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Phyllis Eisenberg, Regina McGrath, Emcee-Dan McGrath and Kay Hanson at Waring’s Paris at Midnight Gala 2020 see page 4. Photo by Pat Krause
Desert Hot Springs, CA PERMIT NO 00005
Friday, March 6, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 18
“We Build, We Fight”
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bradley Gee
Brothers Serving Together Continue “We Build, We Fight” Seabee tradition By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach PORT HUENEME, Calif. “We Build, We Fight” has been the motto of the U. S. Navy’s Construction Force, known as the “Seabees,” for more than seven decades. The Navy
Seabees are an elite group of personnel trained in both combat and the craft skills of the construction industry. Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Tritsch and Construction man Apprentice Christopher Tritsch, brothers
and natives of Brookhaven, New York, build and fight around the world as a member of naval construction battalion center located in Port Hueneme, California. The Tritsch brothers both serve as Navy builders, who
are responsible for basic carpentry and construction. Building in austere environments can be a challenge. Fighting in harsh conditions can also be a challenge. Building in severe environments while fighting
the new cases are believed to have been transmitted locally, officials said.
“I want to reiterate this is not a response rooted in panic,” LA County
in harsh conditions takes a special kind of person with a great deal of perseverance and determination, according to officials with the U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command. These are the kinds of people being trained Continues on Page 3
California declares state of emergency after 1st coronavirus death
US House passes $8.3bn emergency funding bill By Desert Star Staff California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency over the deadly coronavirus, soon after local officials confirmed the state’s first death from the illness, which has infected more than 50 people in 12 counties. With California’s first death announced on Wednesday, and six new cases arising in the last 48 hours, the emergency declaration could see an influx of emergency funds set aside by Congress rush into the state – with the governor telling reporters on Tuesday there was “always... the opportunity to do
a declaration of emergency” to secure “additional resources.” “The State of California is deploying every level of government to help identify cases and slow the spread of this coronavirus,” Newsom said at a press conference, noting that the state of emergency would include provisions against price-gouging for vital medical supplies. Los Angeles County declared its own public health emergency earlier on Wednesday, after the number of cases in the area rose to seven, including the six newly confirmed patients. None of
Supervisor Kathryn Barger told reporters. “We need every tool at our disposal.”