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AND SO, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS SO EXCITING FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UH, WAS USED TO COME TO CARNEGIE LIBRARY BEFORE IT LOOKED LIKE THIS.
UH, MARSHALL IS WHERE I MET MY WIFE, UH, DAVIS, WHERE I PLAYED FOOTBALL AND WON A COUPLE OF GAMES BEFORE THEY WENT ON A LONG SKID
BUT IT'S ALL EXCITING AND IMMENSELY PERSONAL FOR THOSE REASONS, BECAUSE THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UH, AND I AM JUST SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROCESS OF HELPING TO REVITALIZE THE NEAR NORTH SIDE.
UH, AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S REFERRED TO.
I, I REFER TO IT AS REVIVE TO THRIVE.
AND THAT IS MAKING STRATEGIC, UH, REINVESTMENTS INTO THE COMMUNITY, UH, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN HAVE PRIDE IN WHERE THEY CALL HOME.
AND SO, I'M EXCITED BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO A PART OF, UH, PARTNERSHIPS, UH, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER, ALL COMBINING RESOURCES AND EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES LIKE THE NORTH SIDE, UH, KNOW THAT THEY ARE REMEMBERED, KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING RESPECTED, KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED, AND KNOW THAT, THAT THEY'RE BEING SUPPORTED.
AND SO TODAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO ANNOUNCE A COMBINED $48 MILLION THAT IS COMING INTO THE NEAR NORTH SIDE.
AND THIS PROJECT WILL ENTAIL A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT IT WILL, UH, BE REBUILDING SOME OF THE STREETS ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY FROM THE GROUND UP.
IT'S GOING TO IMPROVE DRAINAGE, UH, WHICH, UH, SO MANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE FAMILIES, UH, CAN, ARE WORRY ABOUT WHEN IT RAINS.
UH, WHEN WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE SEVERE RAINS, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE SAFER SIDEWALKS, SMOOTHER ROADS, LIKE, UH, WHAT THE MAYOR'S DOING RIGHT HERE ON EQUIPMENT.
AND, UH, IT'LL PROVIDE, UH, THE YOUNG PEOPLE A SAFER WAY TO GET TO SCHOOL AND HOME.
AND SO WITH THAT, I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, FOR THEIR COLLABORATION.
UH, FOR THE SUPPORT AND GETTING HERE.
OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, SER CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS, WHERE YOU GUYS NOT HERE? OKAY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, SOME OF THE SUBCONTRACTORS OF, UH, PIERCE GOODWILL, UH, GOODWIN, ALEXANDER AND LINVILLE HON, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT.
AND OF COURSE, UH, MY PRECINCT TWO ENGINEERING TEAM.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK, LET'S GIVE THEM ALL A NICE ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND SO, AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF NORTH SIDE COLLABORATIONS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK AGAIN, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
'CAUSE, UH, MOODY PARK WAS THE MOST RECENT TIME THAT WE CAME TOGETHER TO ANNOUNCE OUR COLLABORATION, CITY AND COUNTY WORKING TOGETHER, KEITH WISE WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, WALLY.
UH, THOSE ARE ALL WAYS THAT, UH, CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER, UH, TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY THAT WE, UH, RESPECT THEM AND ACKNOWLEDGE 'EM.
AND SO PLEASE HELP ME IN WELCOMING MAYOR WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND IT IS A SPECIAL DAY TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, IT'S REALLY WHY TODAY DEMONSTRATES, AND AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE'RE PUBLIC SERVANTS.
UH, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE COMMISSIONER.
HE AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WHEN HE CALLED, WANTED TO COLLABORATE ON THIS PROJECT TO IMPROVE DRAINAGE, MOBILITY, IMPROVED THE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT WAS A JOY FOR HIM TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY.
SO OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY.
CERTAINLY, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP MATTERS, ELECTIONS MATTER.
SO THIS IS WHY WE RUN FOR OFFICE.
THIS IS WHY WE GET UP TO GO TO WORK.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE COUNTY TEAM, MY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, HIS TEAM, SO
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WE'RE, IT'S A CELEBRATION.SO THANK YOU TO THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FOR BEING A PARTNER.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, BEING INVOLVED, ORGANIZED, SPEAKING UP REALLY DOES WORK.
SO COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU AS A HOUSTONIAN WENT TO WALTER HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF PICKED ON, UH, AND THEY WAS
HE WAS A SLOW WHITE BOY, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT HE STILL MADE THE DAVIS TEAM.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY HERE, AND I WOULD SUGGEST AND ARGUE THAT THE BEST DAYS ARE YET TO COME.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND, UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING, UH, REBECCA
UH, PLEASE THANK, UH, REBECCA FOR ALL OF HER INCREDIBLE WORK.
