Thursday, July 13, 2017 Vol. 16 No. 14 OPINION FEATURES ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS Raising Patriot OC Fair Warren High’s minimum wage on vacation guide book new pool SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 9 SEE PAGE 4 Former mayor Mario Guerra releases autobiography JULY 15 ■ BOOKS: In ‘Embracing Change,” Friday 87˚ the two-time mayor reflects on his life Weekend A uthor talk with Janet Tronstad DATE: Saturday, July 15 as a Cuban immigrant. at a Glance TIME: 12 pm LOCATION: Downey City Library By Alex Dominguez SaturdayFriday 6890˚⁰ Staff Writer JULY 16 Twitter: @AADwrites Miss West Coast Pageant Sunday 87˚ DOWNEY – You’d be hard- 70⁰ DATE: Sunday, July 16 pressed to find someone in the Saturday TIME: 4 pm City of Downey who doesn’t know LOCATION: Downey Theatre the name Mario Guerra. Once described as “Downey’s THINGS TO DO JULY 18 biggest cheerleader,” the former Gangs Out of Downey meeting mayor can often be found out DATE: Tuesday, July 18 in the community fraternizing TIME: 7:40 am with friend and stranger alike, or sitting on the bench at the corner LOCATION: City Hall (2nd floor) of Downey Avenue and 2nd Street with a good cigar in hand. JULY 19 Yet there is a fair amount of Downey Sister Cities meeting back story included in the saga of Miss West Coast Pageant DATE: Wednesday, July 19 this particular mainstay Downey Sunday - Downey Theatre, 4 pm TIME: 6 pm resident. Watch as women compete for the LOCATION: Downey Library in politics, in business and my own of his successes, mistakes and Downey.” Guerra’s new book, “Embracing faith journey.” struggles, which he hopes can title of Miss West Coast. More than “Embracing Change: An Change: An Immigrant Saga,” is provide insight and inspiration. $100,000 in scholarships and prizes to Concerts in the Park: The Wiseguys the autobiographical story of the The book touches on several Immigrant Saga” can be found at be awarded. elements in Guerra’s life including “It talk’s about this 6-year-old Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and DATE: Wednesday, July 19 life, faith, and lessons learned of family, faith, business, and politics. immigrant that came on one of most major booksellers.” TIME: 7 pm a once 6-year-old Cuban boy on the first freedom flights to being Furman Park one of the first “Viaje De Libertad” While the book is Guerra’s The book was edited by Eric LOCATION: mayor of the city that put people (Freedom Flights). own personal life story, he also Pierce, who was hired by Guerra to on the moon,” said Guerra. “It’s says that it reflects the journey do so independently and separate JULY 24 Guerra’s initial motivation for just a big contrast on that.” the book may seem a bit morbid that many immigrants endure. of his role at the Downey Patriot. Prismatic Magic Extravaganza Guerra’s daughter Haley says if not outright spooky; no man “Embracing change has been Proceeds from the book will DATE: Monday, July 24 the book reflects “The Mario that in his immediate family has lived one of the mantras of my family, be donated to local veterans 4 pm people don’t know.” TIME: past the age of 60, and he turns and that’s why I called it that,” said organizations, Guerra said. Meet the Author LOCATION: Downey Theatre 59 next year. Guerra. “It’s been the mantra for “A lot of people know the Saturday - Downey Library, 12 pm A public book launch party is every refugee, for every immigrant politics of Mario already,” she said. “I started writing this as a way scheduled for Thursday, July 27, at Meet romance author Janet Tronstad who’s ever come [to the US].” “What I want to stress is there’s a at the Downey City Library. JULY 26 to kind of leave a bit of family 5 p.m. at the Columbia Memorial lot more to it that is relatable to Concerts in the Park: Downey history,” said Guerra. “But then on Guerra says that his book Space Center. people who don’t know him as Symphony the way through it I thought why contains recollections of some just the mayor, city councilman in DATE: Wednesday, July 26 not [include] lessons I’ve learned TIME: 7 pm LOCATION: Furman Park JULY 27 Brookshire Avenue to receive million-dollar Mario Guerra book launch DATE: Thursday, July 27 facelift Lowrider Show TIME: 6 pm DOWNEY – The Downey City Council on Tuesday awarded a $1.087 Saturday - Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, 10 am to 5 pm LOCATION: Columbia Memorial million construction contract for road repairs on Brookshire Avenue. Space Center Hundreds of lowriders and custom Segments of Brookshire -- between Florence Avenue and Firestone bikes, plus DJ’s and live music. Boulevard, and Imperial Highway and Gardendale Street -- will receive $1.50 admission. JULY 30 a noticeable face-lift, including new asphalt pavement; repairs of Dance is Life curbs, gutters, sidewalks and driveway approaches; and new pavement markings. DATE: Sunday, July 30 TIME: 6:30 pm Once repairs are completed, Brookshire Avenue between Imperial LOCATION: Downey Theatre and Florence will be designated a Class III bicycle route, although there will be no dedicated bicycle lanes. AUGUST 5 Work is expected to begin in August and be completed this Concerts in the Park: A Salute to November. Santana Gabriel Iglesias Orange-based R.J. Noble Company was the lowest of eight bidders Friday - OC Fair, 8 pm DATE: Saturday, Aug. 5 and received the project contract. TIME: 5 pm Fluffy Guy opens the OC Fair as part LOCATION: Golden Park By Eric Pierce, editor of his FluffyMania World Tour. Show tickets includes admission to the fair. Photo by Alex Dominguez Hot Havana Nights DATE: Saturday, Aug. 5 FROM OUR FACEBOOK TIME: 6:30 pm LOCATION: Elks Lodge Street repairs on Brookshire Avenue AUGUST 12 Smart Gardening workshop Bartolo Joseph: I hope they don’t install those islands in DATE: Saturday, Aug. 12 the middle of the road with TIME: 9:30 am trees and stuff. LOCATION: Wilderness Park Diane Flores: Just in time when it’s back to school..... AUGUST 19 traffic and more traffic Rocket Fever Joeanna Quinteros: DATE: Saturday, Aug. 19 Brookshire isn’t even that TIME: 10 am bad. I’ve seen some horrible LOCATION: Columbia Memorial residential streets that could really use the makeover Space Center Reach us on Facebook at: OCTOBER 13 Facebook.com/DowneyPatriot Elvis Tribute DATE: Friday, Oct. 13 Downey blues rock band RMB will be releasing their debut The Wiseguys Big Band Machine, an 18-piece ensemble album later this month. TWEET OF THE WEEK TIME: 8 pm that plays everthings from swing to swank, will perform The album, called “Sober Soul,” will be released at a LOCATION: Downey Theatre @CarolKearnsLA: #KBHomes Wednesday at Furman Park, part of the city of Downey’s release party on July 15 at 8 p.m. at At the Top in Long summer concerts in the park series. are lined up like shoeboxes OCTOBER 29 Beach. & only 3 ft from Paramount. Eligible residents age 50 and older, along with two Dia de los Muertos The release party will feature performances by several Where are patios, balconies, companions, can receive free bus transportation to the bands, including fellow Downey band New American. DATE: Sunday, Oct. 29 concert. Riders must provide proof of age and residency. gardens for quality of life? TIME: 11 am Tickets to the event are $13 or $10 presale at bit.ly/ For details, call (562) 904-7215. Follow us! LOCATION: Downey Theatre rmbtickets. The event is 21 and over. @DowneyPatriot 2 | The Downey Patriot Thursday, July 13, 2017 Mario Guerra’s story is book material ■ BOOKS: The autobiography of speaking strictly as a writer and Downey’s two-time former mayor journalist, his candid personality didn’t happen overnight. was an interviewer’s best friend. I also got to know another side to Guerra, one not typically By Eric Pierce seen by the average citizen. Editor It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2015 when I got a panicked phone call from DOWNEY – Mario Guerra my mom. She was working as a was a community volunteer long live-in nurse to an elderly woman before he ventured into local who was near death. A devoutly politics, but his election to the Dave Dodge of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife religious woman, she insisted Downey City Council in 2006 visited Wednesday’s meeting of Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis where on receiving her last rites before transformed him from ordinary taking her final breath. he spoke of local and statewide efforts to cohabitate with coyotes, family man and Little League which are increasingly losing their fear of humans. There was little time to spare. president into a bona fide public “Embracing Change: An Immigrant Saga” is an Priests from the local Catholic According to Dodge, coyotes typically travel in families and stay figure, and his propensity for the autobiography of former Downey mayor Mario Guerra. close to food sources. In fact, coytoes are known to stay within a spotlight cemented his image as churches were in the middle of quarter-mile of their last meal. an outspoken – and sometimes Sunday services, so my mom brash – politician. asked if Guerra – an ordained that, frankly, saved the Gangs Out Born in Cuba, Guerra arrived Over-development is destroying coyotes’ natural resources, deacon and chaplain with the of Downey toy drive from being in the United States at just six driving them into urban neighborhoods.