Moore decries write-in move for mayor
From our weekly issue dated October 22, 2008
Is it possible a mayoral race could be taking shape in Cave Junction? Although Mayor Tony Paulson previously indicated that he would not seek another term, and Councilman Don Moore’s is the only name to appear on the ballot, at least one person seems inclined to see Paulson’s administration continue.
A Cave Junction businessman has purchased advertising urging others to write in Paulson’s name on the ballot. This came as a surprise to the current mayor, whose attitude toward the campaign is somewhat indifferent.
“I didn’t know about it then *doink* there’s an ad!” Paulson said recently. He correctly identified Sally Palmer to be the advertisement backer.
“She came over and said, ‘I heard you were running for mayor.’ I said ‘No, I’m not running.’ And she said, ‘There’s a lot of people wantin’ you to run for mayor. Would you mind an ad? We’re going to put an ad in the paper.’
“I said, ‘Sally, people can do whatever they want. That’s fine.’ So that’s about the extent of that.”
“I think there might be five people involved; I have no committee,” Paulson insists.
“If it happens I’d be quite surprised,” he said, but he indicated that he would accept if somehow he gets “more write-ins than (Moore) gets check marks.”
Moore, the candidate on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election, is not so nonchalant about the idea. “Only after he told two newspapers that he would not be running again did I put my name in,” Moore said. “Somebody had to step up to the plate for the city.”
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Moore has served on the Cave Junction city council, filling a vacancy left by Russell Ehrman. He’s been meeting recently with Illinois Valley Fire Marshal Jerry Shaffer in attempt to prevent closure of the kitchen facility at Jubilee Park. Sub-par ventilation in the facility threatens community events such as the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.
“I’m going to do all I can to save Jubilee Park kitchen facility,” said Moore. “The other alternative is to do your cooking in the rain – to make your pancakes in the rain!” he said, incredulously. “It’s a quality-of-life issue. We need to protect and maintain these community assets.”
Meantime, an unregistered “committee” of one continues a write-in campaign, and Moore feels compelled to engage. “I signed a document saying that I wouldn’t spend more than $300 on this campaign. It doesn’t make it easy for me to respond to this.”
