Weekly Update: News, and a note of thanks

Friends,

We’ve spent a lot of time in the weeds (and even discussing literal weeds) in the past few editions of this email, so I’m just going to share a few quick items today and end on a personal note.

Here’s the lightning round:

• Improvements are coming to City-owned Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, including a new sound system. Here’s more info.
  
• Our work is far from finished, and no one is celebrating this news as 'mission accomplished.' But it is an encouraging sign that gun crimes are down 15 percent this year, and it’s a reminder that what we're doing, hand-in-hand with what our community partners are doing, is working.
  
• Memphis turns 200 next year, and the folks at Memphis in May are giving us a nice birthday present: Memphis will be the honored "country" at next year's Memphis in May International Festival!
  
• The team at Memphis Animal Services is hard at work this summer saving as many dogs and cats as possible, and they need your help. You can be a part of their efforts and take a dog home for two weeks as part of their transport foster program. They can provide you with dog food, plus a collar, leash, and harness. More of a cat person? Cats need fosters, too. Email Dani Rutherford if you’re interested.

Now, for the personal note. I’ll set it up with this picture from my visit to Orange Mound Outreach Ministries Tuesday night.

This was one of six stops our team made during National Night Out, an annual event that promotes community-building and crime prevention. Everywhere we went, you were there — offering an encouraging word, sharing a story about how you’re working right beside us to improve Memphis, or simply sharing a laugh.

I can’t tell you how much this support means to me.

Thank you.

I spend a lot of time out in the community (follow me on Twitter if you doubt it), from weekend events to random lunches to Sunday worship services. To get to know you better, to hear your concerns, to explain what we’re doing with your tax dollars — it’s truly the best part of the job.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: It is the honor of my life to serve as your mayor. I work every single day to not let you down.

Yours,