SEE PAGE 3 for cheap, clean, organic, and rechargeable battery
SEE PAGE 4 for bill to protect abandoned animals MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 - JULY 6, 2014
cypressnewspress.com
Southern California publisher opens weekly Cypress newspaper by Jennifer schlueter
become a conduit for community dialogue that goes above and beyond the rudimentary. This weekly newspaper is dedicated to covering local community news, politics, schools, events, and entertainment that
Interpretive Center, Monday, June 30nd, 2014 at 2pm: Get ready for the 4th of July by learning about Nature’s Fireworks and many other living animals located right in your own backyard. Arrive early for a special give away! Preschool/Kindergarten Story time – Animals, Tuesday, July 1st, 2014 at 11am: Learn about animals that live in your own backyard. Tween/Teen Program Please see page 2
Please see page 4
directly influence the City of Cypress. Many larger publications do not necessarily cover local issues consistently; therefore we make it our objective to connect Please see page 4
Upcoming children’s/teen events at Cypress Library 2014 Summer Reading Program “PAWS to Read” at the Cypress Library: Fun for all! Young and the Young at Heart are invited to sign up to win prizes just for reading. The Cypress Library is running three programs: Children’s, Teen, and Adult. Program runs from June 23rd through August 2nd. All those that complete the program receive a ticket to enter into a grand prize drawing of their choice. 2014 “PAWS to Read” – OC Animal Care Shelter Dona-
tion Drive: Throughout the duration of the Summer Reading Program (June 23 - August 2), the Cypress Library would like to encourage donations to the OC Animal Care Shelter. Collection boxes will be located inside the library. For a listing of desired donations please see the OC Animal Care Wish List at http://ocpetinfo.com/ Summer Reading participants can receive one extra grand prize drawing ticket with donation. Children’s Program (Ages 5-10) – Peter & Mary Muth
Creekwood brings its old time country music to Cypress Community Festival Creekwood will bring its twangy sounds of bluegrass, old time country, blues and rock to the Cypress Community Festival July 26 at Oak Knoll Park in Cypress. The band will perform on the main stage at 2:45 p.m., following country artist Peter Brandon. Creekwood formed in Nashville, TN in 2012 when the singer-songwriter duo of Andrew McBride (guitar, lead vocals) and Cooper Nelson (banjo, vocals) teamed with Bryan Hall (mandolin, vocals, bass) to form an original group featuring country music. The group moved to the west coast and added local musicians Mathias Chaidez (violin, vocals), Levin Duren (drums, vocals) and Rob Orr (bas, vocals). Creekwood released its first EP in September, 2013 and quickly became a crowd favorite in the Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Some of Creekwood’s songs include “Daylight,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “Juliana” and “Rocky Top.” The band recently released its first music video, featuring a new song, “Late Night Mr. Right.” The video debuted on YouTube March 14. The group will play at the Grand old Echo in Los Angeles prior to the Cypress Festival. It follows its Cypress performance with a date at the Fullerton Muckenthaler
-Courtesy Photo
You’re holding the inaugural issue of the Cypress News Press in your hands. We promise to become an integral part of your community and value community input from business, government and locals alike. We endeavor to
VOLUME 1, NO. 9
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Recycling industry launches website dedicated to helping stop metals theft The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) recently announced the launch of StopMetalsTheft.org, a new website designed to assist in the fight against the crime of metals theft. The site serves as an online resource for law enforcement, prosecutors, and the recycling industry by providing practical tools, success stories, news, legal resources, FAQs, and background on fighting metals theft. "The recycling industry is fully committed to being part of the solution when it comes to preventing metals theft," said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. "StopMetalsTheft.org provides law enforcement, prosecutors, the recycling industry, and other community stakeholders with key information and techniques that can be used to help prevent metals theft, as well as build cases and prosecute crimes when they do occur. Through our continued outreach efforts, we hope to strengthen our existing partnerships while building new ones." The many benefits available through StopMetalsTheft.org include: -- The ability to send theft alerts to local recyclers; -- Success stories as submitted by law enforcement across the country; -- Tools geared towards law
enforcement, prosecutors and recyclers; -- A comprehensive glossary of terms on stolen commodities; and -- Industry insight and knowledge provided by an ISRI team of experts. StopMetalsTheft.org is part of an expansive approach by the recycling industry to tackle the issue of metals theft. In March, ISRI upgraded ScrapTheftAlert.com, an online alert system to notify scrap yards of nearby metals theft. Also this year, ISRI announced the creation of the Law Enforcement Advisory Council comprised of experienced law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and security personnel from around the country who are tasked with the development of a multi-layered training program to assist law enforcement in metals theft prevention and prosecution. Brady Mills, a retired U.S. Secret Service agent, was hired to serve as the director of law enforcement outreach to work closely with the law enforcement community. Any questions about StopMetalsTheft.org or any of ISRI's other efforts to stop metals theft can be directed to Danielle Waterfield, ISRI's director of government relations and assistant counsel at (202) 662-8516, or Brady Mills, ISRI's director of law enforcement outreach at (202) 662-8526.
