Message from Mayor McLaughlin

Dear Friends,

Here we are one week into 2008 already. The year ahead is fresh and new and we must embrace it with renewed hopes, dreams, and caring outreach efforts to one another.

I want to thank all those who were able to attend the special "Meet-with-the-Mayor" on December 21st which was dedicated to the memory of lives lost to homicide in the past year. We remain with a heavy heart, but are committed to making 2008 the year in which the community is fully engaged in making a difference in our city.

I remain committed to addressing the root causes of violence that have to do with economic distress and oppression. One way for all Richmond residents to show solidarity with those who are suffering is to voice support to the City Council for funding initiatives such as our youth job corps and increased recreation programs.

As we enter the new year, a few announcements:

--On January 22nd at the City Council meeting (7 pm in the Council Chambers, 1401 Marina Way South), I will be presenting the 2008 MLK Richmond Community Leadership and Service Awards to many extraordinary individuals in our city who have worked hard throughout 2007 to advance a better, a more peaceful, and a more just Richmond.

--Also at the January 22nd Council meeting, I will be delivering my "2008 State of the City" address. I am very much looking forward to delivering this address and giving a recap of our collective accomplishments, recommitting to addressing our ongoing challenges, and setting the stage for new undertakings and plans for 2008.

--I continue to hold weekly Meet-with-the-Mayor sessions on Fridays. Most of these meetings take place from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Whittlesey Community Room (next to the library). However, we are planning to hold the 4th Friday meeting per month in different neighborhoods of the city. We are looking to hold one later in January at the Nevin Community Center.

--Lastly, I want to announce that I have hired a new staffperson in my office. I am delighted to have Marilyn Langlois, a long-time community and social activist and a Richmond resident, join my office staff as Community Advocate. I am very excited about the experience, skills and commitment that Marilyn brings. Together with the ongoing efforts and commitments of Parin Shah and Kibibi Culbertson, Marilyn rounds off a great Mayor's Office team as we work together, with all of you, to bring about a better 2008.

I remain ever-committed to elevate and bring forward the "goodness" that defines us here in Richmond. We must always remember that our goodness outweighs our challenges. It is that goodness, along with our courage to face our problems, that will elevate us in 2008.

Let me end with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr., as we near his birthday commemoration this year:

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."
-- MLK, Jr.

Sincerely,

Mayor McLaughlin