|




|
Mayor's Message
From the
July 2009
Newsletter
It
was certainly a long, unusual spring, with lots of heavy rain and
un-spring like weather. It's taken a toll on our streets - three
"hundred year storms" inside of a few weeks is difficult for any
drainage system to handle. I appreciate our public works and public
safety crews who have worked hard to deal with these problems as
they've arisen (or sunk, as the case may be.) It seems floods,
sinkholes, and knee-deep muck only happen in the wee hours, so
tending to them promptly often requires some real sacrifices on the
part of our city workers. At this writing, there are still some
troublesome spots which we will deal with as soon as we can.
Please call us if you encounter an urgent
infrastructure problem like a flood or pavement failure. We
appreciate those of you who bring these issues to our attention.
It's important to all of us here at the city offices that hazards
and damage are taken care of quickly, before someone gets hurt,
property is destroyed, and things get expensive or dangerous. Don’t
be shy about calling - we need your help to alert us to these
problems, particularly after hours. If the city offices are closed,
call Dispatch at 489-9421.
Hopefully, the worst of the weather is behind
us and it's finally time to enjoy some of the best months of the
year. Thanks to the rain, there is still an abundance of green on
the hillside and in fields and yards. It's the time of year to be
together - the rising sun brings us out of our homes for early
morning walks, the early evenings bring us together as friends at
backyard barbecues and block parties, while the height of the
growing season unites us as neighbors sharing peach and cherry
harvests and desperately giving away zucchinis. It’s the best
time of the year.
I appreciate all of you who have given of yourselves recently
to help your neighbors. About two dozen of our residents this spring
volunteered their time to become "CERT-ified" (Community Emergency
Response Team.) They attended a two months long course to learn how
to help their neighbors in the event of a city-wide disaster. It
required many hours in the classroom, followed by participation in a
rather harrowing and realistic mock disaster, during which they
applied their new skills in a real-world setting. I very much
appreciate CERT Director Dee Bradford and his new Assistant, Derek
Haynie. Both of these men are dedicated, caring, and enthusiastic.
We are grateful for their service and look forward to more of you
becoming involved in this very important effort.
I am also very grateful to our Mapleton Youth Council. We have a
very large group of participants this year. These energetic young
people have given back to the city in various ways over the past
months. Of particular note, in April, they organized a fund raiser,
which was hugely successful. These young men and women presented a
check to the city for nearly $1,000, which they requested be
deposited in our Public Safety Building Fund at Central Bank. We are
so grateful to them for all they’ve done. They are a credit to their
parents, teachers, and to the city and we are proud of them.
We’re proud to be celebrating this year the Fiftieth Anniversary of
our Volunteer Fire Department. We are blessed to have such a
dedicated and professional group. In spite of the fact firefighting
is grueling work, some of the original members of the very first
crew are still helping put out our fires all these years later.
What a blessing all of
these guys are to us! I recently attended one of their training
meetings and was grateful to have the opportunity to get to know
them better. In spite of the seriousness of their business, they are
a really fun group. If you have time on your hands, and don’t mind
getting those hands dirty and wearing yourself out to help your
neighbor, fill out an application to join them. All things
considered, the pay is pathetic, but you’ll be joining a great
tradition.
Finally, speaking of
tradition, the City Council and I are looking forward to spending
the day with all of you on July 24. The day starts early, with the
traditional Wake Up Call, courtesy of the Public Safety Department.
(Warn your out of town guests to expect lots of sirens that morning
- it’s supposed to be just for fun, but we’ve scared a few people in
the past.) Flag Raising is in the park, followed by breakfast also
at the park, then the 9 a.m. parade, lunch, games, and entertainment
(all at the park,) the Crafts Show in the Memorial Hall and other
activities lasting into the afternoon. Finally, plan to end the day
with a terrific musical program and Fireworks at the Ira Allen Park.
Last year as the
celebration day wrapped up, I looked around the sea of people on
blankets and camp chairs, having fun and laughing with their
neighbors and friends and I couldn’t think of a better way to end a
wonderful day. It makes for great fun and wonderful memories. I’m so
grateful to all of you for the work you put into making
our celebration of our pioneer heritage the highlight of the summer
and of the entire year. I hope you’ll join with us as we keep our
fingers crossed for good weather luck, and look eagerly forward to
the best day of the year!
Mayor Laurel Brady, 801-489-7516
(Home) mayor@mapleton.org
| |
|
|
This website is maintained by Mapleton City Corporation. While the city officers provide much of the information contained here, and we try to make the information accurate, none of the information presented can be considered 'official'. For official information, please contact the city directly. No warranty is made with respect to the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of anything in this website. No liability is assumed by anyone associated with it for direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages resulting from the use or misuse of any of the information presented. (C) Copyright 2007 Mapleton City. All Rights Reserved.
|