Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 Vol. 19 No. 47 PAGING DR. FRISCHER MAYOR’S CORNER ANNIVERSARY CITIZENSHIP Who should get Updates from TLD Law marks Manny Castro the vaccine? Mayor Frometa 60 years fulfills dream SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 4 Hurdles remain before students can return to campus Friday 74˚ putting an emphasis on keeping to be vaccinated as early as next ■ Downey Unified will students with the same teacher week. that they’ve had all year if at all be polling parents as In the meantime, DUSD Saturday 73˚ possible. it prepares to reopen continues to wait for movement elementary campuses. “We’re three quarters of the on Senate Bill 86, a key piece of way through the school year,” the puzzle that would appropriate said Assistant Superintendent over $6.5 billion of state funds Sunday 70˚ By Alex Dominguez Dr. Wayne Shannon. “We are across schools. Staff Writer going to do everything in our “It’s currently sitting on the power to keep that lined and governor’s desk,” said Assistant DOWNEY – Those anxious coherent.” Superintendent Dr. Roger to know when the first Downey ON THIS DAY “Getting this data will enable Brossmer. “While he like pieces Unified students will physically us to do our best work to create of it, he’s been very clear that he FEBRUARY 25 return to campus will have to schedules that will allow us to doesn’t like portions of it. It’s wait a bit longer. 1570: potentially do that at a very high still undecided if he’s going to Pope Pius V excommunicated England’s Currently, only students in level of success.” sign it.” Queen Elizabeth I. grades TK through six are eligible The window for parents to “That’s a big piece of to return to classrooms, however, submit their response will open information that we need for 1836: school districts are tasked with on Wednesday and close next reopening that, quite frankly, we meeting several guidelines Inventor Samuel Colt patented his Monday, March 1 at midnight. don’t have yet.” before that can happen. revolver. They are being encouraged to In one spot of tangible good At its meeting on Tuesday, revisit the school reopening and news, new case rates have fallen 1843: Downey Unified’s Board of safety guidebook on the District’s low enough to allow for more Lord George Paulet occupied the Education revealed that they website. sporting activities -including Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great have already checked off several The question of whether or baseball, cheerleading, girl’s / Britain. The occupation lasted through of the items on that list, though not schools should be reopened women’s lacrosse, softball, and July 31, when Hawaii’s independence there is still work that needs to before teachers are fully doubles tennis – with informed was officially restored and recognized. be done. vaccinated continues to be a consent. According to district officials, concern. Outdoor contact sports – 1870: DUSD submitted its COVID Safety The District received several including football, boy’s / men’s Hiram Revels, a Mississippi Republican, Plan and LACDPH reopening letters from parents and teachers lacrosse, soccer, and water polo was sworn in as the first black member protocol for approval earlier alike, with many of DUSD’s – are also eligible to return with of the U.S. Senate. this week, after previously educators voicing a desire to wait informed consent and weekly attempting to do so last Friday until they received the vaccine to testing of participants and 1913: and being told to hold off by the return. coaches the week of competition. The 16th Amendment to the U.S. county. Constitution, giving Congress the power Through a consortium with “We’ll make sure that we Another huge part of the to levy and collect income taxes, was Whittier PIH, the District was have all the things in place so process will be the surveying of declared in effect. able to ensure that 26 members that sports can resume,” said elementary student parents, who Parents and students protested outside a Downey school board of its staff age 65 and older Brossmer. will be asked to commit to either meeting earlier this month, urging campuses to reopen. (Photo by 1933: received shots. staying in full-distance learning The Board will meet again Alex Dominguez) The USS Ranger launches at Newport or transitioning to in-person The District voiced next Tuesday. News, Virginia. It is the first purpose- instruction in a hybrid model. confidence that even more built aircraft carrier to be commissioned groups of employees will be able by the US Navy. Notably, the District is 1964: Cassius Clay (who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali) became the County commits 1M masks to schools world heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. school