EVERETT – Another challenger is running for City Councilman Ron Gipson’s seat during the Nov. 6 elections.
Jim Standiford, owner of Vintage Cafe, 1510 Hewitt Ave., is the second candidate to announce intentions of trying to replace the incumbent.
Charlene Rawson, a neighborhood activist and mortgage broker, is also running.
Standiford, 52, serves on the city’s Historical Commission and says his perspective as a business owner would benefit the council.
Standiford, who owns two buildings on the west end of Hewitt Avenue, has owned four restaurants in Everett during the past decade.
He said his granddaughter, Amber, now manages his current restaurant, giving him enough time to serve on the council.
“The city has been good to me and it’s time for me to give back,” he said.
A resident of downtown Everett for years, Standiford lives in an apartment above the Vintage Cafe. He said he is excited about recent changes downtown but thinks historic preservation should not be lost at the expense of new growth.
Police and fire protection and transportation are his top priorities, he said.
Born and raised in Everett, Standiford graduated from Everett High School in 1972.
In 2003, he was defeated by council veteran Bob Overstreet. Overstreet’s seat is up for grabs after he announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election after 30 years on the job.
Three candidates, Shannon Affholter, David Simpson and Jackie Minchew, are running for that seat.
In all, four of seven council positions are up for election this year.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
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