By Cary Shuman
The tension in the Colorado Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt in Denver Sunday night had reached a breaking point.
City Manager Fidel Maltez, Deputy City Manager Devon Fields, and the Chelsea contingent sat nervously in the middle of the packed house hoping to hear Chelsea’s name called as one of the winners of the All-America City Award.
The group’s nervous energy turned to sheer exultation when Doug Kroft announced that Chelsea had been selected an All-City Award winner for the second year in a row – an unprecedented achievement.
Maltez took the podium and in another amazing moment for the city’s top administrator, he delivered a John Fitzgerald Kennedy-esque acceptance speech, cheers from the Chelsea group accompanying his remarks.
“Thank you, National Civic League for this honor,” said Maltez. “And thank you to every community that took this stage and proudly shared the incredible work happening at the local level.”
“Tonight, you are recognizing our lead that when a community chooses courage over fear, unity over division, and hope over despair, amazing things happen. At a time when communities across this nation are being targeted for who we are and where we come from, we stand before you to proudly declare, we are Chelsea, we are America, we come from every corner of the world, and our diversity is our greatest strength,” said Maltez. “We will celebrate tonight, but we know that our work is far from over. Tomorrow, we return home to Chelsea to continue fighting for our community, especially following the Supreme Court decision dismantling Temporary Protected Status. We will continue to build community as well. We will continue to build opportunity for every child. We will continue to build partnerships and lift people up. And when others try to divide us, Chelsea will continue to stand together, because we call that, ‘The Chelsea Way.’’’
City Councilor Tanairi Garcia, who joined Councillors Kelly Garcia (her sister), Norieliz DeJesus, and Lisa Santagate in Denver, said, “I’m super excited about city winning this award,” said Garcia. “They left us to be the last group to be called, and that anticipation had us sweating. But leaving us for last was truly the best part. It was so beautiful to be a part of this, to have moments with our residents, our elected officials, with everyone who makes Chelsea who Chelsea is. I’m just so proud of everyone and I want to credit Fidel and his team for a job well done.”
Chelsea officials past and present paid tribute to the city’s gigantic achievement.
Jay Ash, former Chelsea city manager, said, “This award confirms yet again that the Chelsea Way continues to meet and exceed the lofty standards that the AAC program sets for recipients. That we have been awarded the recognition on four separate occasions, including now back-to-back years, puts Chelsea on a level that few have seen but many have taken notice! I couldn’t be prouder about the news, but I’m even more proud about all that continues to take place in one of the nation’s leading communities that merits so many remarkable results.”
Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson congratulated Maltez and the Chelsea team that represented the city in Denver.
“I congratulate everyone for bringing this outstanding and highly coveted national award back to Chelsea,” said Robinson. “To win this award two years in a row is a tribute to Fidel’s exceptional leadership and shows what we can do if we work together. This triumph in Denver was historic for Chelsea. We must take this valuable recognition and now use it to elevate all areas of Chelsea, from our downtown business district to the neighborhoods.”