Downey Patriot nominated for 4 L.A. Press Club awards

The Downey Patriot picked up four nominations in the L.A. Press Club’s 59th Southern California Journalism Awards. 

Mario Guerra and Ben Dickow were both nominated in the Commentary category. 

Guerra, a two-time mayor of Downey who immigrated to the United States from Cuba at age 6, was nominated for his column titled “Que Viva Cuba Libre,” written after the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Dickow, the executive director of the Columbia Memorial Space Center, was nominated for an essay titled “The Importance of Open Access to Downey’s Space Center.” 

In the essay, Dickow described the impact museums had on him as a child growing up in Chicago. 

George Redfox and Kathy Perez were nominated in the News Feature category for the story “Preservationists Hunt for Downey’s Cinderella Home.”

The story chronicled their efforts to find a Cinderella-inspired home designed by architect Jean Valjean VanDruff. 

Lastly, Downey resident Sharon Smith’s editorial “The Problem with Senior Housing”, about her difficulties finding affordable housing in Downey and surrounding communities, was nominated for best column of 2016.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony June 25 at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.