Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 Vol. 19 No. 40 NEWS NEWS CRIME REPORT REAL ESTATE Former Norwalk New fire chief Shoe store Can you cancel mayor dies takes oath robbery a listing? SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 11 Calvary defies Most Downey firefighters health choose vaccinations Friday 73˚ ■ About 70% of Downey orders firefighters agreed to be Saturday 74˚ vaccinated. ■ The Downey megachurch has repeatedly downplayed By Alex Dominguez Sunday 73˚ Covid-19, even after the Staff Writer death of a pastor. DOWNEY – The final handful By Alex Dominguez of Downey Fire Department ON THIS DAY Staff Writer members received the Covid-19 vaccination produced by Moderna JANUARY 7 on Thursday, as the region 1927: DOWNEY – Even as continues to face a mounting Commercial transatlantic telephone coronavirus continues to surge, case surge and dire hospital service was inaugurated between New one of Downey’s largest spiritual occupancy. organizations is encouraging York and London. According to Ivan Orloff, its parishioners to “stand up” paramedic coordinator for DFD, against COVID-19. 1953: an estimated 60 department Calvary Chapel Downey President Harry S. Truman announced personnel were vaccinated. in his State of the Union address that has recently found itself in “This is all part of the the United States had developed a the middle of the debate over FDA EUA phase-1 program to hydrogen bomb. religious freedom during a vaccinate first responders,” said pandemic, notably how – or Orloff. if - a congregation should 1955: meet to worship at a time Vaccinations for the Singer Marian Anderson made her when government officials are department started last week and debut with the Metropolitan Opera pleading with their constituents were broken up over three days. in New York, becoming the first black to stay home. There were some who person to perform there as a member. declined to be vaccinated, which Calvary has taken a stubborn Downey firefighters received doses of the Moderna vaccine on Thursday. (Photo by Alex Dominguez) stance on the matter, continuing Orloff said was to be expected. 1959: to hold in person services “Most of the agencies that The United States recognized Fidel was required. Even our station means the more wall time you members from getting seriously while racking up several health have been doing the same Castro’s new government in Cuba life has changed a little bit,” said have at a hospital, then that’s affected by the Covid-19 protocol violation citations from vaccinations we are have been Orloff. “How we operate on scene less time for us to be available to disease, then we’re going to the county, the most recent around 70% acceptance rate, and changes a little bit because we try go on other responses.” end up providing service to our 1979: being given to the chapel’s we’re right about there,” said to limit the number of personnel community,” said Orloff. “It’s Vietnamese forces captured the associated Christian school on Orloff. They’ve also had about a that are in contact with COVID dozen of their members infected up to us as essential workers to Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, Dec. 10. Like all other organizations, infected patients.” over the course of the pandemic. be healthy, to be fit for duty. So, overthrowing the Khmer Rouge It’s a record that the church – DFD has had to adapt how they if we can keep ourselves healthy government. “Then there’s the whole Orloff hopes that being and notably, its senior pastor Jeff operate during the pandemic’s and away from this disease, then trickle effect. If the hospital is vaccinated will help its staff Johnson – seem to have taken in duration. we can provide service to our 1999: inundated…all of that trickles provide the quality care that stride. “If we’re talking about times community.” down to us with what we call they strive to give while also President Bill Clinton’s impeachment “We’re being tested. Pastors prior to COVID, we didn’t have ambulance patient offload time, maneuvering through the trial began in the Senate. need to take a stand,” Johnson the PPE requirements, we didn’t’ or sometimes just called wall pandemic. said from the pulpit during have the social distancing that times, and those increase. That 2004: a morning service on Sept. “If this vaccine keeps our 20, which can be viewed on Actor Brad Pitt and actress Jennifer Aniston announced they were Facebook and YouTube. “What separating after four years of marriage. are you so afraid of? That they’re threatening to throw you in jail or fine your church?” 