Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 76 No. 26
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NEWS...............3 Glendale couple hits $410M lottery jackpot
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June 25, 2020
No mask, no service, possible fine BY TOM SCANLON
Glendale Star Managing Editor
On June 17, Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ sat down at a long table to begin a news conference. Both were wearing masks. It was a hint that things were going to change—quickly. The wheels started spinning on regulations requiring masks in cities like Glendale, where fines for not wearing a mask can be up to $250, and, ultimately, all of Maricopa County. Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers’ mask proclamation came two days after Ducey’s warning words. “COVID-19 is widespread in the state of Arizona, and Arizonans must act responsibly to protect one another,” Ducey
said. In the week before Ducey’s conference, COVID-19 cases in Maricopa County jumped from 15,000 to 22,000, then passed 33,000 this week. Glendale 85301 had 791 positive tests June 23, one of the most of any ZIP Code in the state. In the last week, 90 died of COVID-19 in the county, bringing the total of deaths caused by coronavirus in the county to 630. The number hospitalized by COVID-19 in Maricopa County rose from 1,953 to 2,272 in the last week. Ducey urged “all Arizonans wear face masks when you can’t social distance … to help protect vulnerable communities and reduce infection rates.” He did not make a statewide order, instead stressing mayors should set mask SEE MASKS PAGE 4
Mayor Jerry Weiers said he weighed input from residents and Glendale City Council before issuing a proclamation requring people to wear masks in the city. (Photo courtesy city of Glendale)
Millions in housing assistance available BY TOM SCANLON
NEWS...............8 Father, son celebrate COVID-19 recovery
OPINION..................... 12 BUSINESS.................. 14 FEATURES.................. 16 RELIGION ................... 20 YOUTH........................ 22 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 25
Glendale Star Managing Editor
In addition to the thousands directly impacted by COVID-19, the pandemic has hurled many more out of work and into severe financial hardship. Through federal funding, the city of Glendale has millions of dollars and multiple programs aimed at providing swift assistance to residents. “Monthly rental assistance may be available to households who have had a substantial reduction in income due to COVID-19,” according to information on
a city website (glendaleaz.com/live/city_ services/citizen_assistance_programs/ COVID19Programs). Jean Moreno, Glendale’s interim director of community services, said interest in rent assistance has skyrocketed. “We had over 700 applicants the first week (of the program); in a normal year, we have 1,700,” she said. One of the few bright spots about the pandemic: It has made millions of federal assistance dollars available to cities like Glendale. For the current fiscal year, the city is re-
ceiving about $3.5 million in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. On March 27, the CARES Act provided additional state and local government funding to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The city will receive an additional $2.2 million in HUD funding. “While HUD provided administrative waivers to expedite getting these funds into communities, eligible uses of these funds have not changed,” Moreno said.
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