Downey Update Newsletter - September 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

VOL. 01

The

Downey Update

Integrity · Commitment · Respect · Teamwork · Engagement · Passion · Excellence

Fire Station #2 and #4 RibbonCuttings and Open House Events

IN THIS ISSUE FIRE STATION RIBBON-CUTTINGS AND OPEN HOUSE EVENTS 9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE

On Saturday, August 21st, the City of Downey hosted two

NEW THEATER ART PLAZA

ribbon-cutting ceremonies at both Fire Station #2 and #4 to

INSTALLATIONS

officially re-open the newly renovated fire stations. These ribbon-cutting ceremonies mark the completion of the Measure

MAYOR'S SUPERHERO MOVIE NIGHT

S projects and were extra special because residents were

CITY OF DOWNEY FY 2021-2022

invited to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremonies in person!

ADOPTED BUDGET

Prior ribbon-cutting ceremonies were done virtually due to

TWILIGHT SUMMER CONCERT

COVID-19 restrictions and residents only had the opportunity to view the progress being made on Measure S projects through the City's social media platforms.

SERIES RECAP

KEEP DOWNEY BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION AWARD WINNERS

In addition to each ribbon-cutting ceremony, Downey Fire personnel provided guided tours of the fire stations to

PRIDE FLAG RAISED AT CITY HALL

residents to show firsthand what the new and improved fire

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

stations look like. Residents got to see the new living quarters and even got to see several Downey fire trucks up close. The City would like to thank everyone who attend the ribbon-

2021 MOST POPULAR IN THE SOUTHLAND WINNER!

cutting ceremonies. It was a wonderful and memorable event

HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM

for everyone.

MEASURE S FEATURE IN WESTERN CITIES MAGAZINE

For more information on all Measure S projects, please visit http://downeymeasure-s.com/.

TELEGRAPH ROAD TRAFFIC THROUGHPUT AND SAFETY ENHANCEMENT UPDATE

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9/11 Remembrance Ceremony The City of Downey held a special 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Thursday, September 9th outside Downey City Hall.

Mayor Claudia M. Frometa was joined by Mayor Pro Tem Blanca Pacheco and Downey’s Fire and Police Departments, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of September 11th.

The program included the singing of the national anthem by Jasmin Alvarez from the Downey High School Choir, flag-raising by the Downey Police Department, speeches from Mayor Claudia M. Frometa and Fire Chief Dan Hurlock, as well as a special bellringing and wreath-laying.

Moment of Remembrance On June 22nd, Mayor Claudia M. Frometa, joined by the Downey City Council, City staff, and faith & civic leaders, held a moment of remembrance for the over 300 Downey lives and over 600,000 nationwide, that have been lost due to COVID-19. The event took place in the evening before the City Council meeting and was held to remember and honor those we lost much too soon to this terrible disease. Special thank you to Samuel Jebananthan for leading us in prayer and Jasmin Alvarez from the Downey High School Choir for performing “Amazing Grace.”

New Theatre Art Plaza Installations Two new beautiful sculptures have been added to the Downey Theatre Art Plaza.

“In the Wings”, by Jane DeDecker and Alyson Kinkade, depicts two ballerinas in vibrantly painted tutus warming up on the barre in preparation for their next moment on stage.

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The second sculpture, "The Conductor", by Jane DeDecker portrays a confident and animated music conductor leading his musicians. Both sculptures were hand sculpted using clay, giving them an exuberant expressionistic style that really brings them to life. Please visit the Downey Theatre Art Plaza to see these two beautiful art installations and while you are there, make sure to check out what new shows and performances the Downey Theatre has to offer.

The Downey Theatre Box Office is open TuesdayFriday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm or you can visit www.downeytheatre.org for more information and to buy tickets.

Mayor's Superhero Movie Night On Saturday, August 7th, Mayor Claudia M. Frometa hosted her “Mayor’s Superhero Movie Night” event at Golden Park. It was an evening of family fun in which residents enjoyed the movie “Spider-Man – Far From Home” and got to come dressed in their favorite superhero costume! There was also a special musical performance by “The Tease Band.” Everyone enjoyed a night filled with music, food and entertainment for all ages!

City of Downey FY 20212022 Adopted Budget The City of Downey 2021-2022 Annual Adopted Budget has been published digitally and is available on the City of Downey website! The purpose of the City budget is to set forth a strategic resource allocation plan to fund City programs, services, and infrastructure. The budget book features new sections which include: Top Budget Questions, Performance Management, Useful Links, and expanded Forecasting Discussion. In addition, the Budget book also incorporates hyperlinks to connect pages within the document to the City's webpage and outside websites, making it an interactive, all-in-one resource. View the City of Downey Budget by visiting: www.downeyca.org/budget.

