West Jefferson Council President Ron Garver presents Darlene Steele with a certificate of achievement marking her retirement after seven years as as mayor. Council also presented Garver with a certificate as he is retiring after 20 years on council.
(Posted Dec. 23, 2015)
By Sandi Latimer, Staff Writer
West Jefferson council members, in their last meeting of 2015, bid farewell to two long-time public servants. Darlene Steele wraps up a combined 17 years on council and as mayor, and Ron Garver is completing his 20th year on council.
Darlene Steele
“I sat down the other day to make a list of what happened during my five-and-a-half years as mayor,” Steele said at the Dec. 21 meeting. Her list includes the following:
- opening of Mars, expansion of Target, and the arrival of Ace Hardware and other businesses in the Route 40/Route 29 area;
- the downtown revitalization project;
- more events for the residents, such as National Night Out and fishing derbies;
- a better equipped police force, a bike patrol and a drug-sniffing dog.
“The sewer treatment plant is nearing completion,” she said. “Turkey Hill is still coming and a pharmacy will open in a couple of months.”
Steele expressed her appreciation for the cooperation she received from council, department heads, employees and residents during her time as mayor.
“The door is wide open to move ahead” she said in giving advice to her successor, Ray Martin. “It may be a rocky road, and you may have a lot of hurdles to clear.”
Martin used similar words earlier in the day when he was sworn in as mayor by Madison County Common Pleas Court Judge Eamon Costello.
“I’ll probably have a rocky road ahead,” he told an audience that included family members and councilman Jim King who also sworn in for another four-year term.
Steele said she moved to West Jefferson 40 years ago as a single mother with a young daughter.
“The village helped raise my daughter. It’s just been the last few years I’ve only had one job,” she said.
“I guess I’m going to enjoy sitting around catching up on daytime TV,” she added, laughing.
Council members took turns wishing her luck in the days ahead.
“I learned a lot from her,” said council ice president Steve Johnston.
Councilman Randy Otis added, “She always wanted to do something for the community.”
Ron Garver
Garver’s 20 years of service began in the 1980s. He took a break and came back in 2002. Much of his time was spent in a leadership role and chair of the finance committee.
“He spent 20 years here, with very little pay, to make this a better place to live,” Johnston said.
“No one had more love for the village than Ron,” Otis said.
“He always had the taxpayers’ money in mind,” said councilman Doug Eakins, who now holds the distinction of being the longest serving current member. “He was frugal with their money and advocated a balanced budget. I appreciated his hard work and honesty.”
Garver said many nights he went home after council and committee meetings red-faced from butting heads with colleagues.
Summing up his work, Garver told his fellow council members, “If your vote doesn’t bother you, you don’t care about the village.”
Garver’s son, Scott, echoed council’s sentiments, saying, “He’s the same at home as he is here.” Counting his father’s attributes on his fingers, he added, “Loving, caring, frugal.”
