Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017 Vol. 15 No. 43 NEWS FEATURES OBITUARIES ENTERTAINMENT Apollo 1 Message from Residents What’s new tribute the mayor mourned on Netflix SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 8 Off-duty Analysis: Downey’s new-look City Council police officer shoots burglary shows signs of promise suspects FridayWeekend63˚ DOWNEY – An off-duty Los By Lawrence Christon Angeles Police Department officer Contributor at a was involved in a shooting incident Glance early Monday morning when he DOWNEY – We’ve grown so Saturday 6865˚⁰ confronted two burglary suspects accustomed to rancor and even Friday at his residence. loathing between parties and factions of the federal government According to a press release that we’re in danger of forgetting posted by the Downey Police Sunday 64˚ ⁰ that the democratic process can’t 70 Department, the incident occurred Saturday work without people of different on the 7800 block of Borson Street minds getting together to hash out at around 1:00 a.m. decisions in the name of fairness The off-duty officer was and the greater good. THINGS TO DO assaulted and discharged his It was a pleasant surprise weapon during the encounter. therefore to see the city council Both suspects sustained in action last week, which worked gunshot wounds and were taken to hard to check off the items of a local hospitals for treatment. The busy to-do list without the farcical officer involved was also treated exchanges and gasbag monologues for minor injuries at a local hospital. that often characterized meetings prior to the newly elected lineup, as DPD, as well as the District though those sessions were some Chinese New Year Festival Attorney’s Office is currently kind of late night talk show with Mayor Fernando Vasquez speaks at last week’s City Council meeting. Courtesy photo Saturday - Chinatown, 12-8 pm investigating the incident. lame jokes. Culture, food and fun for all ages. Alex Dominguez, staff writer There were clearly no hard 118th annual Golden Dragon Parade recommendations for public safety; from 1-3 p.m. feelings, for example, between Sean the projected new rail link (2029) Ashton and the rest of the council, between Artesia to South Downey; particularly Alex Saab, who had tried and among other announcements, Church to offer to ace Ashton out of his rightful the need for barriers around place in the mayor pro tem cycle of the iconic Bob’s Big Boy to keep free health appointment—an action that drew drunken drivers from crashing into heated protest from the Downey it, as happened earlier in the month. community. Saab’s implication was services that Ashton wasn’t up to the task, Not to be outdone, Mayor DOWNEY – Downey-Florence that something was wrong with him Fernando Vasquez hit the city/ Seventh-day Adventist Church will somehow. Indeed Ashton rarely police exacta (“The cohesiveness Surf City Marathon host a community health clinic uttered a peep at earlier sessions and support we have from our Sunday - Huntington Beach Pier, 6 am community is second to none; March 19-20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. I attended. But now he spoke up Run the full marathon or optional freely and intelligently, as if he 90% support our police”) while The church will provide various half-marathon. Live bands performing understood the need to pull his praising local fire and police effort along the route. medical services at no cost, along own weight. And for his part, the to minimize the flood damage from with free dental care and optometry chastened Saab acted an adult: no the recent rainstorms. He reported services (with free glasses). grudges, let’s move on. that the Florence Avenue overpass From left: Mayor Pro Tem Sean Ashton, Councilman Rick Rodriguez, new construction is 37% complete; There will also be medical Another pleasant surprise planning commissioner Dr. Steve Dominguez, Mayor Fernando Vasquez, screenings, medical consultations, cited an excellence award for our was how well Rick Rodriguez and city manager, Gilbert Livas; and Councilmember Blanca Pacheco and Councilmember Alex Saab. nutritional counseling, massage Blanca Pacheco took to water as mentioned Downey’s inclusion as and chiropractic care, and more. both political novices and newly one of only a hundred cities in a about the homeless problem, which To watch the city council grapple elected council members. You’d “These services are provided nationwide Bloomberg initiative is clearly vexing, both nationally and with this intractable issue was to think it would take months for them by volunteer licensed health aimed at finding ways to make local to temperate Los Angeles County, witness an exercise in humanity, to grow into their roles within the Juicy J professionals, and we could have governments more effective. which counts over 46,000 indigents. which is no small