Senior News October, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  10

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Mayoral Hopefuls: Largest pool of candidates say why they want to lead Eureka

Remembering Spirit: Dreams come for my health and wholeness

Eureka Veterans Clinic: Dr Phillip Wagner receives well-deserved honors

Good health: How sweet it is

The Center for Integrated Health and Welness comes to Eureka

NutriMinute

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Mayoral Hopefuls
Largest pool of candidates say why they want to lead Eureka
by Barbara Clark

Eureka mayoral candidates panel at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center. From left, Jack McKellar, Cherie Arkley, Mary Maloney, Joel Agnew, Marshall Spalding, T. Great Razooly and Peter LaVallee field questions about senior issues. Photo by Barbara Clark

I wish that the 100 percent turnout of mayoral candidates at a crowded public forum in September at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center meant that 100 percent of all seniors will turn out at the polls in November or mail in their absentee ballots. Voters need to understand that the Eureka mayor could be elected by as few as 14 percent of those who vote if all votes are divided fairly evenly among seven candidates. In Arcata six people are running for two positions. Each voter becomes more significant this year.

In their first public forum, all seven Eureka mayoral candidates introduced themselves and then said why they were running.

Two incumbent city council members are seeking the mayoral post, Jack McKellar, retired from the Corps of Engineers and 12-year council member; and Cherie Arkley, owner of Security National Corp. in Eureka. Mary Mahoney is a retired city of Eureka employee from the finance department. Joel Agnew is most recently known for his "What's Happening" segments on Channel 2. Marshall Spalding moved here from southern California and owns the Courthouse Market. T. Great Razooly owns the Tip-Top Club at the south entrance to Eureka. Peter LaVallee has been director of the Youth Services division of the Redwood Community Action Agency for 17 years.

Each candidate (left to right in the photograph above) outlined his or her best qualifications:

*Jack McKellar was a Navy diver in WWII and in the Corps of Engineers for 36 years, being part of the group that created the dolos on the jetty. With his 12 years on the Eureka council, he said, "I think I have a good background in Humboldt and Del Norte (for this job)."

*Cherie Arkley, a 20 year Eureka resident and registered nurse, has served on the city council for four years. "I come to the table with a proven track record and experience. We brought our business here (they employ 125 people in downtown Eureka), and I know what it's like to be in private business," she said.

*Mary Mahoney said that this was her first attempt to enter politics and that the mayor's role is a limited one. "I've missed my connection with city staff. I think being mayor would be a fun job, to be ambassador for the City of Eureka," she said.

*Joel Agnew said, "It's the job I'm most qualified for, it is primarily ceremonial and promotional. I am an actor and public speaker with many years experience in marketing. I believe that old and young, rich and poor, everyone is important to the City of Eureka."

*Marshall Spalding said a lot of little issues haven't been addressed in Eureka. He wants to bring in retail and does not want to protect the merchants of Old Town. "A successful business competes in an open environment," he said. He also wants to keep restrooms open in the public parks.

*T. Great Razooly focused his thoughts on the city boundaries. "It's outrageous that 50,000 people use the city for business, but only 27,000 are in the city limits. I want to move the boundaries out to include Cutten, Myrtle, Humboldt Hill, King Salmon and eliminate the three percent utility tax." He wants to encourage CalTrans to get a bypass built to go around Eureka.

*Peter LaVallee said he decided to run for mayor two days after he lost an election for city council two years ago. "I believe the city needs new leadership," he said. "The boardwalk was a wonderful addition, but 40 percent of our kids are living in poverty and in the free school lunch program."

Senior questions

Issues on the audiences' minds included getting drugs out of the city, expanding the hours and services for Dial-A-Ride so that seniors could get around on Sundays, solving the problem of the homeless people, and expanding services of the public library.

As to drug prevention, Razooly suggested the mayor and council stand vigil outside methemphetimine labs. LaVallee said he had been addressing both drugs and homelessness among the youth and has developed partnerships with the county, city and state to address these problems. The Youth Services Bureau is working with the city to open the Multiple Assistance Center. "No one can do it alone," he said.

One senior posed a hypothetical question: if the council had a tie vote on the quesion of spending $25,000 on a skate park or on library services and the mayor had to break the tie (the only time the mayor votes), which would you choose? A lively discussion followed, part of which focused on the fact that the city gave the land on which the new main library building stands and turned down a request for $50,000 this year to assist the library's budget. McKeller said the county has the $22 million from the Headwaters deal with Pacific Lumber, and interest on that money would keep the library in business. LeVallee said he'd vote for the library: "I've seen so many kids drop out of school, and I tell them, for every degree you don't get, you lose $750,000 in your lifetime."

Mahoney said that when breaking a tie vote on the council, the mayor must look at what supports the whole community. Spalding said he's repeatedly seen $40,000 allocated to feasibility studies and would put an end to that practice. Razooly said that the county supervisors' salaries are too high at $70,000, and he would change them to $19,000 to provide money for the library. Arkley said that the city gave land to build the library, and when the library requested money to supplement their budget this year, "we turned down everybody" because of the tight budget.

Barbara Clark is editor of Senior News.