The Madras Pioneer

Culver turns out candidates for council posts

Six candidates for four seats

Holly M. Gill

September 08, 2010

Culver continues to generate interest in its mayor and council positions, for which there will be a total of six candidates on the Nov. 2 ballot.

The Culver City Council elections will feature two races, and two unopposed candidates -- more candidates than Madras, which has the same number of positions.

For mayor, incumbent Shawna Clanton will face Richard Hachenberg. Shannon Poole and Anzie Adams will vye for position 1, formerly held by Thelma Krueger, who did not refile.

Both J.B. Schumacher and Wayne Johnson have refiled for position 2 and position 6, respectively. They are unopposed.

Mayor candidates

Mayor since 2008, Shawna Clanton, 62, is seeking a second two-year term.

"I became interested in city government because I wanted to see Culver develop, but develop in ways that would still keep its small town identity," said Clanton, who had served on the council for two years before she became mayor.

"We are a farming community, but we also need economic development," she said. "I saw the old Seaswirl property sitting vacant and it became my passion to see a new employer come to Culver. Participating with EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon), I was able to help make that dream come true."

"Culver is now getting ready to start our downtown streetscape," Clanton continued. "This will put a new face on Culver, with curbs, gutters and sidewalks. I would like to see this improvement become an added attraction to developers."

Clanton is proud of the Culver City Council's efforts to bring police patrol back to Culver by contracting with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. "This is a sustainable and risk-free alternative to having our own police officer," she said.

Currently a hairdresser with Hairlines in Culver, Clanton graduated from an American high school in Germany, where her father was stationed, and later received an Associate of Arts degree in cosmetology from Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, Calif. She has owned and operated a beauty salon for the past 20 years.

She is married to John Clanton, and has four children, two adult sons, Warren and David Snyder, and Marissa, 19, and Sarah Clanton, 16.

Richard Hachenberg

A resident of Culver for the past 14 years, Richard "Dick" Hachenberg, 79, wants to become more active in city politics.

Hachenberg would like "to bring honesty and a sense of fairness to the position."

Born in Everett, Wash., Hachenberg graduated from Grants Pass High School, and studied primary education for three years before deciding to study diesel engineering at Oregon Institute of Technology. He is a retired diesel mechanic.

Besides being active in the SMART program, he was trained for the Ford Leadership Foundation; volunteers for Santa's Workshop, senior citizens, Boy Scouts; and is involved with an instructor apprenticeship school.

Hachenberg and his wife Vickie have four adult children, Steve, Jackie, Karen and John.

Shannon Poole

Seeking position 1 on the council is newcomer Shannon Poole, 50, a medical records specialist with Health Port in Redmond.

"I would like to make a difference in our community," said Poole, adding that she is a great listener, and understands the needs and concerns of the community.

Public safety is important to Poole, who said she wants to ensure that the community -- parks, empty homes and vacant lots included -- is a safe environment.

"I worked in animal hospitals, and believe in their safety as well," she said.

Improving the city's businesses is also important to Poole, who would like "to bring people in for keeping businesses open and more."

A 1978 graduate of Hillsboro Senior High, Poole attended Pioneer Pacific College and Portland Community College, Rock Creek, to study to become a medical assistant, office assistant, and veterinary assistant.

She is a volunteer for the Department of Human Services programs for seniors and the handicapped; served on the Culver Budget Committee; and has volunteered for youth programs.

Poole is single and has no children.

Anzie Adams

Former mayor and councilor Anzie Adams, 70, still goes to every council meeting to keep up on city business.

She decided to file for City Council, she said, because, "I didn't think someone should run unopposed, other than an incumbent."

Adams, who has lived in the Culver area since 1974, served 12 1/2 years as mayor, and another eight years as a councilor.

"All the members on the council are fairly new," she said, adding, "I thought maybe I could help."

Born in Oklahoma, Adams moved to Bend with her family when she was 2. There, she graduated from Bend High School, and attended Central Oregon Community College, studying finance.

Currently, she works in billing for Home Health and Hospice in Madras.

She has three adult sons, Todd, 51, Marc, 49, and Scott, 46.

J.B. Schumacher

Councilor J.B. Schumacher, 50, was elected to the council in 2008, and has filed to retain his seat.

"I feel we have an outstanding group of councilors that work well together, and I want to continue working with them," he explained.

The council president for the past 10 months, Schumacher has also served as the council's representative on the Central Oregon Cities Organization, and as the alternate for the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.

"All of us have grown together in the last year and a half, and I see great potential in the next four years to continue the work we have started," said Schumacher.

Schumacher, the tooling manager for Contact Industries in Prineville, has lived in Culver for 15 years. He and his wife Zoe have three children, Karen, 21, David, 17, and Marie, 14.

Born in Okinawa, Japan, where his father was stationed in the U.S. Army, Schumacher graduated from North Eugene High School and studied music education for four years at the University of Oregon.

Wayne Johnson

Another of the councilors elected in 2008, Wayne Johnson, 35, is seeking re-election.

"I was able to get my feet wet the first go round, and have a little better understanding of how the council works," said Johnson.

As the Culver public safety commissioner, he serves as the liaison with the Jefferson County Fire District and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

"I'm just beginning to see some of the things we've been working on come to completion, and I'd like to see some of the other things we've started get completed," he said.

Johnson and his wife Eva, who works at Keith Manufacturing, moved to Culver three years ago because they wanted to raise their kids in a small town.

They have five children, Jessica, 11, Marshall, 9, Brandon, 5, Ren‚e, 4, and Morgan, 11 months. Johnson is currently unemployed and home caring for their children.

Although his early years were spent in Grass Valley, he graduated from high school in Ivory Coast, Africa, where his parents were missionary teachers at a boarding school.

He studied nursing and Christian ministeries at George Fox University in Newberg for two years, and later worked at a WalMart for seven years before moving to Culver.