October proclaimed 'Character Counts' month

DOWNEY - Mayor Mario Guerra Tuesday issued a proclamation designating October as Character Counts Month.In his proclamation, Guerra said "Young people will be the stewards of our communities, nation and world in critical times, and the present and future well-being of our society requires an involved caring citizen with good character." In July 1992, he said, the institutionalization of Character Counts began when an "eminent group of educators, youth leaders, and ethics scholars wrote the Aspen Declaration, which states that trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship are the 'Six Pillars of Character' that form the basis of effective character education and development." But he really hit the nail on the head when he declared: "Character development is first and foremost an obligation of families, though efforts by faith communities, school, and youth, civic and human service organizations also play a very important role in supporting family efforts by fostering and promoting good character." In other action, the Council: *Approved the agreement with Global Learning, Inc. to provide evaluation services for the city's grant-funded, state-administered After School Program for Information, Recreation and Education (ASPIRE) program in the amount of $94,872; •Approved, with Guerra voting 'no', the Holiday Lane Parade permit application by the Downey Chamber of Commerce for its 56th annual parade on Dec. 6, 2009; Guerra took exception to some "unacceptable" actions by the Chamber's Parade committee who he said gave all indications that they "were not willing to work with the city"; •Approved the agreement with Ishii Engineering for professional services involving the replacement of the 738-seat Downey Theatre's aged HVAC system, and appropriated an amount in energy block grant funds (through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) not to exceed $80,000 for design engineering; •Approved a resolution adopting a Memorandum of Understanding between the city of Downey and the Downey Public Safety Auxiliary Association, which represents mainly personnel from Police and Fire; •Approved a resolution adopting a Memorandum of Understanding between the city of Downey and the Downey City Employees Association, Miscellaneous Unit; •Adopted a resolution approving the form of and authorizing the execution and delivery of a purchase and sale agreement and related documents with respect to the sale of the seller's Proposition 1A receivable from the state; and directing and authorizing certain other actions in connection therewith; this financing program is being referred to as a Securitization Program, invoked by the state if and when the Governor declares a fiscal necessity (as in the present case), and approved by two-thirds of the state legislature; •Adopted a resolution to accept a fee and waive nine (9) automobile parking spaces for Euro Fresh Salads & More located at 11126 Downey Ave., in support of the city's downtown specific plan to revitalize this area of the city; •Adopted an ordinance amending Art. VI, Chapter 5, Part 11 of the Downey Municipal Code regarding the placement and operation of publication vending machines (newsracks) on city property; •Heard the mayor present his own Diakonia (servant) award to John Vincent, poet-president of the Downey Historical Society; and •Heard the mayor present the longtime Downey resident and DUSD special education director Kent Halbmaier his certificate of appointment to the Traffic Committee, Council District 2. The next regular public meeting of the City Council will be at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Ave.

********** Published: October 30, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 28