Document text
Photo by Andy Atkinson "I've done a lot of door-to-door," says mayoral candidate Bill Moore, who did more of it on Sunday. Mayoral candidates hit street, seeking last-minute support By DAVID PRESZLER The knocking and talking come easy for Lindsay Berryman. As a teen, the Medford mayoral candidate and her siblings helped her father in Minnesota, where he managed several campaigns. As an adult, she worked on efforts to elect Bob Packwood and others before launching her own career. "We really grew up with door-to-door in our blood," she says. Bill Moore, who's running against Berryman, has done his share of pounding the pavement as well. This is the city councilman's third campaign. "I've done a lot of door-to-door," he says. "I really enjoy talking to people. Most people are really courteous and glad you've come around." Armed with campaign pamphlets, both candidates hit the streets Sunday for some last-minute meeting and greeting before Tuesday's election. Moore and Berryman have roamed Medford's neighborhoods for their causes since September, Berryman going out three or four times a week and Moore doing most of his stumping on the weekends. Both candidates targeted specific areas -- concentrating on places with the highest number of registered voters. But they took slightly different approaches to their final pushes Sunday afternoon. Berryman knocked on doors along Nieto Way and Tamara Circle near the Rogue Valley Manor, hitting the last of the 12 precincts she identified as most important. Moore said he finished his target areas two weeks ago and decided to hit some areas he simply hadn't been to in awhile; he worked his way along Corona Avenue, Roberts Road and Serenity Drive. Berryman brought in an old political ally from Minnesota to help finish off her campaign: her younger sister, Anne Hoffman. As teens, the two went door-to-door for Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Elmer Anderson. Sunday, they split up to cover both sides of the streets, with Berryman talking to most people who were home. "The thing I try to do is establish some kind of emotional bond with them and listen to what their issues are," Berryman said. To Richard and Karen Beck, who just moved from Grants Pass but have registered to vote, the key issue was trying to keep Medford's balance between big-city convenience and small-town hominess. "We love the mix," Karen Beck explained to Berryman in front of her Nieto Way home. "They want enough of a large town that they get some culture and there's stuff to do and small enough that you have this small-town feel," Berryman said after leaving the Becks and noting that others had expressed similar hopes. As she has throughout the campaign, Berryman -- who spent five years on the City Council in the 1980s -- presented herself as the forward-looking candidate dedicated to Medford's future. "The issues are pretty much the same," she said. "The question is do you want someone who is reactionary or who is proactive. "We need a master plan. He (Moore) has been on the City Council for six years and he isn't taking a leadership role in doing that." Across town, Moore opened his conversations by touching on issues he thinks are most important to people, things like whether Boise Cascade will rebuild the mill it lost to fire in September and traffic concerns. He touted his work to encourage Boise to rebuild and a 17-project, $21 million transportation plan to help deal with the fact that Medford's traffic is growing rapidly. That played well near Wilson School and along Roberts Road, where the amount and speed of passing traffic were common concerns. "We could use some speed bumps on this street here," William Cummings said, pointing from his front door to Roberts Road. "These cars are going twice the speed limit." Moore said his "recent history" as a city councilman makes him a strong candidate. He also pointed to his work on cooperative efforts like the Multijurisdictional Urban Reserve Committee, which brings together representatives of several Rogue Valley cities to discuss growth issues. "That's my message: the politics of inclusion," he said, noting that he has held monthly town hall meetings for two years that invite people to participate in city politics. Berryman and Moore both ran into mostly friendly faces who knew their names, though some were too busy to talk or caught flat-footed when asked if they had questions about the issues. And both got declarations of support along the way. "We've already decided," Sandy Shaw and his wife, Sue, told Berryman at the door of their Tamara Way home. "That's plus two." "You got my vote," Serenity Drive resident Steve Jones told Moore, noting that his absentee ballot was already marked. "It's good to see you out pounding the streets." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA