The City of Downey was recently awarded the designation of “Better City for Pets.” This is given to cities that implement city planning and policies to make cities more pet-friendly. Since its opening, the David R. Gafin Dog Park inside the Rio San Gabriel Park has become one of the most visited parks in the area. Dogs can roam freely and interact with new furry friends in a 200-foot by 200-foot fenced dog run with two different sections.

Additionally, the city has continued to work closely with SEAACA to create programs that will benefit our residents. Pets 4 Troops is a pet adoption program where fees are waived for active duty and/or honorably discharged. Along with the adoption, they receive a bag of food for their pet and complimentary pet training at Petco.

The Mayor’s Choice program is another free adoption program where the featured pet of the month can be adopted free of charge. To view the pet of the month, please visit my Facebook page at facebook.com/MayorRickRodriguez. Designations such as these highlights the great things Downey is doing.

Summer is winding down but there are still many events planned for you and your family to attend. The Summer Music & Movie event will take place on August 3 at Golden Park with music from Tease the Band covering the best of R&B and Old School. There will also be a children’s movie “Sing” displayed on an outdoor screen for the kiddos to enjoy. The Annual Gangs Out Of Downey (G.O.O.D) Backway Giveaway will also take place at Golden Park on the same night. Children will receive backpacks and school supplies for the upcoming year. The first day of class for the Downey Unified School District is August 14.

National Night Out is scheduled for August 6 at 5:30 pm outside of City Hall. This event enhances the relationship between neighbors and our police department while bringing back a true sense of community. It helps provide an opportunity to bring officers and neighbors together while enjoying a great night filled with summer fun. There will be games, food giveaways and police demonstrations. For more information please visit the Downey Police Department’s Facebook page at facebook.com/DowneyPoliceDepartment.

The Columbia Memorial Space Center will be celebrating their annual Rocket Fever event on August 17. Rocket Fever presents STEM programming to the community of Downey, engaging the diverse audiences in the city and its surrounding communities. This event celebrates the City of Downey's rich historic association with science, technology, engineering and math as well as its investment in the future of STEM. Guests are invited to build their own rockets and watch them launch. Live music and food trucks will be available throughout the day. As always admission will be free on the date of the event.

The Space Center will also be hosting the first ever "Movie Night with the Mayor" on August 10. Join me on the lawn in front of the Space Center to watch the original Star Wars movie at 7 pm. There will be food trucks, music and tons of fun. Also a special award will be given to the most authentic Star Wars costume!

August means back to school time for our local schools and with that comes traffic congestion. Our Downey Police Department is charged with the task of patrolling our streets to keep our children safe. As parents, grandparents and residents we need to do our part to keep them safe as well. In today’s world there are no greater distractions than our cell phones. When entering a school zone, please be sure to slow down, obey all traffic laws and please put phone down! If you happen to see a distracted driver please contact our police department immediately. Together we can keep our city streets safe for all.

In the event you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me or call the council office.

God Bless,

Rick Rodriguez
Mayor

562-904-7274
#AlwaysForward
rrodriguez@downeyca.org
facebook.com/MayorRickRodriguez
instagram.com/mayorrickrodriguez
twitter.com/MayorRRodriguez

Mayor's Corner: Downey loves its pets