Mayor's Weekly (Apr 14 - Apr 21)

On my Mind
Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  I am writing this blog from Boston (well, technically Cambridge) on Easter Sunday not to mention the eve of Patriots Day and the 118th Boston Marathon.  I am not here as a runner though, but merely as a spectator and supporter of my wife Kiley who will be running in her 1st Boston Marathon and only her 3rd marathon overall.  When she ran her first marathon, she ended up qualifying for Boston with 11 minutes to spare which led up to this weekend and the race tomorrow.  I couldn’t be prouder.

The atmosphere surrounding this year’s race is absolutely incredible.  The entire city has opened it arms to the runners and the families and friends who have come to support them.  The Old South Church, or the “Church of the Finish Line”, held a special Easter/Marathon service this morning that included a blessing of the runners.  This year, the Old South Knitters Club of the congregation also embarked on a scarf making campaign using the blue and yellow colors of the race.  They planned to make a few hundred to give to runners during the service, but it went viral and before they knew it, the church was collecting scarves from all over the world.  In all, they collected over 7,000 scarves from 49 states and 12 countries.  My wife received a handmade scarf from a woman in New Hampshire that came with a handwritten note.  It is a great time to be in Boston and to remember those whose lives were cut short last year.

In the Boston Globe this morning, I read an article about the race by Dan Shaughnessy titled “Marathon belongs to the world this year.” Dan wrote: “This year, the Boston Marathon belongs to the world. It stands as a symbol of American freedom and a population refusing to cower to terrorism. Bostonians, New Englanders, Americans, and citizens of the free world on Monday will return to Hopkinton to reclaim a celebration that last year was interrupted by murder and mayhem.”  This will truly be a memorable race and I am excited to be here to support my wife and the 118th Boston Marathon.  #bostonstrong

Around Town
April is Safe Digging Month – Be sure to call 811 before digging to help prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient outages. www.call811.com

Thank You Friends of Dogbone Meadow – At our past City Council meeting, the Friends of Dogbone Meadow presented the City with a check for $7,000 to go towards improvements at the dog park!

Novato High Hires New Principal – Congratulations and welcome to Matt Baldwin who was just recently chosen to be the new principal at Novato High School beginning in July to replace Rey Mayoral who will be retiring.

The Week Ahead
Monday (Apr 21):
Planning Commission Meeting – 7:00PM (City Hall)

Tuesday (Apr 22):
Earth Day

Saturday (Apr 26):
19th Annual Novato Clean and Green Day -  9AM-1PM
Click here for more info

Novato Celebrates!
9th Annual Multicultural Community Festival – 12PM
Click here for more info

Monday (Apr 28):
Public Workshop
Introduction of the 2014-2022 Housing Element Update
7:00PM (City Hall)