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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 17, 2005 Talent fills open seat By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings It took a couple of tries, but Edwin Jerome "E.J." McManus got a seat at the table. The 24-year-old Southern Oregon University senior was appointed to the Talent City Council Wednesday night. McManus previously ran for a council seat in November of 2004, when he was defeated by current councilor Wendy Siporen. "I hope I'm showing my persistence," McManus said during the council question-and-answer session. The council unanimously selected McManus, 544 Tulipan St., for Position 6 over current Planning Commissioner Charles "Chuck" Nagel on the third vote. The council liked the perspective McManus offers the group. He will graduate from SOU with a business degree in June and recently became engaged to be married. Although the couple currently rents, they would like to buy a house in Talent and plan to start a family there. "I want to get my feet wet," said McManus, who followed his family to the Rogue Valley in 2001. "Right now my goal just is to serve Talent." McManus joined the Talent Economic Development Committee following his loss in the November election. Affordable housing, drawing business into the community and opening city government to residents of Talent are high on McManus' list of priorities. "He might bring something to the council us older people may not think of," Councilor William H. Smart Jr. said, who supported McManus although the councilor asked the candidate if there was anything in his background that might "embarrass the city" during the interview session. McManus started to answer the question, which Smart narrowed to "a police record." Mayor Marian Teleriski eventually cut off the line of questioning because she thought it was inappropriate and Nagel was not asked the question. In other business the Talent City Council: o approved the purchase of $28,952 police cruiser from Auto Editions in Salem. The new Ford Crown Victoria will replace the 2003 cruiser that was totaled when a patrol officer lost control on South Pacific Highway and wrapped the vehicle around a utility pole on Jan. 29. There were no injuries in the accident, but the loss of the vehicle reduced the patrol car fleet to two. "We need one real bad," Talent Police Chief Bob Rector said. "We had three. ... We still have three, but one of them is in pieces down at Public Works." The police department was able to salvage some parts from the destroyed cruiser and received $23,000 insurance compensation, which will off-set most of the cost. The council gave Rector the go-ahead to "go buy a car" and the department should have the new vehicle outfitted and ready for use in three to four months. "We will take very good care of it," Rector said; o heard the laundry list of city goals for the year. The city planner, a planning commission representative, public works director, police chief, finance director and city manager all reported their 2005 departmental goals. The council and will set their goals later this month at a board retreat; o created a contract review board for the city; o adopted a purchasing policy for the City of Talent and; o authorized the submission of a Transportation Growth Management Grant application for a bike and pedestrian pathways study. Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress afsa studentloans home equity loans teleconferencing W2 Forms fasa student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation wholesale diamonds Currancy Exchange web conferencing Online Casinos Community Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams