer know, just putting down all the giving back to the community,” said Officer Ralph Diaz, President of R&B Festival criteria to sell it.” Saturday - Microsoft Theatre, 7 pm Castro hopes that the class will Live performances by Jodeci, expand over time. Blackstreet, En Vogue, Ginuwine, SWV, “Hopefully we get into more Downey High advances to finals Jon B, and others. sections,” said Castro. of international robotics tournament ‘Coffee with DOWNEY – The Cosmic Vikings, a team of computer science students work and leadership. a Cop’ this from Downey High School, has qualified to compete in the International Downey High participated in the contest for the first time, gathering Space Station (ISS) finals in the Zero Robotics 2016 tournament on Jan. a few Computer Science students together to compete and test their Wednesday 27. programming skills. DOWNEY – Downey police This team, advised by Downey High computer science teacher The tournament began in September and in the initial phase, the Live Boxing officers will be at the Starbucks Michael Crosby, is led by team captain Akhil Sharma and consists of teams had to compete through a series of 2-Dimension challenges that Saturday -Quiet Cannon Restaurant at 8801 Lakewood Blvd. (at Daniel Castellon, Alex Amparan, Earldrene Dubongco, Andres Guadro. then excelled into 3-D challenges. The competition is open internationally in Montebello, 6 pm Telegraph Road) this Wednesday, The Zero Robotics competition is organized by Massachusetts and this year’s competitors consisted of 174 teams from all ISS member Professional fights featuring up and Jan. 25 for informal discussions Institute of Technology (MIT) in partnership with NASA. This yearly countries (USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, France and Russia). coming boxers. Meet the fighters after with the community. their bouts. competition consists of two tournaments, one for middle school and In November, the top 84 teams moved to the “Alliance Round” where Residents are invited to attend one for high school students. the game was crafted to be even more complex. Downey High’s team, from 6-8 p.m. “Coffee with a Cop” In Zero Robotics, student teams write programs in the computer being ranked higher, led an alliance of two other teams: Gosford High is part of the city’s efforts to build language, C++, to control satellites online in a game that is driven by School from Australia and West Lafayette High School from Indiana. TWEETS OF THE WEEK relationships between police and a current problem of interest to DARPA (Defense Advanced Research MIT encouraged all alliances to submit their code online each day the public it serves. Projects Agency), NASA and MIT. This student written software controls @DowneyTLC: Don’t miss and these would be run in simulations to determine their rankings. Downey 5K for TLC EARLY “We hope that community satellite speed, rotation, direction of travel, etc. Only 14 alliances were finally declared as finalists. The alliance led registration! --Ends January members will feel comfortable Contingent upon the game premise, students must program their by Downey High finished ranked 13th and have been invited to travel to 31st! to ask questions, bring concerns, satellites to complete game objectives (navigate obstacles, pick up MIT to participate in the ISS finals.