City Throws Itself a 40th Birthday Bash
In an ebullient display of civic pride, the City Council threw a party this week to celebrate 40 years of cityhood.
The anniversary was commemorated with a cake and a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” for the city, led by Mayor William C. Estrada, during a break in Tuesday’s council meeting.
Several former council members joined the festivities, including Henry Mendez, one of the city’s founding fathers.
Mendez noted that the city has changed dramatically since he was first elected to the council in 1956. Back then, he said, members met around a pool table in an old firehouse.
There would have been a big celebration, said Councilman Harry Dotson, if the city were in better financial shape. The 40th birthday, however, was too important to skip entirely.
Representatives of the Greater Stanton Chamber of Commerce presented a gift of a tree to mark the occasion.
“We are glad to be part of a city that believes in its motto of ‘Community Pride and Forward Vision,’ ” chamber President Sandy Hemphill said.
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