thing. They complexities of city government, Saturday - Hollywood Palladium, 7 pm the capacity to see almost 400 Rick Rodriguez mentioned the 90 worked hard into the night. And but a local orientation as well as a The awards, proclamations patients during that time in dental Downey churches, as well as service the discussion about committee The Grammy Award-nominated hip-hop boot camp session in Sacramento and acknowledgement segment artist performs live with Project Pat alone,” said Pastor Cary Fisher. clubs and nonprofit organizations, meetings during the day, requiring did the trick. followed. Healthy Heart Award. New and Belly. which are trying to deal with council members have to leave their police hires. Planning Commission. The church is located at 9820 homeless needs. Vasquez wondered regular jobs, underscored Saab’s The earliest part of council Rose Float Association. Used Lakewood Blvd. For questions, call aloud about how to get them jobs. earlier statement, “You have no idea meetings routinely consists of each oil recycled artwork awards to the church at (562) 869-6013. Livas came closest to the core of the how much personal sacrifice this member giving the public a report elementary schoolkids citywide. The issue when he said, “Our biggest requires.” on what they’ve been up to; that is, auditorium was packed with cops, after everyone dutifully asserts how problem is getting them to accept their friends and families, kids and Late in the evening, Rodriguez great a city Downey is, a seeming help.” their families, Rose Float people, announced that he was cancelling Downey Rose mandatory postscript to The Pledge photographers and selfie-takers That’s because it’s basically his security firm’s contract with of Allegiance. The next requirement with council members who drifted a mental health issue that has the city. No one asked him to. The Float news is to take separate developments down from the dais and into the somehow morphed into a social subject never came up. But he and groups and assert how great David Bowie Exhibit audience. By the time it got down to problem. No one seemed to decided on his own to avoid any they are (boosterism is an essential Saturday - Forest Lawn Memorial Park and events city business, the place had cleared recall that, before the Reagan conflict of interest issue (this has part of council function; everyone in Glendale, 10 am to 5 pm DOWNEY – Miss Downey will out and was nearly deserted. administration shut down mental not been true of everyone in the does it). The new playground at A collection of 27 images of the late be accepting applications Monday, hospitals and clinics as a cost- council’s history, then and now). Independence Park, and Downey’s Now the work began, some rocker David Bowie from his 1997 visit Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. at Trinity Baptist cutting initiative during the 1980s, Girl Scout troops, earned Pacheco’s of it involving minutiae, like the to Mexico. Church for Little Miss Downey (ages you didn’t see so many people It was then you saw what nod. Her role with Gangs Out of building code update on electrical, 5 to 9) and Junior Miss Downey living in the streets and under a promising team this group is Downey, and her report that there mechanical and plumbing designed (ages 10 to 12). freeway overpasses. Vagrancy laws already turning out to be, and how FROM OUR FACEBOOK are no street gangs in the city, are to meet green building standards; were enforced. Clinical treatment, important good chemistry is with Practice will follow from 6-7:30 genuinely noteworthy. and later, how to switch Downey’s including medication and residency, people who make policy. There are Downey Police hold Friday p.m. 2200 streetlights to LED lighting, larger concerns they may not be For his part, Rodriguez (“It was was widely available. But somehow, night checkpoint which would save the city $74,000, equipped to handle, but Rodriguez’s Applications for Miss Teen just awesome to see how great our with the closings and the question Downey (13-15) and Miss Downey while many of the light poles are good will seems contagious, an city is”) praised the Keep Downey of civil rights, and especially Godfrey Barcelon: They come in bad shape and their owner, intangible that informs everyone in (16-23) will be accepted at 7 p.m., Beautiful program, and announced cutbacks in social programs, people from outside Downey to have Southern California Edison is, as the room and may well take them with practice to follow from 7-8:30 the volunteer cleanup campaign in need were abandoned (up until a good time having to much to p.m. Ashton observed, “not cooperative.” farther than one would expect. drink litter our Downey streets that will muster at the Metro Rail a few months ago, I saw a middle- and drive recklessly and start Call Jennifer for more station on February 18th.