Wauseon: City Council selects new member, president

1/11/2006

Wauseon City Council has unanimously appointed a new member - painting contractor Don Mathews - and elected a new president - automotive shop owner Jeff Stiriz. Council selected Mr. Mathews from six men who applied for the position vacated by Ivan Hite in part because Mr. Mathews grew up in Wauseon and has been involved in the community for years, Mayor Jerry Dehnbostel said.

Mr. Mathews, 56, who has been a self-employed painter for more than 18 years, is working on a contract with a Toledo hospital. He was appointed in a special council meeting the morning of Jan. 3 with a 5-0 vote and was sworn in during the regular meeting that afternoon.

During the afternoon meeting, Mr. Stiriz, 49, who owns Deryle's Auto Care, was elected president with a 6-0 vote. He is beginning his second four-year term. The presidency, which is for two years, was held by Karen Krumm who remains on council.

Mr. Hite left council at the end of last month with two years remaining in his term because he was elected a trustee of Clinton Township in November.

The other applicants for the seat he vacated were Richard Hasselschwert, a department store retiree who served on council from 1992 to 1999; James Parker, a substitute teacher and U.S. Census Bureau representative who ran for council in the latest election; Harold Stickley, who owns and operates E&H Auto Clinic and is on the Fulton County Airport Authority Board; Justo Suarez, a machine operator at Lauber Manufacturing Co. in nearby Archbold; and Juan Villarreal, site manager of sanitation at Frozen Specialties Inc. in Archbold.