2010 Hall of Fame

For over 40 years, Allen Layne served public education and the Downey Unified School District in many capacities: teacher, coach, Athletic Director, and administrator.   Upon his retirement as principal of Downey High, the newly built, multi-million dollar football stadium was named in his honor, commemorating a career that many in the Downey community will long remember.  Allen graduated from Utah State University in 1964 and began soon after, began his teaching career at Warren High School.   In 1970, he transferred to Downey High school and served as the Athletic Director, Vice Principal, and Assistant Principal.  He then transferred to Columbus High School, returning to Downy High as principal until his retirement in 2004.  As a first year football coach, Allen Layne led the team to a League title in 1971, beating Dominguez 25-20, the Vikes first league title in almost ten years.  As Athletic Director, he mentored new coaches and won the respect of veteran coaches in all areas of athletics.  When he moved to administration, he kept the campus safe and running smoothly and earned the respect of students and staff.  His career culminated in 1994 when he was promoted to Principal of Downey High school, a school often referred to as the flagship of the district. Allen Layne is a man who loved the students and staff of Downey High and made a positive impact at Downey High School throughout his career.  He continues to serve the public in many ways and recently completed a year on the Orange County Grand Jury.

Suzanne was born and raised in Downey, graduating from Downey High in 1995.  She was a cheerleader and co-captain of the songleading squad her senior year.  Suzanne was also Student Council Pep Commissioner where she learned to love being in front of an audience, hosting many rallies and assemblies in front of several thousand students.  Not surprisingly, she came in first in the speech portion of the 1995 Miss Downey Pageant and won first runner up in the overall competition. Suzanne attended USC and interned for NCB.com and KNBC news her senior year.  After graduation, Suzanne's first job in news was online.  As web producer at KNBC, she was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Award in 2000 and 2001 for website content. She also received the 2000 and 2001 Associated Press Awards for best website content in California/Nevada. In 2002, Suzanne appeared in front of the camera for the first time at KIEM in Eureka, CA.  She also reported for the number one morning show at KGET in Bakersfield, CA.  She then moved to Atlanta, GA where she was awarded her first Emmy in 2005 for her coverage in the highly publicized arrest and subsequent murder trial of Dr. Barton Corbin.  In addition to her Emmy, Suzanne also won the National Press Photographers Association Spot News Award. Currently, Suzanne works for KTTV’s Fox 11 Morning News and Good Day LA.  She is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Good News Foundation.

Kennard graduated from Westmont College, Santa Barbara, in 1970 and received an MD from UCLA School Medicine in 1974.  He served as a medical officer in the US Navy from 1974 to 1979, and practiced Family Medicine in Bellingham, Washington for 21 years, during which he cared for elderly nursing home patients, assisted in surgeries, delivered over 300 babies, and served a year as chairman of Family Medicine Department.  He currently lives with his wife in Seattle, and practices Urgent Care Medicine at Valley Medical Center in Renton, Washington.  He has always been an enthusiastic musician, performing in community chorale for over 20 years, serving as organist, choir director, composer and arranger in various churches for over 35 years, and continues in keyboard music and saxophone for University Presbyterian Church in Seattle.  While at Downey High, he recalls being amazed at the musical talents of classmate Richard Carpenter [1964], and performing in a 6-piece band with classmate Karen Carpenter [1967], which included a Viking Varieties appearance in 1966.  The sign read:  “Ensenada Brass:  Weddings, picnics, also lawns mowed.”

Lash Stevenson grew up in Downey and graduated Downey High School in 1957.  Along the way, he developed a love for cutting hair and football.  The McCaughan brothers influenced Lash to start his own haircutting business in the seventh grade.  Lash and his friends also played football throughout their school years.  In Lash’s senior year, Coach Dick Hill led the Downey High Viking football team in the “Dream Season of 1956,” culminating in the largest high school football game played in California history against Anaheim. After graduation, Lash joined the Navy, served his country, and enrolled in San Diego State University.   In 1968, he married Rosemary and had two sons, Brett and Casey.  In 1976, he started his own business, “A Haircutting Experience” in San Mateo, where he and his family still live. Because of his wonderful experience at Downey High, in 1985 Lash organized the first of many “Viking Sports Reunion” get-togethers that occur almost each year.  This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first sports reunion, with many more to come.

Daved van Stralen made over 7,000 rescues in the 1970s while working for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.  He earned his BA in Social Ecology and a BS in Biological Science from UCI, and attended UCI School of Medicine as one of the first (if not the first) career paramedic to become a physician.  He completed his Pediatric Residency at UCI Medical Center and Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship at Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX. In 1989, he joined Ronald Perkin, MD to create a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for Loma Linda University Medical Center.  Using his paramedic background, he worked with the School of Allied Health Professionals to develop the Emergency Medical Care program, the first BA degree for paramedics on the west coast.
Over the next 30 years, he collaborated with many medical professionals to make strides in the care of patients in respiratory distress, ultimately saving lives along the way.  His accomplishments are many and continue to this day in his capacity as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for Loma Linda University.