Fountain Valley says it’s ‘going for gold’ in State of the City luncheon
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Fountain Valley rolled out the star power in its State of the City luncheon, with guests gaining inspiration from a couple of decorated athletes at the Saigon Grand Center during the event on March 6.
Monique Henderson, a two-time gold medalist and three-time Olympic qualifier, set those in the room on course to achieve their own goals by regaling the attendees with her own motivational story.
She remembered qualifying for the Sydney Olympics at the age of 17 as an alternate, then longing for her chance to perform on the big stage. The desire to win a gold medal for herself and for her country dominated her thought process, she said, so much so she turned it into an acronym that would send her down that path.
GOLD, representing “goals and goal-setting,” “obstacles,” “listening and learning,” and “drive and determination,” became the theme of the afternoon as the city looked forward to the business ahead.
“Obstacles will come up, goals will need to be reset, steps will need to be retaken, planning might need to change, but it’s going to be up to you to kind of see it through all the way to the end,” she said.
Henderson said she followed those principles in a journey that would see her go on to win Olympic gold medals in Athens and Beijing as a member of the American 1,600-meter relay team.
To drive home the point that the city is working toward its own goals, a video displayed the City Council dressed in athletic gear — including red, white and blue headbands — while engaging in boxing, pickleball and weightlifting.
City officials spoke to achievements across various areas. Those included securing the city’s initial dedicated shelter beds with the opening of the Central Cities Navigation Center and the completion of the universally accessible playground in Fountain Valley Sports Park.
Additionally, the council passed ordinances regulating sober living homes and operating electric bicycles.
The Hyundai Hope on Wheels 5K saw record participation.
In the video, Mayor Ted Bui also made mention of the recent agreement with the County of Orange for a 16-acre expansion of the city’s portion of Mile Square Park.
Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen said that Bui reached out to her after the council had previously approved a motion for a 14.6-acre expansion for Fountain Valley Sports Park in November. That call resulted in additional acreage.
“You got to give a big round of applause to your mayor for being aggressive, for not just accepting and being able to work with his colleagues to agree with the county to get now 16 extra acres,” Nguyen said. “We’re adding two more acres to Mile Square Park for the city side for the next 50 years.”
Community pride was on display, performances and speeches taking place on a podium that featured oversized, white letters that spelled “FV.” The lighting within the letters made them stand out.
The Fountain Valley High pep squad and drum line provided entertainment, too.
Katelyn Nguyen, who learned karate at the Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley and now attends Vista View Middle School, also addressed the crowd. Proceeds from a raffle, along with matching contributions from several community groups, helped her raise more than $3,000 to go toward travel for an international competition.
“This journey will not only be an amazing opportunity to improve my skills and represent my country on an international stage, but it is my chance to inspire young girls,” said Nguyen, who has been named to the junior national team to compete in an International School Sport Federation event in Serbia. “My goal is to break the barriers and challenge the stereotypes, proving that girls belong in all areas of sports, including karate, so that every girl can feel confident and stand proud and tall on and off the tatami.”
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