Roger Brossmer is mayor - Matchbin

MARQUEZ: City will build on this year’s success.
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On the parks, environment, safety
component, he pointed to the educational
efforts to prevent pollution,
done through such vehicles as the
used oil recycling calendar contest,
the first "dog party" at the city’s new
dog park, and the banning of smoking
in public parks
“This objective was also
advanced by supporting our police
and fire departments, numerous
CERT exercises and water barrel
give-aways, as well as the fire and
police explorer programs,” he said,
“giving young people a positive outlet,
in an effort to keep good kids
good."
On the economic development
front, Marquez pointed to Downey’s
efforts to be recognized as a business-friendly
city, which was vali-
dated by Raytheon’s setting up shop
here, the View housing groundbreaking,
and the coming of the
Gateway Center, the Marketplace
Grill & Café, Buffalo Wild Wings
and Fiat.
“I think we accomplished a lot in
this area, even as we worked hard
with the employees’ associations,
which forced us to make a lot of
hard decisions. Thus we tackled the
formation of a two-tier retirement
program, not an easy thing to do,”
he said. “In all this, we looked
closely and hard at the long-term
viability of the future of the city,
taking into account the state of the
city and the welfare of our employees.
I’m proud of my part in this
exercise.”
“In this connection,” he went on,
“my proudest moment was in being
able to adopt the budget that continued
to move the city forward without
significant cuts in essential services,
while other cities resorted to
layoffs, funding cuts that led for
example to the closing of their
libraries, and so on.”
“I cannot claim sole credit for
these developments, but these were
accomplished in collaboration with
my colleagues on the council and a
hard-working staff, and the leadership
of our departing city manager
Jerry Caton indeed put us in this
position,” he said.
“We will continue to build on
past successes of the Columbia
Memorial Space Center,” he said, as
he acknowledged the largesse from
Dr. Mary Stauffer for field trips, and
welcoming the new affiliation with
the Smithsonian. The “wonderful art
installations around the city can
only serve to enhance civic pride
and reduce graffiti in the city as
well,” he said, at the same time
expressing pleasure at the additional
public information tools at the city’s
disposal (e.g., the city’s Facebook
page and Twitter feed, as well as the
smart phone app, My Downey, that
allows people to report graffiti at the
quick—all falling under the city’s
arts and information objective..
Elaborating further, Marquez
said he would continue to press for a
synthetic field at Discovery Sports
Complex as the soccer field is being
subjected to heavy use.
On the matter of the council
members’ wives’ more active participation,
he said a couple of events at
the behest of his pregnant wife,
Alma, should move this program
forward.
Finally, Marquez said, he has
every intention to run for the State
Assembly over the newly-created
58th Assembly District.
“I believe I have the wherewithal
to bring an understanding, resulting
from my three years service on
the city council, to Sacramento with
which to address the budgetary crisis
the state is undergoing. Aside
from this, my priority has always
been my family—my wife Alma,
son Diego, daughter Maya, soon to
be joined by my third child who has
been six months in Alma’s womb.”
The Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis Club served more than 300 meals on
Nov. 23 to members of The Arc in Downey. Kiwanis Club members, with
the assistance of Boy Scout Troop No. 351 and Circle K students from Cal
State Long Beach, prepared and served a turkey meal to each Arc consumer
and staff member. The Arc provides services for people with intellectual
and developmental disabilities. Kiwanis member Mike Murray is pictured
above serving meals. For more information on Kiwanis, including details
on how to join the club, call Alex Saab at (562) 904-2622.
Author to sign books, give lecture
at space center
DOWNEY – The Columbia Memorial Space Center will host professor
and author Dr. Bryan Penprase for a lecture and book-signing event
Dec. 17 from 1-3 p.m.
Visitors can meet Penprase and obtain an autographed copy of his new
book, “The Power of Stars.”
Admission to the event is $5 or free for annual space center members.
Penprase will present a “visual feast of astronomy with constellation
maps, aerial views of aligned celestial structures and images of the universe
as created by a wide range of cultures.”
For more information, call the space center at (562) 231-1200 or go to
columbiaspacescience.org.