Mayor's Weekly (Oct 6 - Oct 12)

On my Mind
Anybody get a chance to see the Blue Angels this past weekend? It was great seeing their return to the fleet week line-up after the brief hiatus last year as a result of the sequester. There is something that is simply awe inspiring about watching the Blue Angels in action. The sheer speed and power of the jets is remarkable just by itself and when that is combined with the precision of the best pilots in the world the entire viewing public gets quite a show.

The Blue Angels provide a perfect lesson in excellence. While these pilots are the best at what they do, they are probably more focused on continuous improvement than just about any individuals. A few months ago, I heard a great presentation by Anthony ‘AB’ Bourke, CEO and Founder of Mach 2 Consulting and an experienced F-16 fighter pilot. AB spoke about the importance of the debrief after each mission. At the debrief, even the most well executed mission is reviewed and critiqued. This is done without rank or egos in the way and creates a learning environment where everyone challenges each other to assess what could have been done better. Creating an opportunity for debrief and continuous improvement is an important lesson in business, as a councilmember, and in life. The Blue Angels are the best because they never stop improving.

Around Town
Shifting Gears Rally for Roots of Peace – This past Thursday, about 100 people gathered to kick off the Shifting Gears Rally at Hilltop Restaurant benefitting Roots of Peace. The annual rally is a great event for an even greater cause. Roots of Peace (www.rootsofpeace.org) is a non-profit organization aiming to remove landmines and return land to agriculture. Pictures

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Kiosk – Kiosk (www.kiosk.tm) is a quickly growing marketing agency located in downtown Novato and this past Friday they celebrated their 3rd anniversary in Novato and 10th overall by transforming their parking lot into quite the celebration event. Pictures

The Week Ahead
Monday (October 13)
Streetscape Committee Meeting – 7:00PM (Corporation Yard)

Tuesday (October 14)
City Council Meeting – 6:30PM (City Hall)

Wednesday (October 15)
Design Review Commission Meeting – 7:00PM (City Hall)

Saturday (October 18)
Novato Gymnastics Center 15th Anniversary Celebration – 1:30PM (Gymnastics Center)
http://www.novatogymnastics.org/15th-anniversary-celebration/

Sunday (October 19)
Novato Community Fund Raiser for Stafford Lake Bike Park – 2:00PM (Civic Green)
http://staffordlakebikepark.com/wp/novato-fundraiser-mark-your-calendar-for-october-19th/

Save the Date:
Thursday (October 23)
Community Workshop for Community Based Transportation Plan – 5:30PM (City Hall)
http://www.novato.org/Index.aspx?page=637&recordid=1825

Saturday-Sunday (October 25 & 26)
Scream on the Green Faire (Downtown Civic Green & City Hall)
http://www.cityofnovato.org/Index.aspx?page=636&recordid=8656