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Public Comments - Speeches
Monmouth Mayor's Report
October 5, 1999Tonight, our community has a lot to be thankful for.
We have local heroes like Ray & Dori Broderson, Em Nutter, Carl Nightengale, Dr. Hiatt, Mimi Shawe, the city staff and the countless volunteers involved in this past month's whirlwind of activities...
All who took part are heroes, they helped make their neighborhood, this community - better.
Our community has come together and made some wonderful things happen - showing once again, that this community is the place to be.
We had a successful 24 hour Challenge, over twenty teams had fun, raised money and got to know each other all over again.
For context, that means that over two hundred people took time out of their hectic lives to show they care and do something about it.
The foundation of our new skateboard park was poured - professional cement contractors (and a few of us helpers) pulled together and right now, we are almost 'there'.
One particular contractor told me that he was there because God didn't give him a lot of money but he'd instead given him a talent - and if he couldn't share that talent with his community, than he just wouldn't be doing what he knew he must...
It is because of that spirit that we will have a new skateboard park before the end of this month.
This is the kind of place we live in - the people care and I am proud of everything that has been done, and those things about to get done -
In the audience are the coordinators of the Monmouth Legacy Forest Project - they have some news to share with the council, the staff and the community - all of it good by the way...
They represent hundreds of people that have stood up to the plate and made a commitment to help make 99W just a little bit more 'ours'...
They have accepted the challenge and I think you will be impressed by just how much has been done.
In short, they deserve a hand for what they've already accomplished - and recognition for what they are about to accomplish.
On a personal note, I must confess that this month has been my busiest thus far.
We've held two neighborhood meetings - in the Ackerman and Sacre Lane areas.
Each was distinctly different but both were inspiring because of the spirit the attendees, and their sincere faith in this community.
This month, more meetings between the public agencies in this community will occur - each with a specific purpose but all should be positive because we are talking about things before identified needs have become real problems - I think that these help.
Finally, it has been a busy month because of the excitement attached to the return of students - and the energy they put into the community.
There is no place like Monmouth in the fall, and I'm thankful for it.
