SEE PAGE 2 for byop: bring your own pumpkin at the library
SEE PAGE 3 FOR california #1 in after school programs MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014 - NOVEMBER 2, 2014
cypressnewspress.com
VOLUME 1, NO. 18
No more race-based lockdowns in Cali- National fornia prisons nurses call by jennifer schlueter on President Obama to issue executive order directing hospitals to follow highest standards for beating Ebola
In February 2011, LeClaire Jr. was absent without leave from his duty station in Texas. At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2011, LeClaire Jr. was in a hotel room drinking and socializing with three other men at the Cypress Lodge on Lincoln
With concern escalating across the U.S. about the threat of a wider Ebola outbreak, National Nurses United today called on President Barack Obama to “invoke his executive authority” to order all U.S. hospitals to meet the highest “uniform, national standards and protocols” in order to “safely protect patients, all healthcare workers and the public.” The request, send in a letter to the President, came on a day in which NNU, the largest U.S. organization of nurses, hosted a national call-in conference in which 11,500 RNs from across the U.S. joined to discuss what steps should be taken to confront a virulent disease that the World Health Organization has termed the most significant health crisis in modern history. On the call, RNs from California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Texas described widespread concerns in their hospitals about inadequate preparedness at a time at least two nurses have been tested positive for the Ebola virus
Please see page 4
Please see page 4
California High Desert State Prison, where a race-based lockdown called for a civil rights law suit - Courtesy Photo
In 2006, African American inmates of the California High Desert State Prison had been locked down for 14 months deprived from outdoor exercise, rehabilitation programs, and prison jobs after two guards had been attacked
by prisoners. The lockdown was solely based on race and unjustly included inmates who didn’t take part in the incident. According to the Los Angeles Times, another incident concerning a “riot between northern
and southern Mexican gangs at Pelican Bay State Prison, resulted in a three-year lockdown” during which prisoners “were denied family visits, issued housing and Please see page 2
Soldier sentenced for Cypress hotel shooting killing 1, wounding 2 A United States Army deserter was sentenced today to 90 years to life in state prison plus a determinate sentence of 11 years and four months in state prison for shooting and murdering an acquaintance and seriously wounding the defendant’s father and another man in an unprovoked shooting at a Cypress hotel. Ste-
ven Matthew LeClaire Jr., 26, was found guilty by a jury Aug. 1, 2014, of one felony count of second degree murder, two felony counts of attempted murder, and sentencing enhancements for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death and the personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury.
2 | OCTOBER 27, 2014 - NOVEMBER 2, 2014
BYOP: Bring Your Own Pumpkin A spooktacularly FREE event at the Cypress Library, Thursday, October 30th from 3-5pm. You bring the pumpkin and we supply the rest! Pumpkins may be dropped off in advance, Tuesday – Thursday.
Come carve or decorate your pumpkin. Make a trick-or-treat basket too! All pumpkins must be taken home after the program. Please call the library at 714-826-0350 for more information.
Immigration official sentenced to 30 months in prison for soliciting bribes to approve applications for citizenship and green card An immigration service officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) who took thousands of dollars in bribes from immigrants who were seeking either citizenship or lawful permanent resident status in the United States was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison. Mai Nhu Nguyen, 48, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton. From 2011 through June 2013, Nguyen solicited and took bribes from Vietnamese immigrants. In one case, Nguyen took
$1,000 from an immigrant seeking a “Green Card” and 200 egg rolls from an immigrant seeking citizenship. Nguyen, who worked at USCIS’s Santa Ana office for approximately eight years and is now on leave, was an immigration service officer with the power to approve or deny applications for immigration benefits that are submitted by immigrants. The case against Nguyen is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
California applies for $140 million early childhood education grant State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and State Board of Education President Michael W. Kirst have announced that California has submitted an application for the U.S. Department of Education Preschool Expansion Grant. “I am excited at this tremendous opportunity that could give many more children the early learning experience that serves as a happy, healthy foundation on which to grow and learn,” Torlakson said. “Expanding access to preschool helps our young children throughout school and later in life.” “Our goal is to support highquality preschool and build upon the $250 million investment California provided in the June budget for preschool expansion,” said Kirst. “These grant funds will be directed locally to help meet the needs of low-income four year olds, especially those with disabilities.” The grant could provide California with $140 million—$35 million per year over a four-year period—to support the development of high-quality state preschool programs. This funding would provide for more than 3,700 new and improved preschool spaces for low-income and special needs children. California’s application especially emphasizes inclusive
preschools: high-quality programs and supports for children, including those with diverse needs such as children with individual education programs, English learners, and migrant children. Through this effort, California seeks to build and support a culture and community of inclusion from the earliest point possible for children. California’s application was developed by a close working partnership involving the California Department of Education, First 5 California, and the State Board of Education. If funded, the work would be carried out by specifically selected regional subgrantees that include local preschool agencies. California’s continued success working with and funding Regional Consortia as part of its regionally based Race to the TopEarly Learning Challenge (RTTELC) implementation provided the knowledge, capacity, and partnerships to engage in a rigorous subgrantee selection process. California may well be competing with nearly two dozen other states who have submitted a notice of intent to apply for a portion of the expansion grants. A decision is expected by the end of the year. For additional information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Preschool Development Grants site.