Native American Day as an official state holiday one step closer Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D – West Covina) announced Assembly Bill 1973 passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee on a 10-0 bi-partisan vote. AB 1973 elevates the recognition of Native American Day from a proclamation to an official state holiday, recognized annually on the fourth Friday of September. “It is an honor for this bill to move one step closer in recognizing Native Americans in California. As with any recognized holiday, Californians will be able to share, celebrate and honor the contributions of Native Americans across this state. This measure recognizes the significant role of California's native peoples by establishing an official, unpaid state holiday,” stated Hernández. In 1968, California recognized the contributions of Native Americans by estab-
lishing American Indian Day. In 1998, the California Legislature passed AB 1953, which changed the name to Native American Day, and authorized public schools to incorporate the contributions of Native American peoples in school curriculum. With the passage of this bill, Native American Day will hold the same status as Lincoln's Birthday and Columbus Day as an unpaid holiday. Currently, the cities of Berkeley, Nevada City, Santa Cruz, and Sebastopol observe Indigenous People Day, to recognize the cultural contributions of Native Americans. “The contributions of the Native American people demonstrate our rich history and add to the diverse ethnic fabric of our great state. This holiday has been long overdue, it is time to honor those individuals who played a major part in our history,” said Hernández.
Library events for kids Continued from page 1
(Ages 10-18) – Get Crafty with Yarn, Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014 at 2pm: Do you know how to knit using only your arms? Well, what are you waiting for! Come learn a new skill, we have all the supplies to partake in arm knitting as well as creating a cute and cuddly yarn dog. Children’s Program (Ages 5-10) – Franklin Hayes Marionettes “Princess and the Pirates,” Monday, July 7th, 2014 at 2pm: Princess Rachel is a prisoner of Pirate Jack Cannonball. Can her brother and his trusty pirate dog, Treasure save the day? You don’t want to miss this exciting show! Be there on time and you might even win a prize.
-Photo by Terry Miller
All events held at the Cypress Library, 5331 Orange Ave, Cypress, CA 90630.For more information about the listed events, please call the Cypress Library 714-826-0350.
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hlr media EDITORIAL
USC Scientists create new battery that’s cheap, clean, rechargeable… and organic
jschlueter@hlrmedia.com
Editor
Jennifer Schlueter
Publisher HLR Media
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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
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Scientists at USC have developed a water-based organic battery that is long lasting, built from cheap, eco-friendly components. The new battery – which uses no metals or toxic materials – is intended for use in power plants, where it can make the energy grid more resilient and efficient by creating a large-scale means to store energy for use as needed. “The batteries last for about 5,000 recharge cycles, giving them an estimated 15year lifespan,” said Sri Narayan, professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and corresponding author of a paper describing the new batteries that was published online by the Journal of the Electrochemical Society on June 20. “Lithium ion batteries degrade after around 1,000 cycles, and cost 10 times more to manufacture.” Narayan collaborated with Surya Prakash, Prakash, professor of chemistry and director of the USC Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, as well as USC’s Bo Yang, Lena HooberBurkhardt, and Fang Wang. “Such organic flow batteries will be game-changers for grid electrical energy storage in terms of simplicity, cost, reliability and sustainability,” said Prakash. The batteries could pave the way for renewable energy sources to make up a greater share of the nation’s energy generation. Solar panels can only generate power when the sun’s shining, and wind turbines can only generate power when the wind blows. That inherent unreliability makes it difficult for power companies to rely on them to meet customer demand. With batteries to store surplus energy and then dole it out as needed, that sporadic unreliability could cease to be
such an issue. “‘Mega-scale’ energy storage is a critical problem in the future of the renewable energy, requiring inexpensive and ecofriendly solutions,” Narayan said. The new battery is based on a redox flow design – similar in design to a fuel cell, with two tanks of electroactive materials dissolved in water. The solutions are pumped into a cell containing a membrane between the two fluids with electrodes on either side, releasing energy. The design has the advantage of decoupling power from energy. The tanks of electroactive materials can be made as large as needed – increasing total amount of energy the system can store – or the central cell can be tweaked to release that energy faster or slower, altering the amount of power (energy released over time) that the system can generate. The team’s breakthrough centered around the electroactive materials. While previous battery designs have used metals or toxic chemicals, Narayan and Prakash wanted to find an organic compound that could be dissolved in water. Such a system would create a minimal impact on the environment, and would likely be cheap, they figured. Through a combination of
USC professor Sri Narayan -Courtesy Photo of USC by Gus Ruelas
molecule design and trial-anderror, they found that certain naturally occurring quinones – oxidized organic compounds – fit the bill. Quinones are found in plants, fungi, bacteria, and some animals, and are involved in photosynthesis and cellular respiration. “These are the types of molecules that nature uses for energy transfer,” Narayan said. Currently, the quinones needed for the batteries are manufactured from naturally occurring hydrocarbons. In the future, the potential exists to derive them from carbon dioxide, Narayan said. The team has filed several patents in regards to design of the battery, and next plans to build a larger scale version. This research was funded by the ARPA-E Open-FOA program (DE-AR0000337), the University of Southern California, and the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute.