BUT WE ALSO ARE JOINED BY GLORIA, UH, MORENO, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT DIRECTOR RATHER FOR CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE, UH, THANKS SOME REPRESENTATIVES FOR, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES.
ARE YOU HERE? OR LET'S GIVE THE REPRESENTATIVE A NICE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AS WELL.
AND, UH, THEN WE HAVE IS VICKI, DID VICKI JOIN US? THERE YOU ARE.
UH, SHE IS THE, UH, PRESIDENT? OR CAN I SAY PRESIDENT? NO.
SHE'S A NEIGHBOR OF, UH, LINDE.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, SOMEONE THAT WE HEAR FROM SHORTLY, UH, CARMEN NUNCIO, WHICH ANYBODY WHO IS AROUND ANY SCHOOL IN HOUSTON HAS GOTTA KNOW WHO CARMEN NUNCIO IS.
AT THIS TIME, LET ME, UH, ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO OF DISTRICT H TO COME ON, COME ON UP AND SHARE A FEW WORDS.
AND THIS IS A GREAT DAY IN DISTRICT H TODAY, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO BE HERE ALONGSIDE COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND THE MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, ALL THE COLLABORATORS THAT HAVE HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE FROM THE COUNTY SIDE AND EVEN OUR, OUR FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, LIKE OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT THAT HAPPENS IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE WITHOUT THE GREATER NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT PLAYING SOME ROLE IN THE PROJECT.
AND SO IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO WORK WITH, UH, REBECCA AND HER TEAM AS THEY ARE, UH, A PARTNER HERE.
YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN A COMMUNITY.
THE NEAR NORTH SIDE, A HISTORIC COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON, AND A HISTORIC COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT H.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS NOT JUST SOME PATCHES AND SOME REHABS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOTALLY RECONSTRUCTING STREETS, DRAINAGE, SIDEWALKS.
THESE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL HELP FAMILIES GET TO THEIR PARKS AND ARE HIKING BIKE TRAILS SAFER, HELP THE STUDENTS GET TO THEIR SCHOOLS SAFER.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THIS PROJECT WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHERS, LIKE THE EQUIPMENT STREET PROJECT, WHICH IS RIGHT BEHIND US, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THE INVESTMENT IN A COMMUNITY THAT WILL HELP IT CONTINUE TO GROW AND THRIVE FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME.
SO, UH, I AM SO PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO SEE THIS, UH, AND THIS TAKE, UH, TAKE HOLD WITH THIS GROUNDBREAKING, UH, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO DELAYS, UH, THAT WE DON'T RUN INTO SOME OF THE, THE RED TAPE THAT CAN HOLD THESE PROJECTS UP.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS HERE WANTING TO PUSH THIS FORWARD AND MAKE, UH, MAKE SURE WE GET A QUALITY PROJECT DELIVERED FOR A COMMUNITY, UH, THAT WILL HELP IT THRIVE AND GROW AND CONTINUE TO, UH, STAY SAFE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL BEING HERE TODAY.
AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER REMINDS ME OF AN IMPORTANT POINT.
UH, PEOPLE WANT TO SEE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY WANT SEE IT YESTERDAY AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION STARTS.
SO WE ASK SIMPLY BE PATIENT AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE US, UH, JUST A BIT TO GET THROUGH THIS.
WE'RE STARTING NOW AND IT'LL TAKE APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF, UH, TO GET THIS PROJECT COMPLETE.
SO PLEASE BEAR WITH US AS WE WORK THROUGH ALL THAT.
THERE'LL BE SOME INCONVENIENCE, THERE'LL BE SOME DUST, BUT YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT YOU WILL SEE ONCE WE ARE DONE.
AND WITH THAT, LET ME ASK, UH, RANDY MACKEY, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO COME UP AND SHARE A FEW WORDS.
LISTEN, I, I WON'T REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR.
IF THERE'S ONE THING I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, THOUGH, IT'S THAT WORD COLLABORATION THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
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AS THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, THERE'S GONNA BE DUST, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME INTERRUPTION.NO PROJECT IS SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY.
AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT IT AS WE GO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COULD BE THE BEST THING THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND EVEN GETTING TO THIS POINT, WE HAD OUR FAIR SHARE OF HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALL OF THE AGENCY PARTNERS, ESPECIALLY THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE HERE ON HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT.
