10 Questions with Crystal Killian - Candidate Ward 4 2013 Hickory City Council Election

Crystal Killian is a Candidate in the upcoming 4th Ward City Council race. First she will face an October 8th primary against incumbent Hank Guess and challenger Anetia Wright. If she succeeds in being one of the top two vote getters, then she will move on to the November 5th at large election. The questions posed to her are available for all candidates to answer. I have agreed to post them without critique and there will be no critical comments allowed in this article. There will be a "Candidates" Hickory Municipal Elections tab to the Right of this article. It will show anything related top these candidates as we move forward in this process.

1) Can you give us some background and a history of yourself? (Where were you born? What is your educational background? Why did you come to or stay in Hickory? Tell us about your professional accomplishments.)

I was born in Hickory NC and I have always lived in Hickory despite the constant urge to move to the coast. I am a Registered Nurse for Catawba County Home Health. I am certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing, since 2009. I am working on a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing with plans to obtain my Master’s in Physician Assistant.


2)Tell us about the accomplishments you are proudest of achieving in your life? Something besides having a family or raising children. We all recognize that those are common goals that we all aspire to. What’s the most exciting thing you saw/did/experienced/were a part of in your personal life? In your professional life?

My proudest accomplishment is raising a respectful, bright, and intelligent son in today’s world. I know that you state in the question, something besides raising a child, but as a single mother of an African American Son in 2013, when so many of them are being killed over appearances and gestures, the fact that I have gotten him this far is nothing short of a miracle.

3) If I were to ask people that know you to describe you what would they say?

They would say I am a hard worker who goes for what she wants! They would also say I am very intelligent, knowing random medical information is a gift.

4) How much bearing do the opinions of the people around you have on your decisions?

They do not have any bearing on my decisions. I have to live this life and they have to live theirs. If they want to come and live my life for a day, they are more than welcomed. Then and only then, will I allow their “assumptions” to influence me.

5) Can you tell us of a professional mistake that you have made that may have had an impact on who you are today? Does it still bother you? Can you share with us how you came to grips with that error

I don’t feel that I have made any professional mistakes. They felt like mistakes then, but as everything has evolved, they were the best for me. I worked at CVMC for 10 years. When I decided to leave it was a hard decision and I also thought after I left, I should’ve stayed there. But 4 years later, it was the best decision that I have ever made.

6) If you were given enough money to tackle one project (think nearly unlimited) that you felt was important to the Hickory Area, what would that issue be?

Nearly Unlimited: I would set up educational workshops in every neighborhood first and foremost. These workshops would train people, close to home, to perform needed jobs and acquire new skills.

7) Let’s say there is no money available for the foreseeable future. What one project (priority) would you push as part of your agenda that can be done with little or no money

Neighborhood Farmers Markets!!! Allowing the citizens to use benefits: SNAP and WIC Vouchers, to purchase fresh fruits and Vegetables.

8) What is your overall philosophy of the development of this area? Where would you like to see us in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

I feel that the development of this area is stagnant!! In 5-20 years I would like to see the larger “big box buildings” revitalized and businesses moving into them offering employment. I would also like to see all areas of Hickory looking healthy, no matter which way you enter the City Limits, there’s growth and liveliness everywhere, be it 127S or 321S or 127N or 321N.

9) If you could define your Personal Legacy what would you like it to be? What would you like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered for my kindness and caring personality. Never turning a blind eye to those in need and always giving to those who are in need. I don’t have a lot to give, but what I have I gladly share with all.

10) How do you define Leadership?

I define leadership as someone who is able to make the hard decisions, realizing that some will be affected in a negative way. Leadership consists of a willingness to listen and respect others opinions, and having the knowledge to act responsibly in the best interest of all involved.

Hickory Inc. deleted videos now uploaded

All of the City Council meetings that Hickory Inc. deletes have now been reloaded onto my Youtube page. They are public domain and there is no reason that the city should be deleting these other than the fact that they don't want you to be able to reference them. This goes back to the openness and transparency issue frequently discusses by the challengers during this campaign.

