Lake Forest park residents and city staff filled the Lake Forest Park Civic Club Jan. 21 to witness the inaugural vows of Mayor Dave Hutchinson and three council members.
“Tonight I want to thank those people who hard work make Lake Forest Park the livable community it is and the regional hub it has become in the last 12 years,” Hutchinson said. He was elected to his fourth term as the city’s mayor in November.
Councilwoman Catherine Stanford said she is looking forward to her first term after being sworn into her council position by Lake Forest Park Municipal Court Judge Linda Portnoy.
“I am really at a loss for words,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working for you and the city of Lake Forest Park, my home for many, many years.”
Councilman Dwight Thompson returned home from military deployment in Afghanistan only days before beginning his fourth term as councilman. He expressed his gratitude for being reelected to a council seat.
“I was figuring over the past 12 years I’ve been away for over 600 nights,” he said. “That’s a lot of time and without your support I could not be standing here.
As a mobilized Army Reserve Colonel stationed in Afghanistan, he attended many meetings at Bagram Air Field where the most pressing question centered around whether progress was being made in the area. While access to communication mediums means access to cell towers in Afghanistan, he said, Lake Forest Park will address a citywide broadband initiative. The number of children attending school may be a way to measure educational progress in Afghanistan and in Lake Forest Park, residents may study the graduation rate, he added.
“It is just that Americans truly do not worry about the real basics like food and shelter,” Thompson said. “I will never forget what I take for granted is considered luxuries in most of the world. Plainly speaking it is time to focus on selfless policy versus selfish actions.”
As he begins his third term on the city council Ed Sterner said he sees some “interesting challenges up ahead” such as work on watersheds and discussing ways to promote low-impact development. He sees volunteers as one of the city’s greatest assets.
“The volunteers in this city are truly amazing and we will work in the coming year on trying to make that a more fulfilling experience for the volunteers that volunteer with the city,” he said.
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