COLTON>> Last Saturday, July 15, during the regular meeting of the popular “City Talk” neighborhood gatherings, Council Member Dr. G (Dr. Luis S Gonzalez) announced the official beginning of his campaign for Colton City Council – District 4, for the next local election in November 2018.
Friends, family, and attendees celebrated with Dr. G after the meeting with refreshments and lots of congratulatory hugs. The 9:00am crowd was not deterred at the early hour, and for that moment, the Dell’s Restaurant event was the place to be in Colton. Mayor De La Rosa was also in attendance, and was the first to congratulate Dr. G.
“This term working on the City Council has been an awesome learning experience” says Dr. G, and if re-elected this next year, “I look forward to learning more and contributing more.” After many years of being a classroom teacher, Dr. G decided to run for Colton City Council in 2010, and again in 2014. On the second attempt, he was successful, and is currently in his third year of serving on the Council.
During that time, he has focused on serving the needs of the residents. “I feel that relationship is very important,” stresses Dr. G. Additionally, he works with businesses to help them get established and to make improvements. “There is a lot of work to be done in this area, but as long as we continue to make improvements to our ‘business friendly’ philosophy, the efforts are worth it,” he adds.
The goals for Dr. G are clear: listen to residents, communication, honesty-integrity, follow through, business relations, promote Colton history, promote Veterans, and promote Youth Leadership. Some of the “follow-through” activities include developing the complete yearbook collection from Colton High School, writing a book about Colton WWII Veteran’s, founder of Colton Area Museum Day, founder of “City Talk” neighborhood meeting, coordinator of the Colton Veteran’s Day program, and most recently, founder of the Colton Youth Leadership program. This summer, Dr. G started his new book about the Korean Veterans living in Colton. “I really respect the Veterans and feel their stories need to be heard and recorded,” says Dr. G.
Dr. G has also been busy working on the development in South Colton. With a smile, Dr. G talks about the improvements within the last couple of years. “CBM Motorsports, a new set of traffic signals, and a proposed plan to build an A & W Root Beer project with retail stores, are all ‘starting many conversations’ among the residents.” Dr. G adds, “this is an exciting time, and we certainly want to keep the momentum going.” Looking towards the future, Dr. G hopes to work towards developing a Train Park, a Train Museum, and an Earp Museum.
Many people know Dr. G, and he continues to be an active part of the community. His open door policy, canvassing efforts and accessibility have quickly become a hallmark of his time in office. “Just give me a call,” says Dr. G, and “I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” Those who only speak Spanish can also contact Dr. G directly, or attend one of his newly established “City Talk Espanol!”