DOWNEY — Jennifer DeKay, publisher of the Downey Patriot, and Editor Eric Pierce spoke to the Rotary Club of Downey recently at Rio Hondo Event Center.

Eric began his story in 2002, when John Adams founded the Downey Patriot. Jennifer displayed the impressive double-page advertisement that the Rotary Club of Downey purchased in that original issue. Pictures of all the members of the club filled both pages, a large gesture that was meant to support the new undertaking, its editor and its publisher.

“We love our advertisers,” said Eric. “It’s our advertisers who keep us going.”

The Downey Patriot is one of the larger weekly newspapers in the Los Angeles area, with approximately 25,000 readers. “We offer various types of advertising,” said Eric, “Social media, classified ads, spadea's, Post-it notes, FSI, belly-bands, and display ads. And insert advertising.”

News coverage focuses on local happenings. The shoot-out at Chris and Pitts, and the tragic murder of Police Officer Ricky Galvez take the headlines, plus the Patriot promotes uniquely Downey developments like the GOOD program, or Gangs Out Of Downey.

But it’s the mundane details as much as the hard news, faithfully reported, of City Council meetings, and decisions by government committees like Planning and Zoning, about parking and potholes, and employees’ salaries, that keep the workings of government transparent to the citizens. The Patriot gives an unbiased report of the news, good and bad.

Jennifer and Eric are both local products. A member of the Class of 1990, Jennifer was elected to the Downey High School Hall of Fame. Upon graduation from Cal State Fullerton, she worked in the publicity department for the hit television show “Baywatch,” as a junior account executive, and as a sales promotions manager for DIRECTV. Right now her life outside the Patriot revolves around daughter Alexis.

Eric began by confessing that he was a Kiwanian, and modestly admitted he is a lieutenant governor to boot. His being from a rival service club was forgiven, because he was accompanied by Jennifer DeKay, whose status as a long-time Downey Rotarian precedes and outweighs Eric’s other involvements. Both were warmly welcomed.

Eric was recently named one of the “40 Under 40”, young men and women “who are doing extraordinary things.” A graduate of California High School, a magnet school in South Whittier, he and Nicole were married in 2011 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, and they have recently returned as homeowners to Downey.

In addition to being a realtor with Century 21, Eric has volunteered on the Board of Directors of the Downey Symphonic Society and the Downey Family YMCA’s Board of Managers. And then there’s the aforementioned contribution he makes to the community as a member of Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis. He also is a member of the Downey Unified School District’s Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, which is responsible for ensuring the proper spending of the $248 million Measure O bond fund. He is an advisory board member with the Downey TLC Family Resource Center.

The Patriot is the latest in “a long line of illustrious newspapers on Downey,” according to an article Eric authored for the Patriot in 2011. Downey has had a newspaper right from the start: The Downey City Courier was first published on March 13, 1875, With news, plus poems and advice columns, the Patriot of today continues the Courier traditions, with Paging Dr. Frischer, and Poetry Matters.

Downey’s second paper, The Outlook, appeared in 1879 and then came the Downey Signal in 1882, and The Downey Weekly Review, published by attorney and judge James C. Rives, who is better known for building the landmark Rives mansion on the corner of Third Street and Paramount Boulevard.

Observers are always trying to pinpoint the reason that Downey has such a strong sense of identity. Having a newspaper continually on the watch has to be part of that.

The Downey Champion stepped up to document Downey for a long stretch, from 1888 into the early 1950s. There was also a Downey LiveWire. The Hollydale shopper, later named the Southeast News, appeared and became a Monday-Friday until its demise in August 1985.

Coming into this quarter-century, The Downey Eagle, a weekly newspaper, was published by Jerry Andrews from March 5, 1993 until March 29, 2002, with John Adams as editor. Most recently, we have The Downey Patriot, a descendent of the Eagle first published in May 2002 by veteran news editor John Adams.

In 2006, when John was in failing health, the Patriot was sold to Jennifer. Eric had been trained as a reporter by John, and was part of the staff. Both Jennifer and Eric remember John as an original, a character, and one who set high standards for the Patriot that they still want to maintain.

Newspapers have always played a vital role in Downey, and although newspapers face decline, this community has always maintained a thriving newspaper. The Patriot, under Jennifer and Eric, both informs and educates its citizens, while monitoring local government and keeping local citizens engaged.