WE'VE HAD TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CREATIVE AND IMAGINATIVE, AND THAT'S THE NEW WAY FORWARD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S NOT BEING STOPPED BY THE OBSTACLES THAT POP UP AND, AND, AND ALLOWING OURSELVES BE DELAYED FOR YEARS TO COME.
IT'S FINDING PATHWAYS FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE THINGS DONE SO THAT WE CAN REWARD THE COMMUNITIES THAT SO DESPERATELY NEED THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLOSE OUT AND ECHO MY THANKS TO EVERYBODY, ALL OF THE PARTNERS HERE, ESPECIALLY MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR HIS VISION AND LEADERSHIP HERE ON HOW WE TRANSFORM OUR COMMUNITIES, HOW WE REALLY PRIORITIZE THOSE BASIC NEEDS AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYWHERE THAT WE GO, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR SO LONG.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR YOUR OFFICE AND THE SUPPORT OF YOUR TEAM AND STAFF.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND AS THE MAYOR SAYS, LET'S GET TO WORK.
AND I, YOU KNOW, LOOK, UM, AS RANDY COMES UP HERE, HE REPRESENTS, UH, AN IMPORTANT, UH, PART OF THE CITY APPARATUS AND ONE THAT I HAVE BEEN SO, UH, EXCITED TO WORK WITH.
THIS IS JUST ONE PROJECT, AS I MENTIONED.
UH, WE ARE, WE'RE DOING, UH, SOME SIDEWALKS AROUND THE WESLEY COMMUNITY, UH, CENTER, UH, WHERE I, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD LEARN HOW TO PLAY, HOW TO DANCE THERE.
UH, I WAS REAL EXCITED WHEN I WAS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, TOLD I WAS GOING TO GET TO DANCE UNTIL THEY TOLD ME I WAS DANCING WITH MY SISTER
AND, UM, BUT A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES.
UH, MANY FRIENDS, UH, YOU KNOW, WERE, IT IS WHERE WE SPENT OUR AFTERNOONS, UH, AT THE WESLEY HOUSE.
AND THEN GOT THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SPEED BUMPS, UH, THAT WE ARE PUTTING IN STREETLIGHTS.
UH, THE EQUIPMENT PROJECT IS ONE THAT WE STARTED WITH THE MARRIAGE ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WE ARE COLLABORATING ON, AND WE COULD NOT GET IT DONE, IF NOT FOR THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT AND THE STEADY HAND OF DIRECTOR MACKEY.
SO LET'S GIVE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND WITH THAT, UH, LET ME ASK AND A VERY, VERY, UH, CRITICAL, UH, AND, AND KEY PARTNER IN A NUMBER OF THINGS.
SOME OF THE PROJECTS I JUST MENTIONED, IN FACT.
AND THAT IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UH, REBECCA ARENA.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY.
ON BEHALF OF THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I'M HONORED TO JOIN YOU AS WE CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF THIS MUCH NEEDED DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT.
YEARS AGO, IN 2010, THE DISTRICT CONDUCTED A LIVABLE CENTER STUDY FOR THIS AREA.
IN THIS STUDY, THIS COMMUNITY WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE HEART OF THE NORTH SIDE.
THAT VISION HAS GUIDED SO MUCH OF THE WORK WE PURSUED IN THIS AREA EVER SINCE IT HELPED SHAPE OUR EFFORTS FOR SECURE FUNDING FOR THE EQUIPMENT PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENT, A PROJECT THAT OUR PARTNERS STRONGLY SUPPORTED AND KNOW, KNEW THAT WAS NEEDED, THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAYOR WHITMEYER, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO COMMISSIONER GARCIA TURNS 21 IN METRO, ALL CAME TOGETHER TO INVEST IN MAKING IT MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND IMPACTFUL.
TODAY, THIS PROJECT CONTINUES THAT MOMENTUM.
IT ENSURES THAT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AND LONG OVERDUE IMPROVEMENTS COME CONTINUE FLOWING INTO THE HEART OF THE NORTH SIDE.
AND WHAT MAKES THIS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL IS THAT THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT JUST FOR EQUIPMENT.
OUR NORTH MANOR HOGAN, THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD BENEFITS FAMILIES, STUDENT BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WILL SEE THE IMPACT OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS TOGETHER.
THESE PROJECTS HELP CREATE A NORTH SIDE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY A STRONGER, SAFER, AND MORE CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
THIS EFFORT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN PARTNERSHIPS WORK THE WAY THEY SHOULD.
THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY WITH MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S, LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S LEADERSHIP, THE COUNTY WITH COMMISSIONER GARCIA, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ENTITIES LIKE THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ALLOW US TO DO MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND TACKLE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT HAVE GONE UNADDRESSED FOR SO LONG.
NOW, I WILL, IN FULL TRANSPARENCY, I'M MY LITTLE BIASED.
UM, I PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR COMMISSIONER GARCIA WHEN HE WAS DISTRICT H COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THESE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE CITY, COUNTY AND LOCAL
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ENTITIES WERE NOT HAPPENING AT THIS LEVEL BEFORE HIS LEADERSHIP.AND NOW WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF WHITMEYER, I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS AREA.
UM, SO I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK COMMISSIONER GARCIA FOR HIS CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE NORTH SIDE AND FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT REAL PROGRESS HAPPENS WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.
SO FROM ONE BORN AND RAISED NORTHSIDER TO ANOTHER, I WANNA THANK BOTH THE COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND COUNCIL MEMBER GAR, UM, CASTILLO FOR ALWAYS FIGHTING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO IMPROVING THE LIFE OF OUR, THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF US.
AND I, I TELL YOU WHAT, UH, AS SHE REFERS, WE'RE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
ALL OF US HERE ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY, EVEN THE MAYOR, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RIVALS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE WHEN, UH, ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE MOTIVATION AS I, MY STAFF OFTEN HEARS ME SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE NEAR OR NEAR SIDE OVER BY PAPA BURGER, IF ANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH PAPA BURGER, UM, I REMEMBER MY FRIENDS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY COULDN'T WAIT UNTIL THEY COULD GET OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHY? BECAUSE THE CITY AT THE TIME HAD NOT INVESTED, UH, INTO THE COMMUNITY, HAD NOT ABATED, THE GRAFFITI HAD NOT PICKED UP THE TRASH HAD NOT CUT THE WEED LOTS, UH, HAD NOT ADDRESSED PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO THOSE WERE ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS THAT MY FRIENDS WERE HAVING.
AND THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MAYOR TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO CHILD TODAY HAVING THOSE SAME THOUGHTS.
WE WANT THEM TO STAY HOUSTONIANS, TO BE COMMITTED TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, TO HELP MAKE THE NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER.
AND WHEN YOU MAKE THAT, UH, COMMITMENT AND THAT PRIDE, UH, STRONGER AND REVITALIZED, IT MAKES EVERYTHING THAT MUCH BETTER.
AND SOMEONE TO HELP BRING, UH, AN EMPHASIS TO THAT POINT IS SOMEONE WHO I IMMENSELY ADMIRE FOR HER TENACITY, HER COMMITMENT TO OUR CHILDREN.
AND THAT IS A NORTHSIDE RESIDENT AND A NORTHSIDE, UH, FIGHTER.
AND THAT IS MS. CARMEN NUNCIO.
MY NAME IS CARMEN NUNCIO, EXCUSE ME.
AND I WANNA THANK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR INVITING ME.
AND I WANNA THANK HIM FOR EVERYTHING THAT HE DOES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M SO HAPPY THAT OUR WONDERFUL MAYOR IS HERE.
OUR WONDERFUL, UH, WHERE DID HE GO? UM,
WE HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE HELPING US.
AND I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING, I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER WITH HIV FOR 51 YEARS AND I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR OUR KIDS.
AND I TELL THEM, DON'T EVER LET NOBODY TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE BETTER THAN YOU ARE.
YOU ARE JUST AS GOOD AS THE KIDS IN RIVER OAKS AND BEL AIR.
AND DON'T EVER LET ANYBODY TELL YOU ANY DIFF ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
SO I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LEFT ON THE BACK BURNER.
OH, WELL, WE'LL DO SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OUR KIDS APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
I'M ALWAYS BO BOTHERING PEOPLE.
UM, COULD YOU HELP OUR KIDS WITH THIS? COULD YOU AND, UM, AND ADRIAN GARCIA'S OFFICE, I'M SURE WHEN I CALL, HE TELLS ESTHER, IF IT'S CARMEN, DON'T ANSWER IT.
BUT I CONTINUE TO HELP OUR KIDS BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HELP OUR KIDS, WHO'S GONNA HELP THEM? SO I JUST WANT TO Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO FOR US.
I WILL ALWAYS ANSWER THE CALL THE PHONE WHEN YOU CALL
AND YOU GOTTA RESPECT THAT AND ADMIRE THAT.
SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US.
NOW LET'S GO ON TO THE GROUNDBREAKING.