Hello Downey!

Last month I was invited by Sacha van der Most van Spijk, founder of HomeField Advantage, to meet with Gerbert Kunst, Consul General of the Netherlands, and Sietze Vermeulen, Senior Officer of Communications & Public Diplomacy. At the meeting we discussed how our two nations have strong trade relations as well as other similarities we have in common. Some of the things noted were:

• Our state exports $5.79 billion worth of goods to the Netherlands, providing 78,200 jobs to California.

• The Netherlands is California’s ninth largest trading partner.

• The Netherlands exports about $1.5 billion worth of goods to California, mainly related to agriculture and machinery.

Downey is always looking ahead to changing times, as are the Dutch. In our meeting we also discussed the future of cycling in our city. The Dutch Cycling Embassy are pioneers in cycling infrastructure. We are looking forward to working together on a biking infrastructure for our city with their team of experts.

Last month we cut the ribbon at the city’s first bike share station at the Downey Sports Complex. This innovative project was made possible through a grant awarded by METRO. Staff has worked diligently with METRO and industry experts to choose the best locations for the bike share stations. These stations will be located at:

• The Commons

• Discovery Sports Complex

• Downey Transit Center

• METRO Green Line Station

• Stonewood Center

For more than a century, the bicycle has been an important part of the lives of most Americans. It is a viable and environmentally sound form of transportation, an excellent form of fitness, and a quality family recreation activity. Our diverse city is growing, and with that, we are staying ahead with the rapidly changing travel needs. The installation of this bike share program is one of these examples.

Our investment in today’s eco-friendly bike lanes and this program will pay dividends tomorrow through long-term impacts. This new program will bring an added value to our city and to our residents. I myself am looking forward to cruising my city on a bike and seeing it from a different point of view.

The Keep Downey Beautiful program continues to grow and do great things to help keep our city clean. On Saturday February 2, from 9 am to 2 pm, Keep Downey Beautiful will be hosting a Used Oil Filter Exchange at the Auto Zone on 13028 Paramount Blvd. Residents will receive up to two new filters in exchange for two used filters.

There will also be a KDB Clean Up at the Park & Ride parking lot on Vista Del Rosa St & Lakewood Blvd. Clean up starts promptly at 9 am, rain or shine.

The Columbia Memorial Space Center will be participating in the annual Museums Free-for-All day on February 2. Visitors are encouraged to visit and explore new hands-on activities that highlight the aspects of living in space.

There will be a special celebration to welcome special guest, Shelby Jacobs. As Project Manager of the Apollo-Soyuz orbiter, Mr. Jacobs designed instrumentation that put a little piece of Downey out into space. Shelby Jacobs’s contribution to space exploration is truly a remarkable accomplishment.

The Space Center will also be presenting at the Long Beach Comic Expo on February 16 & 17. There, the Space Center will showcase its out of this world exhibits to thousands of attendees.

Residents are invited to attend a community meeting for a presentation and conversation on the Downey City Library Measure S Renovation Project. This is an opportunity to join your friends and neighbors for a community meeting to hear about interim services and learn what to expect during construction.

Meeting will take place at the Downey City Library on February 9 at 10:00 am. Children’s programming will be available including a fun interactive magic show.

The Parks and Recreation Department will be having a Job Fair on Saturday, February 9 at noon at the Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center. Come learn how you can join the Parks & Recreation team. The department will be showcasing all the fun and exciting part-time employment opportunities for those 16 years of age and older.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Parks & Recreation professionals, complete an application and participate in interviews for select positions. Save time and apply in advance; email your interest to jobfair@downeyca.org.

The next Clergy Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 11 at 6 pm. This will be the last meeting before the city library closes for renovations. Starting in March, meetings will held at the Columbia Memorial Space Center. This wonderful group of people are doing amazing things in our community to help their neighbors. I hope you can join us and be part of this great group.

It may not feel like it yet, but spring is right around the corner. Join us on the first day of spring, Wednesday, March 20, for the first “Walk with your Council Member” series of the year. The walk will be at the Downey High School track at 7 pm on March 20. These walks will help to improve fitness, health, and wellbeing as well as give you a chance to speak with your elected officials about any city issues or questions you may have. No special equipment needed, just your walking shoes and a bottle of water.

Lastly, please save the date for the Downey One Day of Service on Saturday, April 27. This will be a community service day in which volunteers will give back to the community by participating in various projects throughout the city. Examples of projects include; mowing someone’s lawn, washing cars for the elderly, cleaning a park, giving out hygiene kits, painting someone’s house, reading to seniors, litter clean-up, tree planting, etc. There will be a series of meetings to prepare and discuss the event.

Please join us on February 13 at 6 pm at the Downey Library for more information on how you can be part of the Downey One Day of Service.

Rick Rodriguez
Mayor

562-904-7274
rrodriguez@downeyca.org
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#AlwaysForward