to be unable to reopen teachers and students safe in make classroom learning safer significant general fund ■ L.A. County officials say because of a lack of resources,” elementary schools,” said Kuehl. for teachers and students alike. expenditures and those 1986: they will distribute said Janice Hahn. “We are going “Masks and adequate ventilation This includes masking, adequate expenditures may create barriers President Ferdinand E. Marcos fled the 1 million masks to schools to give one million high quality are very important which is why ventilation, regular testing, and in delivering a quality education Philippines after 20 years of rule in the that reopen locally. masks out of our county’s this motion focuses on those contact tracing protocols. to our students,” said Dr. Gary wake of a tainted election. Corazon stockpile to schools that need two elements. Nothing we do Gonzales, Superintendent of the As school districts have Aquino assumed the presidency. them and connect school can bring COVID19 transmission South Whittier School District moved to reopen with plans to DOWNEY – The Los Angeles districts with resources so they risk to absolute zero. Our focus who called into the Board vaccinate teachers and other 1991: County Board of Supervisors can get ventilation equipment in now must be on reopening meeting to support the proposal. school staff starting March 1st, An Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks passed a proposal put forward classrooms to keep students and those sectors that can be safely public schools in lower income “The support that item 42-J in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 by Supervisors Janice Hahn and teachers alike safe.” reopened, vigilantly adhering to areas have found it more difficult would provide in the form of Americans during the Persian Gulf War. Sheila Kuehl on Tuesday to assist recommended protocols, so we The motion approved to overcome hurdles to reopening PPE, assistance in improving schools across the county as can minimize the likelihood of Tuesday will mean the county safely. HVAC systems & establishing a 1999: they work to reopen and allow transmission.” will equitably distribute 1 million testing cadence, would make for A jury in Jasper, Texas, sentenced white students to return to classrooms. A recent survey of 20 school masks to the county’s 81 school In LA County, Covid-19 case a potential savings to our general supremacist John William King to death districts in Los Angeles County The effort aims to address districts and help connect rates are down 90% from last fund, but more importantly for the dragging death of James Byrd demonstrated that schools in barriers that make it difficult for school districts with funding for month. On February 16, cases provide for a safe transition back Jr., an African-American man. more affluent areas are moving school districts in low income upgraded ventilation systems in LA County dropped below the to the classroom and provide faster to reopen than those in communities from meeting and information they need to set state’s threshold to allow schools peace of mind to parents as lower-income communities. safety guidelines for reopening. up testing programs. to reopen for in-classroom they send their students back to Birthdays learning for grades K-6. Schools “We hope to reopen our school.” “Our kids need to be back in “Over the last year, we’ve are required to take steps to schools soon, but we face Professional wrestler Ric Flair (72), classrooms and I don’t want any learned a lot about how to keep former Lakers forward Kurt Rambis (63), comedian Carrot Top (56), “Bad Boys” actress Tea Leoni (55), “Rudy” actor Sean Astin (50), comedian Chelsea Handler (46), and “The Office” Stephanie Chavez becomes Downey’s actress Rashida Jones (45). Deaths In 2017, Bill Paxton, the actor who first female Eagle Scout starred in “Twister” and “Apollo 13,” died 11 days after undergoing open heart surgery. He was 61. her turn. menstrual cycle or their period,” Her father Ismael Chavez – who may have an interest in the ■ The Downey High School Playwright died said Chavez. who is a scout master says that scouts should “go for it!” Tennessee Williams junior is recognized as “When I was younger, I would in 1983 after choking on a plastic bottle he and the rest of the family go to his camp outs, and basically Chavez made over 80 kits “Try it; it’s a really good cap. He was 71. Downey’s first female are very proud of Chavez’s all of his activities,” said Chavez. comprised of hygienic materials, experience,” said Chavez. “We Eagle Scout. accomplishment. Mexican band leader Ariel Camacho “I was really interested in it as a directions in both English and actually do have a lot of fun died in a car accident in 2015.