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ASPCA urges California Gov. Jerry Brown to sign Bill to protect abandoned animals The ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) today urged Gov. Jerry Brown to sign AB 1810, which removes a state mandate to euthanize any animal abandoned at an animal care facility, including veterinary offices, spay/neuter clinics, animal hospitals, and grooming facilities, if a new home is not found within 24 days. Additionally, AB 1810 provides more flexibility to achieve positive outcomes for these animals by permitting animal care facilities to turn the animals over to a local shelter – an option that is strictly prohibited under current law. Sponsored by Assemblyman Brian Maienschein (R-San Diego), AB 1810 was passed unanimously by both houses of the California Legislature and now heads to Gov.
Brown for his signature. “Abandonment should not be a death sentence for animals. Dogs and cats at spay/neuter clinics, veterinary offices, or any of California’s many other care facilities should not face certain death simply because their owner fails to pick them up,” said Kevin O’Neill, senior state director of ASPCA Government Relations for the Western region. “It is imperative that we do all we can to ensure positive outcomes for these animals, and AB 1810 will do just that. We thank Assemblyman Maienschein for his work on this critical issue and we strongly urge Governor Brown to take quick action on this bill to protect California’s animals.” In May, the ASPCA announced a $25 million, multi-year
commitment to save the lives of animals in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Building on the strong foundation created by Los Angeles’ existing local animal welfare community, the ASPCA is working closely with the leading local animal welfare groups to provide residents and rescue groups a variety of critical services that will save lives and help keep families and their pets together. A new spay/neuter facility is part of this commitment. “We must exhaust every opportunity to save the lives of these animals, and this legislation helps by removing barriers to potentially life-saving transfers,” said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President and CEO. “The mandate to euthanize abandoned animals was never ac-
ceptable, and we thank California lawmakers for creating and supporting humane solutions to the issue of homeless pets.” At the ASPCA’s first-ever California ‘Legal Voices for Animals Day’ in March, California law students met with state leaders to advocate on behalf of animal welfare legislation, including AB 1810. In addition to lobbying for stronger protections for abandoned animals, students engaged lawmakers on issues impacting the welfare of California’s animals such as regulations on dogs imported into the state and tax deductions on adoption fees. For more information about the ASPCA, or to join their Advocacy Brigade, please visit www. aspca.org.
Cypress Community Festival Continued from page 1
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Theater July 31. Additional information on the group can be found through www.creekwoodofficial.com. The 34th annual Cypress Community Festival also will feature entertainers Peter Brandon, The Altar Billies, The Chris Anderson Group, A Touch of Polynesia, UNLEA5ED, Sycamore Creek and many more acts and shows of interest to all age groups.
The one-day Festival is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The Festival also will have a Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, arts and crafts booths, commercial booth exhibitors, chili cook-off, car show, rides for the kids and a variety of food booths. A limited number of booth spaces are available. For additional information on the Festival, please go towww.cypressfestival.com.
New newspaper for Cypress Continued from page 1
local government, businesses, and other organizations within the community to foster collaboration and subsequent growth within the city. Started in 1996, our founder opened Arcadia Weekly. Within these past 18 years, our family of newspapers (and companion websites) has extended to 22 newspapers in L.A., San Bernardino, and Orange County reaching an estimated readership of 150,000 and growing. The phi-
losophy is one of a man of vision. One who steadfastly believes the power of the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. We are thrilled to add the City of Cypress to our extended family of newspapers in Southern California and welcome your input. Please let us know what you’d like to see in your community newspaper. Call our editor Jennifer Schlueter at 626-386-3457 or email her at jschlueter@hlrmedia.com .