Thank you, Downey

The Downey Patriot headline on April 26th stated: “Welcome to Downey” and featured photos of Carpenters fans who had gathered in our city for the celebration of the Carpenters’ 55th Anniversary. Most of them have now traveled back to their homes in all parts of our country and the world, and I want to let Downey know that they all indeed felt very “welcomed”.

I had the great honor of working with both the organizers of the four-day event and the city to coordinate all of the events that took place here. There are members of our community who deserve to be publicly acknowledged for their involvement. All of them contributed to the success of not only the event, but to projects that will remain for years to come.

Thank you to Mayor Trujillo for all of his help and attendance at the Downey events. As a fellow Carpenters fan, he understands how important it is for our city to honor our hometown heroes and their musical legacy. I appreciate his support and guidance and especially his help in organizing our own Carpenters Downey Committee. Special thanks to our committee co-chair, Rick Rodriguez, and our committee members Jason Chacon and Monica Ortiz from Parks and Recreation, Michael Calvert the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, Eric Pierce from the Patriot and the Downtown Downey Improvement Association and key community members Patty Russell-Rohrer, Joseph Luisi, and Jeannie Wood.

In addition, thank you to our council members and city staff who listened, responded, and helped move all Carpenters requests forward. Thank you especially to Ben Dickow and Dan Martin at the library and Council Member Dorothy Pemberton for your extra help and support. Thank you to Pastor Brad Biggerstaff and the congregation of the Downey United Methodist Church for allowing us to use your beautiful and significant church for the acoustic concert. I’d also like to thank our school district, particularly Dr. Zegarra for welcoming the fans to Downey High School and Mrs. Andrea Pyle, director of the district’s Musical Theatre Conservatory. for involving our youth and passing on the Carpenters Downey story and their music to the next generation. Thank you, also, to our local businesses, especially the Embassy Suites, Look Dine-In Cinemas, and our historic McDonald’s for hosting and accommodating our fans, as well as the downtown stores and restaurants. A special thank you to the owners of the iconic Newville House for welcoming the fans and the neighboring residents for allowing everyone to descend onto your street. Lastly, thank you to The Downey Patriot staff for covering the celebration, placing it on the front page last week, and supplying the fans with copies to take home!

I heard nothing but positive comments from the fans about their time in Downey. Here are just a few:

“I’m so impressed that the city of Downey not only allowed us to flood their city, but also strive to keep the Carpenters legacy in the forefront of their lovely city.” Doug McComas, Georgia

“Thank you to the City of Downey for ALL they did to make our event happen! It’s nothing short of extraordinary! The city was in tip top shape and I noticed how clean it was and how all the landscaping was well cared for. To see so many representatives from the city at our events showed their interest and commitment to our event and the Carpenters.” Shari Christenson, Minnesota

“To the City of Downey: I have been making “pilgrimages” to Downey since 1996, but this time was different. The city has finally embraced our dynamic duo and it was a welcome sight. It’s wonderful to see them acknowledged for what we have known for decades.” Laura Adam, Texas

My profound thanks and deepest gratitude to Richard Carpenter who, although no longer a Downey resident, lived here for over 30 years. Richard, accompanied by his wife, Mary, returned to his hometown on Saturday night for the final event of the celebration. He visited the library to see the city’s Carpenters Collection and was quite impressed with the beautiful display. He then made his way over to the Embassy Suites and spent over an hour sharing memories of his illustrious and legendary career. Mayor Trujillo presented him with a city proclamation. The plaque which will be installed at Furman Park commemorating Richard and Karen’s first public performance together there in 1963 was unveiled. The plaque project is a joint effort initiated by fans and supported by the city. Richard was also given a replica of the plaque and Downey “Future Unlimited” t-shirts. Our city motto has played a very special role in his life since he first saw it on a sign when his family arrived here almost 61 years ago. After posing for a group photo, he stayed to shake hands, sign autographs, and take photos with his devoted fans.

Needless to say, the entire 55th Anniversary Celebration left everyone feeling “on top of the world” here in the “Home of the Carpenters”.

Kathy Crowe Perez is a Downey resident, retired educator and advocate for the preservation of Downey's historic and cultural resources.