Dear Downey Residents and Friends:Happy 2012 to all! I am happy to say that we have kicked off this New Year with exciting things happening in our City. First, I would like to congratulate the Downey Rose Float Association for putting together such an amazing float and winning the Founder's Trophy Award for most beautiful entry. This community organization is made up entirely of volunteers who fundraise all year long and put in countless hours to help create such a wonderful float. Thank you to the Downey Rose Float Association and its volunteers for all of their hard work, commitment and dedication. I cannot tell you how happy and excited I am to see our Downey Civic Theatre thriving. The upcoming show line-up is incredible! From the hit music group The Temptations, to comedian Paul Rodriguez, to the play "Defending the Caveman," the Theatre is sure to have something for everyone. Make sure to check out the Theater's website or stop by their box office for more information on upcoming performances. One of my goals when I first joined City Council was to find a way to honor our Veterans. In 2009, we kicked off the Military Banner program and up to this day we have over 100 banners proudly displayed throughout our City. I was proud to honor some of the program's participants and their families at this week's City Council meeting and will continue to do so throughout the year. The Military Banner program is made up entirely of donations and I thank all of those who have generously donated to make this program possible. We couldn't have done this without the support of our community. We are also working on a Veterans Memorial and hope to have it completed in the near future. These are just a few simple ways to show our appreciation for all of our hometown heroes. Also at this week's City Council meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize three outstanding citizens for their courageous acts in rendering assistance to victims who were in need of medical attention. These extraordinary Samaritans, Gregory Wells, Judith Serna, and Esther Brossmer, were presented with "Medals of Merit" for demonstrating exceptional human character and going above and beyond to help save a life. Another great addition coming to the Columbia Memorial Space Center is the "Suited for Space" exhibit." This exhibit explores the evolution of the spacesuits' develoment over the years. It will showcase the amazing engineering and science behind the spacesuit through photographs and x-rays. We are so proud of our Space Center and I once again encourage you to stop by and check out all of the great things it has to offer. The "Suited for Space" exhibit will open next month. Last but not least, as many of you may already be aware of our City Council approved the Tierra Luna Marketplace development earlier this month and we are extremely excited for the great things this will bring to our City. This 1.5 million square feet project will feature new retail/commercial, entertainment and office space. This development is a giant economic leap for Downey, expected to produce over 4.2 million dollars of revenue to the City. It will help create 3,000 permanent jobs, 1,200 of which will be high paying medical jobs. We could not be any more proud of such an amazing project. Sincerely, Mayor Roger C. Brossmer

********** Published: January 26, 2012 - Volume 10 - Issue 41