Hickory Inc. City Council Video Recording Archive

Everyone also wants to see these meetings made available on Charter's Government Channel that Charter subscribers pay for. This is a public access channel that does not belong to the government. It belongs to the people. They have used it for governmental advertising and propaganda.  It is time that they use it for what it is intended for. As a tool to give the people better access to their local government.

Joe Brannock - Candidate Resume - Hickory City Council Ward 5

Joe Brannock for City Council

The Candidate's Heart

Today I received a phone call from a citizen interested in my campaign. He was an older fellow – a 75-year old retiree who arrived in Hickory along the same time I did (though obviously by different means). His request of me was simply this – email me a letter/resume summing up your campaign. Easy enough. We then went on to talk for another 45 minutes. By the end of our conversation I had won him (and his wife) over. I still sent the email and offer it below for everyone else to read as well.

JB

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. -----

My apologies for the delay in getting this information to you. I do want to thank you for your phone call and your interest in my campaign.

Education:
Graduated from App. State University. Majored in Political Science

Political career:
I began working for Rep. Cass Ballenger in the Fall of ’01. I stayed with Ballenger’s office until Feb. ’04. I then began working on Rep. Richard Burr’s campaign for Senate (I was essentially traded in the off-season for some printer paper, toner, and a yet-to-be-named quantity of Post-it notes). I became Sen. Burr’s Western Regional Director in Jan. ’05, and headed up the Senator’s Asheville office. I was responsible for a 20-county region.

I left the Senator’s office in Dec. ’06 and took on a role in a small business my brother had started here locally. I’m still active in the operations of that business with my focus being on marketing and account management.

In the Fall of 2011, I registered with the Catawba County School system and became a certified substitute teacher. I’ve always been interested in, and very much enjoy, public service and being able to interact with the public in a positive way. Since I was no longer in professional politics, I felt that getting involved in education through substitute teaching would give me the opportunity to give back and hopefully be a positive influence in some of the kids’ lives.

Out of all the things that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience – whether through my time in the political realm or the private business sector – the most rewarding thing I’ve done with my life so far has been getting involved in the education system.

As far as my community involvement: I’ve served on the City’s Airport Taskforce (I am a private pilot) and on the City’s Rental Property Taskforce (in the past I have owned rental property). I work with the City’s Parks & Rec. Dept. as a sports official (baseball, football, volleyball). Along with others, I helped form the CEG. We successfully managed the petition drive and became the chairman of the CEG Ward Referendum Committee last year.

And that brings us to my decision to run for City Council. I believe the experience I gained working with Congressman Ballenger and Senator Burr gives me a truly unique perspective on how government should work. Being involved With a small, family-owned business I understand the concerns and needs of our local small-business community. And from my time in the school system over the past two years I’m becoming intimately knowledgable of the societal issues that the community at-large is facing.

By no means do I claim to have all the answers to Hickory’s problem. My first priority would be to simply open up the lines of communication and get people to acknowledge the problems we do have. Like I said on the phone, I grew up very comfortably, in NW Hickory (Lakeland Park). I never had to worry about crime or poverty. However, those are two very real issues that our fellow citizens deal with daily in other areas of our city. The ones that are affected most by those issues can’t fix the problem alone. And sadly, those of us that aren’t directly affected by those issues won’t acknowledge that we have those types of problems. We need leaders that realize a problem for one part of our city is a problem for all our city. In short, we’re all in this together.

I apologize for rambling. I do love this city and the people. I just want to do my part to make it better than it is now.

I’ll leave you with this quote. Sen. Burr was fond of it and I picked it up along the way as it sums up my feeling toward public service. It’s a quote from President George H. W. Bush (41). He said, “We are not the sum of our possessions. They are not the measure of our lives. In our hearts we know what matters. We must not only hope to leave our kids better cars and bigger bank accounts. We must give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood, his town better than he found it.”

Thanks again for your interest, and please feel free to call or email me any time. I do appreciate your support in this election.

