Gahanna schedules proclamations for MLK Day, Cervical Health Awareness, Black History Month and other observances

Council members on Jan. 13 introduced several ceremonial resolutions and joint proclamations to be considered at upcoming meetings, including acknowledgment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Cervical Health Awareness Month and Black History Month.

Councilmember Bowers said she will present a joint proclamation for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and that the mayor plans to sign the proclamation for the Jan. 20, 2025 observance. Councilmember Bowers also presented a joint resolution/proclamation recognizing Cervical Health Awareness Month at the request of a local group called the Crawford Crew; staff said the title will be updated to reflect a joint proclamation for adoption on Jan. 21.

Councilmember Jones said she will invite Jewel Woods to receive a Black History Month proclamation in early February and recommended redline edits to align the text with Woods’s local work on mental health for Black men. Clerk Van Meter confirmed staff will update proclamation titles and circulate redline edits to members.

Council members also discussed several other observances proposed for 2025, including School Resource Officer Appreciation Day (Feb. 15), Government Communicators Day (Feb. 17), Women’s History Month (March), Food Waste Action Week (March 17), Earth Month (April), Herb Week (first week of May), and Public Service and Mental Health Months in May. Members asked colleagues to coordinate timing and to notify the clerk’s office in advance so staff can prepare documents for the appropriate meeting.

One councilmember suggested a suggested wording addition for the Cervical Health proclamation to reference prevention options beyond vaccination; members agreed to circulate a recommended edit for consideration at the Jan. 21 meeting.

Next steps: Staff will finalize titles and circulate any redline edits ahead of the Jan. 21 meeting, where the MLK and Cervical Health items were scheduled for adoption.