2006: With hospitals overwhelmed, American journalist Jill Carroll was “We’ve been fined; every Sunday we’re fined. They abducted in Iraq and a translator was killed. (Carroll was released unharmed threatened me. So what? This after 82 days.) is more important than all of that.” 2006: In the same post, Johnson leaders plead for help Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, facing describes the use of masks as corruption charges, stepped down as instead send the USNS Comfort “spoofs” and discredits official ■ Officials are requesting House majority leader. statistics, while also suggesting federal help to support hospital ship with medical personnel to provide backup for that the disease is “serious” and overburdened hospitals. “could take people out.” L.A. County’s strained hospital 2015: Two gunmen killed 11 people at the Nearly a month later – in a system. The ship is currently By Eric Pierce offices of “Charlie Hebdo,” a weekly video dated Nov. 15 – Johnson stationed in Virginia. Editor satirical newspaper based in Paris. announces that some church “We have to plan for the very staff had contracted the virus, real possibility that this surge including a few who “got it very DOWNEY – An effort to gets much worse in coming seriously.” return a U.S. Navy hospital ship weeks and months,” Hahn said. Birthdays Just over a week later on Nov. to Southern California to help This week, Gov. Gavin Soft rock singerKenny Loggins (73), 23, another video was posted overburdened hospitals failed Newsom and the state’s Office “NYPD Blue” actor David Caruso (65), where Johnson announces the this week after military officials of Emergency Services (OES) television journalist Katie Couric (64), passing of one of the chapel’s said the vessel is down for approved a request for 500 federal Washington Football Team coach Ron pastors. While coronavirus is repairs. medical workers to temporarily Rivera (59), “Gone in 60 Seconds” actor Nicolas Cage (57), Academy never specifically mentioned, “Our healthcare system is relieve hospitals. Award nominated actor Jeremy the symptoms and progression spread thin with scarce resources “Our plea for help has been Renner (50), former Angels closer of the deceased which Johnson such as staffing shortages, heard,” Hahn said. “I appreciate The USNS Mercy arrived in Los Angeles last May to help ease the Francisco Rodriguez (39), and Ravens describes is similar to what intensive care units reaching and support Governor Newsom strain on area hospitals. The ship is currently unavailable due to quarterback Lamar Jackson (24). is currently accepted as what capacity, limited oxygen and and Cal OES’s request to the scheduled maintenance. (Navy photo) occurs in a severe COVID-19 equipment, and our doctors, federal government for 500 Deaths case. nurses and healthcare workers medical personnel to help our Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American Multiple calls were made to being stretched to their limits overwhelmed hospitals. our Downey hospital so that decisions to protect each other.” engineer and physicist who invented as they battle the current Calvary Chapel for comment “The situation is dire this valuable resource can be Testing results are available the first alternating current (AC) motor, Covid-19 surge,” Mayor Claudia without a response in time for statewide, but nowhere is this dedicated to those that need for nearly 4,850,000 people with died on this date in 1943. The cause of M. Frometa wrote to L.A. County publication. help more desperately needed assistance.” 17% of people testing positive. death was coronary thrombosis. Tesla Supervisor Janice Hahn. than here in LA County. If the was 86. While some of Calvary’s PIH is currently treating 172 On Nov. 1, the test positivity “Los Angeles County is facing federal government fulfills this pre-service ad material suggest Covid-19 patients at its Downey rate was 3.8%. Wednesday’s test Television personality Huell Howser, the fastest acceleration of new request, I urge that every medical that the church is encouraging hospital, up from 135 on Dec. 31. positivity rate increased to 21.8%. popular for sharing California’s rich the use of masks and social cases and deaths than at any personnel that can be spared history on the KCET show “California’s As of Wednesday, 128 Downey “This is very significant distancing, the rhetoric from the other time during the pandemic,” be sent to our hospitals in LA Gold,” died of prostate cancer in 2013. residents have died of Covid-19 because it means one in five pulpit continues to paint a more Frometa added. “It is imperative County.” He was 67. and 12,776 have been infected. people who are tested are defiant message. that all efforts at the federal, Meanwhile, the U.S. Army , emperor of Japan from 1926 County health officials carrying the Covid-19 virus Hirohito state and local government levels Corps of Engineers dispatched until his death in 1989, died of duodenal In a post from Dec. 6, said people are continuing to and can expose others to this are made to bring back the USNS a team of workers to PIH Health cancer.