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Berryman pulls in 60 percent lead photo by Jim Craven Medford mayor awaits count to confirm By Jessica Smith Lindsay Berryman was on her way to handily securing four more years as Medford�s mayor and three sitting council members appeared headed for re-election, according to preliminary returns. Late Tuesday, Berryman had a 60 percent edge over her opponent and vocal critic, Susan Hand, a Medford homemaker. Although not prepared to declare victory, Berryman said late Tuesday there was little to "indicate there will be any changes" in the vote tally. "It�s looking very favorable," Berryman said. "The way the votes are coming in right now is proof positive that the community is happy with the direction we are going." Of the 6,449 votes counted in the mayoral race by 10:45 p.m., Berryman received 79.6 percent. Hand took about 20.4 percent of the votes. Hand, candid in her disapproval of Berryman, said she was pleased with the challenge she gave the mayor. "She (Berryman) did not show me she knows enough to be mayor," said Hand, who questioned Berryman�s ability to lead and criticized the "vision" process championed by Berryman in her term. Hand said losing the race wouldn�t discourage her from continuing to push for the issues that matter to her � transportation, neighborhood preservation and public transit. "If I had to go slither back to obscurity ... it�s pretty tempting," Hand said. "But it might be more fun to hold (the council�s) feet to the fire." Berryman, meanwhile, has shrugged off Hand�s criticisms, pointing to her 25-plus-year record of service in Medford. As mayor, Berryman said she will continue to implement the goals set forth in the Medford vision, restore native habitat of Bear Creek, revitalize the city�s aging neighborhoods, encourage the arts and regional planning efforts and develop a comprehensive approach to improving streets, storm drains and sewers. Meanwhile, Councilmen Sal Esquivel, John Michaels and Bill Moore all were winning their re-election bids late Tuesday. Esquivel, the only unopposed candidate, was re-elected to his seat by 59 percent of the voters in Ward 2. In the only wide open race � Ward 1 Councilman Curt Bennett decided this summer not to seek re-election � Ed Chun, 34, was leading his two opponents. Early returns showed Chun captured about 37 percent of the votes counted, while candidates Mark Soderstrom and Janet Meyer received 25 percent and 21 percent, respectively. "I�m feeling good," said Chun, 34. "It was a real clean race. We all ran on our issues." Chun, a marketing director for an Ashland investment group, has pledged to support Medford�s vision document and goals, create transportation alternatives, revitalize downtown with residential development and encourage economic development to create higher-paying jobs. In Ward 3, Councilman Michaels earned 45 percent of the votes compared to the 29 percent that went to opponent Rachel Chartier. Michaels, however, said it was "too early to say" whether he had cinched the seat. Councilman Bill Moore won 55 percent of the votes counted in his Ward 4 race against Medford Planning Commissioner Dennis Nielsen, who took 25 percent of the votes. This was Nielsen�s second attempt to join the council. He lost a bid against Councilman Bob Strosser in 1998. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.