MAYOR’S COLUMN -- Guy Carrozzo

I am proud and honored to be the mayor of Fountain Valley for the year

2000. That is quite a milestone.

The press always seems to ask the new mayor the same question: “What are

your goals for the city now that you are mayor?”

In 1995, I told them we were not planning to build a huge theme park,

arena, skyscraper or any type of Brooklyn Bridge. I said my goal for my

year at the helm was to keep Fountain Valley a nice place to live for

future generations, as it was for the past generations.

For the year 2000, I will continue to work on that goal, but I have

another goal in mind to go with it. You can call it my dream, and I need

your help -- all of you.

I am dedicating my year as mayor to the veterans and POWs of our country.

I want to honor these individuals. I want us all to celebrate the year

2000 with a renewed burst of patriotism.

The freedoms that we enjoy today and in the new year of 2000 and beyond

were not given to us by a simple quill pen being placed on a piece of

parchment. These freedoms were fought for and protected by the soldiers,

all branches of the service, with unheard-of sacrifices.

Just stop and look outside your windows for a moment. Think about what

your life might be like today if these brave men and women had turned

their backs on our country, like some people did. It would be a horrific

and frightening world outside those windows if they had, but they didn’t,

thank God.

And when you say your prayers, please, always include the veterans and

POWs in those prayers.

I was a teacher and a school principal. I am proud to have been an

educator. I always felt that all professions were indebted to teachers

because teachers made it possible for the professions to exist.

I now know that this is only partially right. If it weren’t for the

veterans, the soldiers, and I include all branches of the service, there

would be nothing. Not the professions, not the clergy, not the free

press, not the free elections, and not the freedoms we enjoy. Not even

the teachers.

Life as we know it today would not exist.

How do we honor these veterans and POWs?

We honor them by honoring the spirit of the flag for which they fought,

sacrificed and died. I would like to be able to drive around in the year

2000 and see thousands of flags on display. I would like to see more

flags than ever before. It would be our way of showing our respect for

our veterans and POWs and letting them know that we won’t forget their

heroic deeds just because the calendar has turned over to a new

millennium.

Remember, they brought us to this new millennium as a free people, not

tethered in chains of oppression and tyranny. We are here indeed standing

on the shoulders of these giants of the past.

I want to encourage everyone to purchase and fly a flag this new year,

the year 2000. Let’s make 2000 the greatest patriotic year ever.

And don’t forget to drop me a note telling me what you will do to promote

the flag and get flags flying during 2000. I would appreciate hearing

from you.

* GUY CARROZZO is mayor of Fountain Valley.