All the Best,

Joe Brannock

Time to catch up - 9/25/2013

This post is for you who may be late to the party. I officially brought the Hickory Hound to the public five years ago this month. It has ebbed and flowed, but continuously built momentum over that time. Although this blog has had a loyal following over that span, the last year has greatly expanded the numbers of those who come here frequently.

There are some links and articles that I would like to point to that will help you catch up with where we are today. You will see that although I don't get everything right, there is a history of pointing the community to the trends that we are currently facing today. I don't get this all from on high. I get this from reading, researching, having conversations with a diverse group of people and then attemting to put the puzzle together in an understandable fashion to present to the public.

So, for those of you who don't have a full background of what this site is all about, here you go.

The following is an annual round of where we have stood at the given point in time:
The State of Hickory, North Carolina 2009
The State of Hickory - January 2010
The State Of Hickory 2011
The State Of Hickory 2012
The State of Hickory 2013


Two series of articles that studied Hickory Problems and Solutions:
(The first two have been in the upper right hand corner for 4 years):
Hickory - The Fixing Hickory Series
Hickory - Time to put the Puzzle together
References to where we are today - 9/13/2012

Take your time, but I hope you will go and read these. I encourage you to bookmark this and just read one of these per day. You will understand what all of this is about if you do so. And if you have questions or comments feel free to send them to me.

Crystal Killian - Candidate Hickory City Council Ward 4 - Press Release

The following press release was sent to the Charlotte Observer and myself last night. Ms. Killian had planned on putting a press release in the Hickory Daily Record at some point in time. Candidates had originally been informed that they could have one press release in the HDR either during the primary or the at-large race, but the HDR changed that decision and Ms. Killian was informed on September 6th that she had until the end of the 8th to submit the press release. She had to work that weekend, which made that impossible, so she isn't going to have a press release in the Hickory Daily Record. I am happy to afford her the opportunity here that our local paper will not.

Ms. Crystal Killian has announced her candidacy for Hickory City Council Ward 4.  Ms. Killian is a lifelong Hickory resident who was educated in the Hickory City School System.  She is a college graduate, and despite having several degrees and certifications in different fields, she feels that education should never cease.  With this in mind, she is a full time student currently enrolled at Catawba Valley Community College, with plans to continue, and obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and her Masters degree in Physician Assistant. 

Increasing educational opportunities is a vital aspect of her campaign.  She feels that all children should be afforded the best education possible and hopes to engage Hickory City Council and the Hickory City School Board to see that every child has the brightest future and opportunity to succeed. 

Crystal is employed as a Home Health Nurse at Catawba County Home Health, and witnesses the depravity in healthcare and nutrition in the lower socioeconomic areas of Hickory.  One aspect of her platform is lessening the urban food deserts in the city.  She hopes to work in conjunction with Department of Social Services Food Stamp Program/SNAP, and the WIC program to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to the areas of Hickory that are lacking this basic need.  She hopes to mirror the current farmers market that is held each Thursday at the Catawba County Health Department.  Increasing the nutritional state of not only adults, but the future, that is our children.  She hopes to do this by planning and implementing smaller farmers markets in neighborhoods that would benefit most, enabling them to use their food program benefits to purchase nutritious foods.  She would also like to see an expansion in the summer food programs that are currently sponsored by local churches, and provide them with City funding to continue this much needed program.  This program seeks to provide children with breakfast and lunch during the summer months, when they are not in school.  Increasing physical activity by increasing the operational hours of the recreation centers, which are tax-payer funded, is also another goal.  The benefits and importance of physical activity and healthier lifestyles of children are seen in all forms of media and literature. 

Crystal also feels that diversity is lacking on the current Hickory City Council.  Whether it is someone with a disability, someone of a different racial or socioeconomic background, or sexual preference, everyone who is a citizen of Hickory should be represented on council.  She feels that the current makeup of council is more reflective of a person’s financial status, and not a clear representation of the citizens in which they serve.  As a member of the Hickory City Community Relations Council since 2012, which strives to promote diversity in Hickory, she promotes and embraces diversity in all aspects of her life.

She is a single mother of one child, Joshua Killian, who is a student at Hickory High School.  

