Celebrate Meridian – National Recognition

I often use this blog as an opportunity to celebrate our community. It’s no secret that Meridian is an amazing community that offers so much to so many people. With outstanding parks, safe streets, our progressive education system, and quality neighborhoods it is easy to see that we have many reasons to celebrate Meridian.

Others are taking notice. In fact with in a weeks time, two national news publications recognized Meridian as an ideal place to live. Family Circle magazine and CNN/Money magazine both identified Meridian as one of the premiere communities in the country to live.

On July 7^th Family Circle was the first publication to recognize Meridian as part of its annual effort to identify communities that are a perfect place for families to call home. Family Circle designated Meridian as one of the Top 10 Best Cities for Families. Indeed we are an ideal location for families and our emphasis on youth can be seen through groups and organizations like Meridian’s Promise which was highlighted by the article. The individuals who make up Meridian’s Promise, the Kiwanis, Boys & Girls Club, Department of Labor, and so many other groups show our Meridian’s ongoing commitment to serving families.

In addition, Meridian was also acknowledged for having a strong public education system in Joint School District No. 2, quality parks, and a low crime rate. This acknowledgment is a reflection of the role that all of our great community partners play in making Meridian a place to call home.

As a community we had reason to ‘celebrate’ regarding the accolades from the Family Circle recognition. Then a few days later CNN/Money magazine identified Meridian as one of its 100 Best Places to Live for 2010. CNN/Money reporters crunched reams of data to find communities that have optimal combinations of fiscal strength, family-wage jobs, great schools, safe streets, low crime, lots to do, charm, and other features such as proximity to world class recreation that make a town great for raising a family.

Together we have created, and are nurturing, a community that families want to be a part of; I have no doubt these collaborative efforts are why we continue to receive national attention. Meridian is recognized as a community that blends big-city opportunities through arts and cultural opportunities with choices in housing; that offers an ideal blend of affordable housing, good jobs, top-rated schools, and wide-open spaces; and a lot less stress than many other cities and towns. The City of Meridian continues to place great importance to our fiscal responsibility, to public safety, and to places to gather and to play – all are areas that matter to our citizens.

So, I guess our secret’s out so let’s celebrate Meridian as a premier city to live, work and raise a family. Do you like living in Meridian, if so I want to know about it. Email me at mayortammy@meridiancity.org and tell me why Meridian is the top place for your family.

Celebrate – This Week in Meridian

In the past few weeks there have been some amazing events in Meridian. We have had annual events like Dairy Days, the Blue Cruise, and this weekends Independence Day celebration. These events join activities like our CableONE Movie Night in Meridian, Concerts on Broadway, and Playin’ in the Plaza taking place in downtown Meridian. As our community grows there are many events that are growing with it, giving us much to celebrate in Meridian.

With so much going on, it can be difficult to keep track of the events and activities taking place in Meridian. In an effort to make this information available in a timely and fun way, this last month the City launched a new weekly webisode program called “This Week in Meridian.”

“This Week in Meridian” is a brief weekly video series that is designed to give you basic information about all the events going on in Meridian for the upcoming week. From community events and activities to important information about our wonderful community, these videos provide a way to easily access what is taking place in Meridian via the City of Meridian website or on our Facebook Page. You can also find much of this information on the electronic reader board located on Meridian Road at City Hall.

In addition to providing important information about what is taking place in Meridian, it is also a great way to introduce our community to the City Staff members who are dedicated to serving in Meridian. Each week there will be a new City employee who will be presenting this information.

We hope by rotating hosts through out the weeks and months you will get to know the employee that you might see at one of these events in our community or interact with the next time you are at City Hall. In addition, you will be able to see what I already know – City of Meridian employees are second to none and they share the same passion for our community that you have.

I hope you find this resource beneficial as we are providing another way for you to get engaged in our community. With so many great events, many of which are at no cost to attend and provide opportunity’s to enjoy an outdoor evening celebrating with friends, families, and neighbors, we want you to know what is taking place “This Week in Meridian.”

If you have an event to be featured in the future or have a request for a host, I want to hear about it. Email me at MayorTammy@meridiancity.org; together we can celebrate all that makes Meridian the premier place to live, work and raise a family.