It’s a new era. Stomper has been elected as the very first cat mayor of Montclair Village. The election results were tallied yesterday and verified today. The transition of power has been made, from dog to cat. Here is a photo of Stomper, along with the entire pet cabinet.
In addition to electing our newest governing body, Montclarions also contributed $4,925 to the Montclair Veterinary Pet & Wildlife Fund. Contributions are always welcome: please click on the fund’s website.
Montclair Village has been represented by a furry mayor for several years now. Montclarions have been ably led by Murphy, who hails from Crogan’s, for the past two years. He has served us well.
While we usually hold elections annually, our polling officials were busy launching a fair election down on Piedmont Avenue last year. All is hereby forgiven, and we welcome the opportunity to find eager and fresh leadership here. The virtual voting booth is open through Sunday at 1:00 pm — vote here.
The top vote-getter is the candidate who receives the highest, ahem, financial donations. The top pet becomes our mayor. He or she will be responsible for representing Montclair. Our mayor mostly makes appearances in the Village, typically at the Farmers Market as well as the Halloween Parade.
There are nine candidates who made it through the primary election and are seeking your votes now. The candidate with the highest votes, aka dollar donations to the Montclair Veterinary Pet & Wildlife Fund, wins the mayoral contest. Runners-up are also assigned other responsibilities in the local government.
So who’s running? The finalists include these furry or feathered candidates:
Vote now. Simply click to read about each candidate and make your donations. Again, all proceeds go to the Pet & Wildlife Fund. It’s a good cause, helping to mend and heal wild critters in need.
The elections are here! You have only two more Farmer’s Market opportunities to meet the final nine candidates for Montclair Mayor. We expect many of the would-be leaders to campaign at the La Salle voting booth tomorrow and next Sunday.
Our primary season featured some 20 candidates who all brought unique and relevant platforms to the voters. The final slate shows nine candidates – rather than the expected eight – because the bottom two were only a single vote apart. Your votes really do matter!
Montclarion remain open-minded, supporting mainstream as well as fringe candidates. There are different species running to the finish, but we’re not convinced that our neighbors are ready for anything other than a wagging-happy canine. Go ahead and influence the outcome by paying for your votes.
Our local Pet and Wildlife Fund does a great job of saving wildlife, and relies on this semi-democratic process to raise funds. If you would like to support the cause in other ways, then visit Fenton’s Creamery this month for a S’more (A Great Cause) and 25 percent will also be donated to the Fund. That’s pretty sweet!
In the past, only dogs have served as Montclair’s mayor – and Little Bear serves us quite well as head woofer these days.
However the 2010 primary season is presenting fresh alternatives, like a rat named Twitchy. We asked Re4m’s owner, Lisa Tana, why she supported this unusual prospect. “It’s appropriate that a rat would enter politics,” explained Tana, “and she’s one of our two pets at home.”
We’re excited by this year’s slate of 20 primary candidates which includes 12 dogs and three cats – as well as Twitchy the rat, Sparky the gecko, Willow the pygmy goat, Penny the hen and Figaro the miniature horse. Primary season voting is open now through May 30th.
Let’s look closely at the pooches. Jasper belongs to Bo Obama’s party, and that might attract voters. Hershey points like Gracie, a past mayor who’s retiring as furst officer. Alice and Rico bring Village experience, serving as bark ranger and deputy dog respectively. Some larger crowd-pleasers include Oscar, Drake, Rupert, Kai and Murphy, while feistier runners are named Reuben, Jay Jay and Talulah.
The cats bring contrasting views. Chi is a kitten who jumped on the opportunity with a youthful zeal. Hank is a Maine Coon involved in Broadway shows at Woodminster. And Stella has a classic insider’s edge, sponsored by Montclair Veterinary Clinic. Frankly, I’m concerned about whether the felines will be civil when they meet other species along the campaign trail.
Remember, voting is open now. Do you want to stick with the species you know, or try out something completely new? It might be worth checking out the scene at the Sunday Farmer’s Market, because candidates often make appearances there. The 2010 primaries are intriguing, indeed.
P.S. Each vote costs a buck, and goes to the Pet & Wildlife Fund.
May 22nd Update: Our City Council rep, Jean Quan, has supported the fundraiser and ever-so-slightly tipped her hat. In her weekly newsletter, Quan declared that “I have not yet endorsed but I do personally know Figaro, the miniature pony who often volunteers at Maxwell Park events.”
If your pet doppelganger is interested in representing Montclair District, then you must take action pronto. For the seventh year, candidates living in the district are invited to run for our mayoral post. The filing deadline is this Friday!
The pet election raises funds for a real-world cause, namely the Pet & Wildlife Fund. Over the past year, veterinarians have healed wild animals including an opossum, hummingbird and cormorant.
Your Montclair Reps At Work
Last year, a brand-new politician arrived on the scene and beat all the seasoned pros. Little Bear has admirably served as mayor of Montclair, making appearances and generally improving the quality of life in our district.
In addition to Little Bear, another seven animals served on the 2009-2010 mayoral team. Bella, Molly, Gracie, Alice, Rico and Nitro served in traditional roles as canines. Alex, the first turtle ever elected, served as conservation commissioner.
Our representatives have been dealing with all sorts of local matters, whether they related to parking meters, city beautification or safety concerns. We think they listen and respond to local needs.
How To Field Candidates
There are several easy steps to nominate your canine, feline or other species candidate:
Given the Friday deadline, please hand deliver everything to the Montclair Veterinary Hospital (map). If you have questions, then reach the official registrar at lee@petandwildlifefund.org or 510-339-2400.
Montclair nominees should support paws on the street. The primary takes place from May 3rd-30th, and winners run from June 1st-20th. At the Sunday Farmers Market, shoppers visit the voting booth to meet candidates and cast votes for a buck each. We believe that online voting will also be available.
The 2010-2011 mayor and team will be announced on June 20th, at 1pm.
Today in Montclair, 94611 