Payola Well Crafted - The Backwards Coalition - Part 2 - Submitted by Common Sense

Another evening and another e-mail from this person who has said that they frequently view the Hound. As I have stated before, they have said they personally know the Mayor and Council. They stated they could not post this information with their name for fear of reprisal. As with the information posted yesterday, I have verified that the contributions to these candidates by these people are accurate. This is an individual commenters opinion. It doesn't necessarily reflect my own opinion. I do feel that the information presented is relevant. You are responsible for coming to your own conclusions.

Submitted by Common Sense

... So in tallying up the campaign contributions for the candidates to-date, the familiarity of the names of those contributors was interesting. Let's think. Where have we seen this kind of "free speech" before and at these levels?

Allow me to take you back in time, not so very long ago. If you'll recall, during last year's Ward Referendum a group which called themselves the No Steps Backwards Coalition ("It's Important!") formed to ensure that Hickory maintain it's lily white united front. I say "lily white" but that's not completely fair. You see, these people are as equally proud of the green in their wallets as the shade of their skin - too far? Forgive me then.

At any rate, I present to you an amended list of contributors - same candidates, same names. Only this time I present for your amusement No Steps Backwards Coalition contributions too.

***NSBC contributions in red***

Mayor Rudy Wright: (gave $500 page 6, disbursed $517.01 to A Sign Co page 15 - net gain of $17.01)
Benny Yount - $500 ($1000 page 10 - owner of Paramount Auto Group)
Sue Redmond - $200 "Best Attempt" ($100 "Best Attempt" page 3)
Mike Johnson - $750 ($1000 page 12)
D. E. Eidson - $500
William Pitts - $100
Don Norwood - $500 ($400 page 10)

Hank Guess:
David Eidson - $500
Mike Johnson -$500 ($1000 page 12)
Don Norwood - $250 ($400 page 10)
Chip Fotheringham $100
Dean Proctor - $250 ($200 page 7)
Nancy Willingham - $200
Jeff Cline - $200 ($750 page 4)
Sue Redmond - $200 Retired ($100 page 3)

David Zagaroli:

William Pitts $100
Don Norwood $500 ($400 page 10)
Barbara Garlitz $300
Sue Redmond $200 VP Operations @ TCS Designs ($100 "Best Attempt" page 3)
Coke Gunter $500

So there you have it. Draw your own conclusions. Who REALLY has the ear of your elected officials? Do you have the $$$ to play? How much are you willing to contribute so that you too can serve on an advisory committee? Folks, I understand most of us don't have the disposable income that these campaign contributors have. I know I don't. But folks, we all have a vote - and an obligation to make sure that vote counts.

I would ask each of you to truly research ALL the candidates. Read about them. Visit their websites, Facebook pages, email them, call them. Don't let the lack of disposable income stop you from participating. You may not be able to write that $1,000-check or even the $20-check, but please reach out to those running to change Hickory for the better. A simple email could easily do wonders for a candidates morale. It's time to give the Good Guys a chance

Mayoral Candidates:
Ernie Masche - Phone: 828-855-1911 - email: erniemascheformayor@hotmail.com - 
Website: http://erniemascheformayor.com/ - (facebook page) - twitter:  https://twitter.com/BigErn23
10 Questions w/ Hickory Hound

Jody Inglefield - Phone: 828-459-6530 - email: inglefieldformayor@gmail.com
Website: http://josephinglefieldmayorforeveryone.com -
10 Questions w/Hickory Hound - Platform for 21st Century Hickory

Jeff Brittain - Phone: 828-270-9005 -  email: Brittain.For.Mayor@gmail.com 
Website: http://www.Brittainformayor.wix.com/2013 - (facebook page) -  
twitter: @brittainformayor - 10 Questions w/Hickory Hound

Candace Harold - Phone: 828-409-7242 - Website: http://candiceharold.com - (facebook page)

Terry Revels - Phone: 828-322-8472

Ward 5:
Joe Brannock - Phone: 828-455-3789 - Website: http://joebrannock.com - (facebook page)
e-mail: joe.brannock@charter.net

Mike Robbins - Phone: 828-312-4393

Ward 4:
Anetia Wright - Phone: 828-238-0306  (facebook page) - 10 Questions w/ Hickory Hound
Crystal Killian - Phone: 828-228-5326 - e-mail: ckillian1978@msn.com  Video of Crystal


Breaking news - What I will show you next is pretty shocking. Remember how the Backwards Coalition was saying the Citizens for Equity in Government was ACORN during the referendum? Well wait til you see what I've got on the person that was behind all of that. It will bring all of this into razor sharp focus. Stay tuned!

