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HomeMy WebLinkAbout23_Mayors Newsletter_122216DECEMBER 22, 2016 This Week from the Mayor Denis Law, Mayor VOL. 1, NO. 23 Feedback Comments, questions or suggestions, or just want to share all the great things that are happening in the city, please e-mail me. Thanks for reading. With Christmas this Sunday, I’d like to extend my best wishes to you and your family for a safe and restful holiday season. This newsletter will return on January 5, 2017. Holiday dinner honors community leaders I had the honor this week to attend the second annual holiday dinner hosted by the Renton African- American Pastoral Group (RAAP). It was a great opportunity to mingle with local church leaders and their family members. In addition to having a wonderful meal, we had the opportunity to honor the efforts of the group leaders, Reverend Dr. Linda Smith and Police Chief Kevin Milosevich, for their continued work in building strong relationships between the Renton Police Department and the African-American community. The partnership between the city and RAAP was formed in March 2015, and now includes pastors and representatives from many of Renton’s African-American churches, along with members of the Renton Police Department and my staff. The goal has been to facilitate frank discussions on how we can improve communication, increase involvement, and gain a better understanding of the issues facing our community, while building trust and meaningful relationships. Part of the mission for this group has included facilitating discussions with youth and community members, holding workshops and training sessions on diversity issues, and having a visible presence in the community as we work together to resolve conflicts in a meaningful and respectful manner. During our gathering this week, Pastor George Houston of the Living Hope Christian Fellowship reminded us that we all came together without having a local crisis to address. The strong relationships that have already been built is a testament to the value of addressing community issues in an open and inclusive way. Mayor Law, Reverend Dr. Linda Smith, and Pastor George Houton. Teen Summit tackles issues Earlier this month CRYOUT! held The Reconcile Teen Summit to address issues facing youth in Renton. The next summit will be March 4, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Harambee Church, 313 S. Third Street, Renton. Police Department welcomes newest officer The city welcomes our newest police officer, Matthew Mazure, who graduated from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center on December 16. Officer Mazure completed 720 hours of training over four months and now will undergo several months of rigorous field training. Welcome to Renton Officer Mazure!