September Recap
Updated: Oct 1
September was one of those months that reminded me just how full life can be.
There were candidate forums and Council meetings, ribbon cuttings and community events, conversations with residents and plenty of miles put on my shoes along the campaign trail. There were also birthdays, family visits, and a very special magazine cover.
Through all of it, one thing kept coming back to me: How grateful I am to serve Sierra Vista and call it home.
Every September gives me so many opportunities to be out in our community and this year was no different. I attended Tip A Cop, joined the Walk for the Poor, helped judge the Life Care Center's annual BBQ Battle fundraiser, celebrated local businesses and organizations at ribbon cuttings, and spent time talking with residents, business owners, community leaders, and organizations.
I also participated in two mayoral forums, one hosted by the Sky Islands Regional Partnership and Greater Huachuca Branch of the NAACP and another hosted by Southeastern Arizona Contractors Association. I appreciated the opportunity to talk about my experience, my record, and the issues that will shape Sierra Vista's future. Both were recorded and can be watched online here and here.
At the same time, the campaign doesn't put my current responsibilities on hold. I continued attending Council meetings, work sessions, regional meetings, and community events as your Vice Mayor. I even had the opportunity to give a group of home schoolers visiting City Hall a tour and share a little about how their local government works. I'm not simply talking about the work I hope to do someday. I'm continuing to do the work I've already been entrusted to do.
One of the month's most meaningful moments was our September 11 remembrance ceremony. I had the honor of speaking at the ceremony for the first time, filling in for the Mayor. Seeing so many young people participate was especially powerful. For many of them, September 11 is history rather than memory, making it even more important that we continue telling the story and honoring those we lost.
September was also special on a very personal level. My family and I were honored to be featured in this month's Neighbors of South Sierra Vista. The story, “Rooted in Community and Service: The Flowers Family,” shared a littleabout our family, our connection to Sierra Vista, and the role service has played in our lives. Seeing the four of us on the cover was pretty surreal, and it's something I'll treasure long after this campaign is over.
And September means birthdays in the Flowers house. Jan, Emma, Liam and I all celebrated ours this month, and my sister, brother in law, and their kids came down from Phoenix to celebrate with us. They even spent part of the weekend stomping the pavement with me on the campaign trail.
As September comes to a close, what stands out most isn't any single event. It's the people.
The folks who stop to talk. The volunteers who give their time. The people who ask for signs, wear their Pick Flowers shirts and buttons, attend forums, send encouraging messages, and remind me why this work matters.
Now we're quickly heading into October and the final stretch of the campaign.
We'll keep knocking on doors. We'll keep having conversations. We'll keep showing up.
And I'll keep doing what I've always done: listen, serve, and work hard for the community I am proud to call home.