Payola Well Crafted - Submitted by Common Sense

This evening I received another anonymous e-mail from a person who has said that they are a frequent viewer of the Hound and they said they personally know the Mayor and Council. They stated they could not post this information with their name for fear of reprisal. I have verified that the contributions to these candidates by these people are accurate. 

Submitted by Common Sense

With Election Day drawing closer I've found myself wondering what's the going rate for an elected official. Here's what I found while doing some comparison shopping.

***All of the following info is available to the public at the Board of Elections

I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. These are only the reported contributions. There's no telling how many anonymous contributions have been made to the Hickory United PAC.

Mayor Rudy Wright:
Benny Yount - $500
Sue Redmond - $200 "Best Attempt"
Mike Johnson - $750
D. E. Eidson - $500
William Pitts - $100
Don Norwood - $500

Hank Guess:
David Eidson - $500
Mike Johnson -$500
Don Norwood - $250
Chip Fotheringham $100
Dean Proctor - $250
Nancy Willingham - $200
Jeff Cline - $200
Sue Redmond - $200 Retired

David Zagaroli:
William Pitts $100
Don Norwood $500
Barbara Garlitz $300
Sue Redmond $200 VP Operations @ TCS Designs
Coke Gunter $500


Apparently, Don Norwood has a lot to lose should the status quo change. So what does $1250 get Mr. Norwood? Most recently it secured him a slot on the Rental Property Taskforce. The Mayor appointed Mr. Norwood to that position to protect his own rental property interests. Heaven forbid that the Council form an advisory committee/panel without ensuring that the "fix" was in.

Mike Johnson plopped down $1,250 too (Wright - $750, Guess - $500). Mike Johnson was also appointed to the Inspiring Spaces Committee. At the recent forums, I have seen/heard the Mayor participate in that have been reported on here by The Hound, any time the Mayor has opened his mouth it seems that I'm listening to an infomercial for Inspiring Spaces. The only thing the Mayor lacks is a bad British accent; although his sales pitch so far is just about as flimsy as those on-air snake oil salesmen. Sidebar - Hank and Rudy both purchased their cars from Mike Johnson Toyota.

Jeff Cline and Nancy Willingham both gave $200 each to Hank Guess, but not to any other candidates so far. One must ask why is this? Please allow me to offer up this possible explanation - though neither Cline nor Willingham would ever own up to this - how could they? Mr. Cline and Mrs. Willingham both worked very hard against last year's Ward Referendum. Mr. Cline's dad and Mrs. Willingham's dad were both at the heart of the racist decision that led Hickory away from Hickory's original Ward electoral system to today's less representative at-large system. Mrs. Willingham (and husband) have been known to still use - well let's just say less-than-sensitive language - when referring to African-Americans and that community. Any chance that this led to them only contributing to the candidate that has two African-American challengers?

Lastly, there's the minor eyebrow-raising issue of Sue Redmond. The Mayor has her job title/employer listed as "Best Attempt" meaning that he didn't know what to put. Hank Guess has Mrs. Redmond's info listed as "Retired". And finally, David Zagaroli listed Mrs. Redmond's info as "VP Operations at TCS Designs". Now either Mrs. Redmond herself has trouble deciding what her employment status is, or these candidates are, let's just say sloppy, in their record keeping abilities.

So there it is so far. Draw the same conclusions or not - it's completely your call. However, remember that just as you're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine.

Rudy Wright's 35 day report 
Hank Guess's 35 day report
David Zagaroli's 35 day report