No more race-based lockdowns Continued from page 1
work assignments and assigned outdoor exercise times all based on race.” Because some gangs are associated with a certain race, these lockdowns happen. Lawyer Rebekah Evenson told CBS that out of 600 annual lockdowns in California prisons, 200 are based on race. No other state has such race-based policies, reported the Times. Prison officials claim these lockdowns are safety measures, so that they can con-
duct investigations after violent occasions. Following the incident at the California High Desert State Prison, lawyers for inmates filed a civil rights lawsuit against the unfair lockdown. Out of the resulting settlement, last Wednesday’s decision of California officials to end these lockdowns came forth and ruled them to be unconstitutional because they violate the equal protection granted by the 14th Amendment.
OCTOBER 27, 2014 - NOVEMBER 2, 2014 | 3
hlr media EDITORIAL
jschlueter@hlrmedia.com
Editor
Jennifer Schlueter
Publisher HLR Media
Advertising
advertising@hlrmedia.com
Submissions:
Please send all press releases to: jschlueter@hlrmedia.com HLR Media, LLC .All contents herein are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily that of the management and staff at HLR Media, LLC
Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452
Alhambra PRESS
Baldwin Park
INDEPENDENT
INDEPENDENT
California ranked #1 in after school programs State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that California leads the nation in after school programs, placing first among all states in a national survey released Thursday by the Afterschool Alliance. “The good news is, because we have followed through on our long-term commitment to invest in our children, California has the largest network of after school programs in the country,” Torlakson said. “These programs are helping our children learn and stay safe after school, while helping working parents keep their jobs. The challenge is that many more children still need to be served.” Torlakson celebrated California’s number one ranking with students, parents, community leaders, and advocates Thursday in a visit to the after school program at Roy Romer Middle School in North Hollywood. The Alliance gave California its top ranking in the 2014 edition of its “America After 3PM” survey, singling the state out for both strong participation among students and high satisfaction with after school programs among parents. It found that expanded learning participation in California had increased to 25 percent, compared to 19 percent in 2009, with more than 1.6 million students enrolled. The survey also found that 92 percent of California parents were satisfied with the quality of care of their child’s after school program, up from 83 percent in 2009. “Superintendent Torlakson has spearheaded efforts to make California number one in the nation,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “He created a statewide after school initiative within the California Department of Education that has increased quality and access to after school programs across this state. California stands head and shoulders above the rest of the country, not only for the percentage of
students it serves, but for its emphasis on making high-quality after school programs a state priority. From extraordinary STEM programs, to service learning, to its trailblazing literacy programming, California has done an amazing job with afterschool programs.” The Alliance’s report also noted California’s work to emphasize the quality of programs, including Torlakson’s move to create an After School Division within the California Department of Education (CDE) and to develop a strategic plan to build on the state’s investments in expanded learning. The CDE also recently completed development of newQuality Standards for Expanded Learning programs. A teacher and long-time
track and cross-country coach, Torlakson has long been a champion of after school programs. Legislation he authored led to the creation and expansion of these programs. California’s expanded learning programs today reach about 4,500 schools around the state. They are, in large part, funded through voter-approved Proposition 49, which guarantees $550 million annually for the state’s After School Education and Safety Program. California administers another $120 million in federal after school program funds. For more information about expanded learning, visit the CDE After School Division’s California Expanded Learning Programs Facebook Web page.
Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086
4 | OCTOBER 27, 2014 - NOVEMBER 2, 2014
National nurses call on President Obama to help fight Ebola Continued from page 1
in a hospital where one patient infected by the disease has died. The call came just hours after NNU released a statement by RNs who work at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas voicing frustration and concern over what they viewed as a lack of preparation and training at their hospital, the first in the U.S. to see, first a patient with Ebola who subsequently died, and now an RN who has been infected with the virus. In the statement, the Texas RNs described confusion in the hospital over policies in responding to patients with Ebola, inadequate advance training and availability of proper personal protective equipment, and changing guidelines. In the end, the nurses, said they felt “unsupported, unprepared and deserted to handle the situation on their own.” “Sadly, the problems expressed by the heroic Texas Health Presbyterian RNs was predictable in our fragmented, uncoordinated private healthcare system, and it mirrors concerns
we’ve heard from nurses across the U.S.,” said NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro. It is the circumstances in Dallas, which have mirror the concerns nurses across the U.S. have been expressing, both on the call and via an online NNU survey filled out by more than 2,500 nurses that have prompted NNU to call on President Obama to mandate improved safety standards in U.S. health facilities. “Not one more patient, nurse, or healthcare worker should be put at risk due to a lack of health care facility preparedness,” DeMoro said in the letter to President Obama. “The United States should be setting the example on how to contain and eradicate the Ebola virus.” The letter also states: “Every healthcare employer must be directed to follow the Precautionary Principle and institute the following: “Optimal personal protective equipment for Ebola that meets the highest standards used by the University of Nebraska
Medical Center “Full-body hazmat suits that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1670 standard for blood penetration, the ASTM F1671 standard for viral penetration, and that leave no skin exposed or unprotected and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Healthapproved powered air purifying respirators with an assigned protection factor of at least 50 – or a higher standard as appropriate. “There shall be at least two direct care registered nurses caring for each Ebola patient with additional RNs assigned as needed based on the direct care RN’s professional judgment with no additional patient care assignments. “There will be continuous interactive training with the RNs who are exposed to patients. There will also be continuous updated training and education for all RNs that is responsive to the changing nature of disease. This would entail continuous interactive training and expertise from facilities where state of the art dis-
ease containment is occurring. “If the Employer has a program with standards that exceed those used by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the higher standard shall be used. The Ebola pandemic and the exposure of health care workers to the virus represent a clear and present danger to public health. “We know that without these mandates to health care facilities we are putting registered nurses, physicians and other healthcare workers at extreme risk. They are our first line of defense. We would not send soldiers to the battlefield without armor and weapons. “In conclusion, not one more patient, nurse, or healthcare worker should be put at risk due to a lack of health care facility preparedness. The United States should be setting the example on how to contain and eradicate the Ebola virus. Nothing short of your mandate that optimal standards apply is acceptable to the nurses of this nation,” the letter from DeMoro to the President concludes.
Man sentenced for shooting at Cypress hotel Continued from page 1
Avenue. The other men included the defendant’s father, Steven LeClaire Sr., then 42, and friends Marques Murray, 24, and Raymond Eligan, then 51. The defendant pulled out
a firearm, pointed it at the three men, and fired the weapon multiple times. LeClaire Jr. murdered Murray by shooting him in the arm and chest. He attempted to murder his father by shooting
him several times. He attempted to murder Eligan by shooting him in the legs as the victim attempted to escape into the bathroom. LeClaire Sr. and Eligan survived the attack. During the trial, evidence presented before the court showed that the shooting stemmed from relationship issues surrounding defendant LeClaire’s upbringing by his biological father along with an incident between the defendant’s 14-year-old sister and the defendant’s biological father. After the shootings, LeClaire Jr. walked out of the hotel room, put his arms behind his head, laid down, and surrendered to Cypress Police Department (CPD) officers, who arrived to the scene and arrested him. CPD investigated this case. During the sentencing today, impact statements were given to
the court by Eligan and Murray’s family members. Eligan described the lifelong injuries he suffered both physically and mentally because of the defendant’s actions. Murray’s mother said in part, “I take one day, one step and one breath at a time. This is an experience I wish I did not need to go through. Marques was a fun loving person. He loved his family like gold.” She went on to say, “It was your decision to that night when you pulled that trigger and took away Marques’ life. Marques didn’t choose to die, he would have chosen to live, but you took that choice away from him. So each morning you wake up in prison, I want you to think about Marques.” Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Mendelson of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.