Seneca’s brain trust receives appreciation certificates

Three tables in front of the seated positions of Seneca’s eight-member city council were filled with donated toys and other gifts to go to some of the local area’s neediest children.  That helped create a Christmas mood for the council’s last meeting of the calendar year.  And Mayor Dan Alexander departed from the printed agenda to personally hand out certificates of appreciation to the council men and women who are the city’s elected servants.  Alexander marveled at the cohesiveness of the city council which rarely displayed disagreements among themselves, at least in public settings.  Alexander said the council members represent a total of 112 years’ service.  Mayor Pro-tem Ronnie O’Kelley made sure Mayor Alexander received a certificate of appreciation for his continuous service, 34 years starting on city council and then graduating to mayor.  Alexander asked each member of the council to tell what it was that inspired them to public service.  Their stories proved touching and some amusing.  For instance, Alexander and O’Kelley go back a long ways.  At the age of six or seven , Alexander and O’Kelley would play in the yard of the Alexander home while O’Kelley’s mom would get her hair done in the beauty parlor that Dan Alexander’s mother operated for many years in their home on S. Oak Street home.