A tremendous marketing tool for our city. For one brief moment on January 1st, Downey is heard from around the world. What a tribute to the hundreds of volunteers who help bring our floral masterpieces to the largest audience ever assembled, be it along Colorado Boulevard or in living rooms across our great nation and around the world.
-Doris Patterson,
Downey
What's wrong with this picture?
The water bill arrived in November with an enclosure entitled Downey Today. Subtitled, "A Newsletter for Downey Customers," it is published by the Downey City Manager's Officer. The off sized four page letter, more like a Christmas card size, announced "Services and Events for Fall and Winter." Inside were listed four events/announcements, each of little consequence to the bill payer or the water user.
But on the back page, the announcement caught my eye:
"DISPLAY AND REMOVAL OF HOLIDAY LIGHTS" with a short sentence, "Do not forget to remove your holiday lights when the holiday are over! The Downey Municipal Code permits the display of holidays from Thanksgiving through New Years."
My, my, but the city manager's office is a tricky operation. What better way to set into motion the municipal code than to announce it in the water bill.
Couple Downey Today's item of Holiday cheer and an earlier relatively unnoticed item that code enforcer will be randomly checking the refuse container used for lawn and garden clippings for any item that "contaminates," thus, renders the contents unusable in recycling. This will in turn result in a citation to the homeowner or occupant. Add to this, the coming of age traffic control by camera, makes for wonders of the enforcers.
Jerry Andrews, publisher of our Downey Eagle, has astutely observed in his "Publisher Corner" column, "Are we giving up too many freedoms." His comments were concise and to the point. Code Enforcement seems to be getting out of hand. With the milieu of inconsistently applied codes, collection of fines being contracted out to a faceless collection center in Huntington Beach, police department that appears to have become yet another impersonalized operation with its bullet proof windows awaiting citizens making inquiries at the reception counter, a code enforcement system which is near impossible to challenge unless you're retired and have time and money to "get a day in court," it makes one wonder just what the city council envision for the future of permissions to live in the city.
So far, the number of shopping carts found on streets seems to remain about the same as before any attention was given by then Councilman Gary McCaughan.
Rest assured, many will have their holiday decorations down by January 1st, save maybe for those who celebrate holidays which extend into the month of January with the use of a different calendar.
But one added note: as of January 3rd-still-the city's seasonal decorations in downtown Downey are still up on the poles along Firestone and along Downey Ave.
-Donn C. Irving,
Downey
I agree with Doris Hannon's unhappiness with billboards in Spanish that show discrimination against non-Spanish speaking citizens.
Furthermore I wish she would join me in sending a note of protest to the White House, complaining about President Bush addressing last week's town hall meeting in Ontario in Spanish.
When the President of the United States shows such disregard for non-Spanish speaking citizens it means the country is in real trouble. It shows lack of respect for his non-Spanish speaking constituency.
President Bush better start learning some Chinese or Japanese if he wants to get back into my good graces. Spanish alone won't do.
-Jorge H. Montero,
Downey