Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 Vol. 14 No. 44 FEATURES NEWS HEALTH NEWS Joslyn Davis on State of the City Fecal Poet Peggy ‘Amazing Race’ address treatments Dobreer SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 8 Donations to Red Cross With Downey Ballhogs, all kids plummet The American Red Cross ran have opportunities to play FridayWeekend86˚ a deficit of $159 million last fiscal “They won Utah Nationals last year, battered by a steep drop in year,” said Johnson. “…They go out at a fundraising and its struggling blood all around.” Glance banking division, according to newly Saturday ⁰ released financial statements. The Lady Hogs will be heading to 6882˚ Florida in July of this year, as well as Friday Former AT&T executive Gail Las Vegas and Reno. McGovern, who was hired as CEO in 2008 with a brief to stabilize the Currently, several of the team moms are busy at work trying to Sunday 90˚ ⁰ charity’s finances, has spent the last Saturday 70 eight years making deep cuts in the prepare for such trips, as well as the Red Cross’ workforce and trying team’s local play. to bring in more donations with an “The older girls, you know they’re increased focus on branding. gonna be going to Reno, they’re But the new financial statements gonna go to Vegas. We’re trying to THINGS TO DO show contributions to the Red Cross get them sponsors so that this can be fell to $604 million, about $120 easier on the pockets for the parents, million less than the previous year. because it can be very expensive, It is the worst fundraising result the especially with the traveling aspect of Red Cross has had since at least 2000, it,” said Tania Cortez, team mom for the last year for which we could find the 6th grade girls, 5th grade boys, financial records. and the 3rd grade teams. The Red Cross’ fundraising can A full team traveling for around a week will cost around $5000 as a swing wildly, spiking when there’s a Photo by John Zander Sleeping Beauty whole. major disaster and dropping in years Sunday - Downey Theatre, 7 p.m. with no big televised catastrophe. “It’s very expensive, it’s very The classic love story is performed by competitive,” said Cortez “…but But there have been no signature the Russian National Ballet. disasters in either of the past two By Alex Dominguez then we started getting more boys teams are somewhere around $150 to again, because Lovell is very family Tickets $35-$45 years, raising the question of why Contributor and it ballooned into three teams,” $300 a month.” oriented and he doesn’t turn away donations dropped so much. said Johnson. Soon after their initial success, nobody and he doesn’t say no to A Red Cross spokesperson At that point, however, Johnson the Ball Hogs attracted girls to the any kid because he believes every DOWNEY – The Downey Ball kid should have a chance, he’s one declined to comment in response to Hogs and Lady Hogs are hard at realized that funds were starting to league, and the Lady Hogs were born. questions about its financial results. become an issue for many of the kids The league currently has around 40 of the cheapest, if not the cheapest work preparing for their upcoming leagues out there that you can find In a letter to a congressman last travel ball season. and their families. kids, however when the high school kids become re-eligible to play travel for single parents, for very low- month, McGovern says she presided The Ball Hogs were created by “It was like ‘it’s too expensive for income families. That’s kind of what over “Turnaround I” after inheriting everybody here,’ so to maintain it I ball in March, the league will expand founder and coach Lovell Johnson, to around 150. he does it for…this gives them the financial problems at the charity in who put together a team at the was dumping into it out of my own opportunity to at least try out and see 2008 and that she is now in the midst pocket,” said Johnson. “…I noticed Johnson describes his eighth what they like.” request of his son who wanted to Lisa Lampanelli of “Turnaround II” as a result of a play basketball during the winter and the parents I was getting was a lot of grade girls’ team as playing at the elite drop in demand for blood. single parent families; a lot of at-risk level, while the others play at more of For more information, visit Saturday, Grove of Anaheim, 8 p.m. spring. Originally Johnson didn’t downeyballhogs.com. The Red Cross’ large blood believe the endeavor would last long. kids too believe it or not. What we a novice level. The eighth grade girls’ The “Queen of Mean” comedian banking division, which has been could do is fundraise and whatever team is extremely competitive and performs live on stage. $46 “I thought it was a flash in the is short I’ll put in. We were only has had a lot of success. struggling amid industry-wide pan thing that was gonna happen, declines and other issues, lost $71 charging them $50, when most other million in 2015. McGovern also wrote in the FROM OUR FACEBOOK letter that fundraising is actually improving, but the charity has not City Council considering provided data to substantiate the Downey to close streets May 1 for its own ballot measure for claim. sales tax increase McGovern wrote that donations have increased “14 percent since Lisa Volkov: I received the CicLAvia-type event survey call and found the 2008” if major disasters are excluded. DOWNEY – The City of Downey will hold its first ever “Ride & Stride” questions biased toward It’s not clear how the group is arriving event on Sunday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the tax. The questions were at the figure. It declined our request worded in a way that if you for details on the calculation. The event will offer a 5.5 mile route with various stops that will feature said no to the tax you would entertainment stages, food, vendors, games, and much more. This route will be saying yes to crime, moving The group’s revenue in 2015 be completely closed to vehicular traffic and will allow the public to explore to county fire & police and was also hurt by a decline in the city by walking, jogging, biking, skating, and strolling. deteriorating parks. Either the contributions from the United Way city council is playing games All forms of non-motorized transit are welcomed, including scooters, or they hired a lousy research and other federated sources, which company. fell from $104 million to $77 million. bicycles, wheelchairs, skateboards, wagons, strollers, and rollerblades. A United Way spokesperson told us Downey’s “Ride & Stride” is funded through the Los Angeles County Bruce Fallon: Read my lips NO it has cut contributions to the Red Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Open Streets Grant MORE TAXES. Cross in recent years because it has Program, which seeks to increase opportunities for walking, biking, and shifted to a “community impact public transit to help create a more mobile and sustainable transportation Cathy Boggs: We don’t funding model.” system in the L.A. region. need a higher tax rate and we definitely don’t need While the Red Cross’ audited “Ride & Stride” is one out of eight Open Streets events that are projected marijuana dispensaries financial statements show a $159 to collectively attract nearly half a million attendees. either! Time to buckle down million deficit for last fiscal year, “It will be a day where we’ll all have the opportunity to explore our city in on spending and make things McGovern last month cited an Photo by Pam Lane, DowneyDailyPhotos.com work with the money already a safe, car-free zone, and view many of the things our city has to offer such as there. “operating deficit” of just $36 million our Columbia Memorial Space Center, The Promenade, Downtown Downey, Sports Complex. for the year. The charity previously Civic Center, and much more,” said Mayor Alex Saab. An informational meeting will be held this Saturday, Feb. 13 at 9 a.m., Brian Chambers: Tell them said that it created a concept of During this event, the city will also feature “Kidslavia,” a free family event at the Barbara J. Riley Center, where the public can learn all about the event, to go get their money from “operating” surpluses or deficits that the scum Walmart store they with entertainment, food booths, carnival games, teen challenge, Boy Scout street closures, what to expect, and opportunities to be a vendor, volunteer, “reflect Red Cross performance in allowed in or the massive Village and information booths. “Kidslavia” will be held at the Discovery or performer. managing our day-to-day revenues condo development being built on Paramount. and expenses.” But it’s impossible to tell where that figure comes from Jason Bohr: Not a chance in because the group has declined to hell I’d support this. There is show its calculations. more than enough businesses to generate this. No more –Justin Elliott, ProPublica Family avoids injury after armored truck subsidies to businesses to come to Downey. Mirna Ayala: How about a big Judge allows cameras crashes into apartment NO. inside courtroom DOWNEY – An armored truck crashed through a Downey apartment building Saturday afternoon, causing significant damage and narrowly Brianna Castillo: No.