Veterans Day ceremony drew 200+ attendees; some veterans reported not receiving meals

Summary

Staff recapped the Nov. 11 Veterans Day ceremony at Morgan Park with over 200 attendees and several dignitaries; an attendee reported roughly 20 veterans did not receive lunch because caterer ran out of hamburger patties, and staff said they ordered 140 meals based on prior-year counts and will increase next year.

City staff provided a recap of the 34th annual Veterans Day ceremony held Nov. 11 at Morgan Park, which honored three veterans and drew more than 200 attendees. Staff said representatives from Congress, the state assembly and the county supervisor participated and that Supervisor Solis provided boxes of fresh produce for attendees.

An attendee who identified themselves in the record as Speaker 10 reported that approximately 20 veterans were left without lunch because the vendor ran out of hamburger meat. "They ran out of food," the attendee said, describing buns and condiments still available but insufficient hamburger patties.

In response, staff (Maria Moreno) said the event-order count had been for 140 meals based on prior-year attendance; by the time the caterer realized the shortage, it was too late to procure more patties. Moreno said the city will note the shortage and order additional meals next year to avoid a recurrence.

What happens next: staff will adjust order counts for future Veterans Day events; no formal motion or sanction related to the catering shortage was recorded in the meeting.