CELINA-Three candidates last week announced for city alderman in the upcoming election here in June, and the deadline for free front-page announcements in the HORIZON print edition is fast approaching.

Following policies of the past, the HORIZON will run a front-page, staff-written announcement with a photo for all city candidates. 

The announcements will be run no later than the April 22 edition of the newspaper. The deadline for submitting material for an announcement to run in that edition will be Friday, April 17 at noon, with absolutely no exceptions. 

All announcements received by the newspaper after the April 17 deadline will be treated as advertisements and run on an inside page.

The three alderman candidate announcements follow:

Pat Roach Burton

CELINA-Pat Roach Burton announced last week she would be a candidate for alderman in the upcoming city election here in June.

Burton is a native of Celina and has lived here all her life. She is the daughter of the late Jack and Betty Roach. Her father owned and operated a service station on the square for about 25 years.

She is married to Robert Burton, and the couple has four children and three grandchildren.

“I love our community,” Burton said in her announcement, “but due to the many changes over the years and a lack of financing, our city needs a lot of help. We have the location, charm and good workers to help make our community a beautiful and productive place to live,” she said.

Burton said she felt much of this work could “be done through volunteers. We need a major cleanup and facelift in order to attract people to our city to create jobs and build up our tourism.

“Let’s not stay in yesterday’s politics, but move ahead in what we envision for our community: a great place to live, good jobs for our families, and warm hospitality for our tourists,” Burton said. 

“I can’t promise you anything, but I will work for you to keep our taxes down, have some accountability on all levels, and assist in any way I can to bring business into our town,” she said. 

Burton also said neighborhood watches need to be organized for crime control, because “our policemen need our help for a crime-free community. 

“I would love to have the opportunity to serve in improving our city to provide us with the best quality of life we can have,” Burton said. “If you feel like I do, then vote for me. I will do all I can to help meet our challenges in quality of living, good schools, and bringing more employment to our city.

“I look forward to meeting with each of you in the near future,” she said. “When you go to the polls, vote for me.”

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Don Haston

CELINA-Don Haston announced last week he would again be a candidate for alderman in the city election here June 2. 

Haston moved here in 1965 with wife Linda and their two sons after his graduation from Tennessee Tech University. He was employed for 32 years by the USDA Farmers Home Administration as a loan and supervisory official, “making an collecting housing, farm and utility district loans with a staff of two clerical workers and an assistant,” he said in his announcement. “I have also worked in Overton, Jackson, Macon and Pickett counties.”

He retired in 1997 and his family has remained in Celina. “Also living in town or close by are my two sons and their families,” Haston said. “My three granddaughters attend school at Celina K-8, and our families worship at Celina Church of Christ. I have also owned and operated Handy Wash Laundry for the past 20 years.

“I, as well as each of you, love this town and want to see it progress and be a better place to live,” Haston said. “I have been honored to serve as your alderman the past four years.

“If my serving you the past four years has been acceptable, if re-elected, I will continue to serve you honorably the next four years, always being available and willing to listen to your comments, questions or problems,” Haston said.

“There has been progress in this town the past four years. Plans are in place for other progressive things this spring, and other things in the foreseeable future,” he said.

“This is my interest in running for this position. If you have any questions or comments, please call me at 243-2545,” Haston said. 

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Joey Locke

CELINA-William Joseph (Joey) Locke announced on Monday he will be a candidate for alderman in the upcoming city elections here.

“Celina is my hometown and it’s important to me that we rebuild the attributes of our city,” Locke said in his announcement. 

Locke is the son of Joe and Anna Ruth Locke of Celina, and the grandson of Sadie Napier. He was born and raised in Celina  and “was raised in the public business world of both my parents and my grandparents,” he said. He owns a business in Celina.

He is a 1988 graduate of Celina High School, and attended Tennessee Tech in Cookeville and Lipscomb University in Nashville, where his major was finance and economics, with a minor in accounting. 

“With the limited resources and variety of demands placed on local government, the city of Celina, particularly the city council, needs to set priorities, work together and focus on including citizens and community stakeholders in achieving these priorities,” Locke said. 

“Both public and private partners help build a successful town,” Locke said. “During these tough economic times, sound and efficient basic services, a plan to maintain and improve what we have and innovative partnerships with our stakeholders are key elements to growing our town.

“We must govern with the integrity, maturity and intelligence the people of Celina deserve,” Locke said.