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Twilight Summer Concert Recap The City of Downey Parks and Recreation Department was rocking and rolling with the Twilight Summer Concerts Series at Furman Park this summer! After a long year of being home due to COVID-19, families were invited to come out and enjoy an evening of family fun, music, food, and live entertainment!

In addition to the wholesome fun, residents also had the opportunity to get their COVID-19 vaccination. A mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit was available during the concert series and offered free vaccinations to anyone who wanted one. This was all made possible thanks to Assembly Member Cristina Garcia and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health.

If you didn't get a chance to get vaccinated during the Twilight Concert Series, you can still get vaccinated. Just visit https://myturn.ca.gov/ to schedule your appointment today!

Keep Downey Beautiful Neighborhood Beautification Award Winners The City is excited to announce the winners of the 2021 Keep Downey Beautiful Neighborhood Beautification Awards! This citywide contest ran from March 1st to April 30th. Residents had the opportunity to nominate their favorite Residential Property: single family homes, multi-family units: apartments, duplexes, etc., and non-residential property: restaurants, medical offices, etc. Each nomination was judged by a subcommittee of the Keep Downey Beautiful Committee and the winners were awarded with a certificate of recognition and a sign for their yard. A big thank you to all those who submitted their amazing homes for consideration, and congratulations to all of the winners! Together we all Keep Downey Beautiful!

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Pride Flag Raised at City Hall For First Time in Downey’s History On Saturday, June 26, 2021, the City of Downey held its first-ever Pride Flag Raising event in honor of June being National LGBTQ Pride Month. Mayor Pro Tem Blanca Pacheco, Councilmember Catherine Alvarez, and Councilmember Mario Trujillo took part in this historic event, which served to acknowledge and support our LGBTQ community.

National Night Out The City of Downey was excited to welcome back its residents to the 8th Annual National Night Out event. This free event took place on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021 in the Downey Civic Center. Residents were welcomed by live music and free food provided by the Downey City Police Department. There were activities and giveaways for the kids, community information booths, live K-9 demonstrations by the Downey Police Department, and a live vehicle extrication demonstration conducted by the Downey Fire Department. The City would like to extend a huge thank you to all who joined us and to all who helped make this memorable event possible. We look forward to seeing you all at next year's event.

2021 Most Popular in the Southland Winner!

The City is excited to announce that Downey was voted one of the MOST POPULAR REGIONAL CITY- SOUTH BAY/LONG BEACH/SOUTH Los Angeles to live in! The Columbia Memorial Space Center and Downey Theatre were also voted in and ranked high in their respective categories!

View the results here: www.latimes.com/bestofthesouthland

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Homeless Outreach Team Members of the Downey Police Homeless Outreach team contacted several homeless individuals throughout the City of Downey. They were all given information and resources for housing, mental health and substance abuse. In addition, the Homeless Outreach team also assisted Union Pacific Railroad with cleanup and outreach efforts along the railroad tracks throughout Downey. If you see or know of someone that is homeless and needs assistance, please visit www.lahsa.org to make an outreach request.

Measure S Featured in Western City Magazine The City of Downey is pleased to share that its Measure S program has been featured by Western City Magazine. Measure S is the city’s most robust capital improvements program in the City’s history!

The measure was voted on and passed by Downey residents in 2016. It proposed a half percent transaction and use tax that would generate approximately $10 million dollars per year.

The funding from Measure S helped modernize and improve the Police Department’s communications systems and headquarters, 4 fire stations, 7 parks, the Downey Theatre and Plaza, and the Downey City Library. The focus of Measure S was to enhance the quality of life for Downey residents while promoting community wellness, increased public safety, and building civic pride. To read the full article please visit: www.westerncity.com

Telegraph Road Traffic Throughput and Safety Enhancement Update The City's Public Works Department has been making great progress on the Telegraph Road Traffic Throughput and Safety Enhancement Project. Concrete improvements and base paving, along with new median islands have been completed on Paramount Blvd to Lakewood Blvd.

Currently, they are working on installing the

SEPTEMBER 2021

VOL. 01 new irrigation systems for the median islands and will soon begin work on the landscaping for the median islands, as well. In addition to the landscaping work, they are also preparing to lay the final layer of rubberized asphalt pavement, traffic striping, and signing. Lastly, once work on Paramount Blvd to Lakewood Blvd. has been completed, work on Passons Blvd. to the East City Limit will begin. Passons Blvd. will also undergo concrete improvements along with new median islands and pavement. As of right now, the project is approximately 50% complete and is anticipated to be completed in October 2021.

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Downey City Council Meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month and start at 6:30 PM Agendas can be viewed 72 hours before the Council Meeting on the City's website at www.downeyca.org

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