The serenity prayer will not return to the city council’s agenda, after no council members supported George Marin’s attempt to put the prayer back on.

Marin talked at length about why he was disappointed about Mayor Jean Eaton’s unilateral decision to remove the prayer.

&uot;I don’t appreciate the way it was handled,&uot; he said, addressing the council at Monday night’s meeting.

The prayer, along with the Pledge of Allegiance, had been added through a motion by Marin last March.

Marin said he proposed adding the prayer and pledge last March because he felt the country was going through a rough period. He said the country is again in a time when it needs guidance and told the council that he’d heard from many of his constituents that they felt the prayer should stay on the agenda.

He also said the fashion in which the prayer was nixed was more bothersome than having the prayer off the agenda.

&uot;I’m greatly vexed by (the decision),&uot; he said, adding that the council should act &uot;democratically.&uot;

Eaton defended her decision, saying that she’d been told that move was within her power to make alone. She also said that the rest of the council had been supportive of her decision and some had pushed for it, saying it made some people uncomfortable.

Marin entered a motion to reinstate the prayer. No councilman seconded, and it failed.

Other city news:

– St. Joseph Avenue will be reconstructed between Fifth and Seventh streets this summer. The street’s sanitary sewer is in very poor shape, according to a report by City Engineer Dave Olson.

The project will cost $341,704, $64,179 of which will be paid by those who live on the portions of the street that are repaired. The city will pay the remaining $277,525.

– The city will once again play host to the annual aerobatics show at the airport Sept. 5-7.

After receiving many complaints last year about the noise of the show and the length of practice time allowed before the event, the council decided to limit practice time to the weekend before the event.

– The city will give the Pelican Breeze pontoon boat and the Festival of Bands $1,000 each for 2003. The money will come out of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau fund.

While the council gave these gifts, they also gave a general warning about the ability for the city to give much more in these sorts of areas due to the tightening state and local budgets.

– U.S. Cellular will be able provide wireless phone service in Albert Lea, after the council granted them use of the city water tower for antennae. The city will collect $1,000 in rent each month from the company.