July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Rife to sit on council
Dunkirk Democrats fill seat
Rife to sit on council
By Robert Banser-
DUNKIRK - The city council here is once again at full strength.
Charles "Chuck" Rife was selected Wednesday night by Dunkirk Democrats to fill the remaining term of Larry Smith, who died recently after serving on the Dunkirk City Council for more than a dozen years.
A retired glass plant employee and former council member, Rife, 70, 126 Angle St. will represent the northwest council district. He was the only person to apply for the vacant seat.
He grew up in the community, graduating from Dunkirk High School and working at both the Kerr (currently Saint-Gobain Containers) and Indiana Glass plants in Dunkirk.
Rife served on the city council in the 1980s when Jack Mink was the mayor, and he said the city's current water problems sparked his interest again. Rife said he has been attending recent city meetings about the need to make water system improvements, volunteering to offer assistance to the current council member in charge of the water department, Judy Garr.
At Wednesday night's brief caucus, Jay County Democratic chairman Tim Southworth introduced the nominee, noting that Rife was the only person to submit a letter of interest for the position.
Southworth then asked Dunkirk precinct committee leaders, Pam Bunch and Ann Wilmore, to cast vote. Both voted to seat Rife.
He was immediately sworn into office by Dunkirk Mayor Ron Hunt. Hunt, also a Democrat, congratulated Rife and welcomed him to the council.
"I know that Dunkirk is faced with some very serious issues which I'm concerned about as a longtime resident," Rife said.
He added that as a council member, his deliberations and decisions would be "based on what's good for Dunkirk."
Rife and his wife, Gay Ann, have three grown children, Charles Jr. and Jeremy Rife and Jeanette Castillo.
Rife said he also completed some classes at Ball State University. He began his work career at the Armstrong-Cork (currently Saint-Gobain Containers) glass plant in Dunkirk, earning a spot as a journeyman mold-maker.
He later sold insurance and then moved away from Dunkirk to work for Owens-Illinois Glass in Muncie and Toledo, Ohio. Rife later returned to Dunkirk, accepting a job in management at Kerr Glass where he stayed until taking a position involving managing mechanical services and engineering at the Indiana Glass plant in Dunkirk.
As a hobby, Rife has been active with radio-controlled aircraft. He is a member of the Crown City Prop Twisters club in Dunkirk which is affiliated with the Academy of Model Aeronautics and National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie.
In addition he recently started Heritage Video Service, taking old and new family photographs and converting them to DVD formats.
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Charles "Chuck" Rife was selected Wednesday night by Dunkirk Democrats to fill the remaining term of Larry Smith, who died recently after serving on the Dunkirk City Council for more than a dozen years.
A retired glass plant employee and former council member, Rife, 70, 126 Angle St. will represent the northwest council district. He was the only person to apply for the vacant seat.
He grew up in the community, graduating from Dunkirk High School and working at both the Kerr (currently Saint-Gobain Containers) and Indiana Glass plants in Dunkirk.
Rife served on the city council in the 1980s when Jack Mink was the mayor, and he said the city's current water problems sparked his interest again. Rife said he has been attending recent city meetings about the need to make water system improvements, volunteering to offer assistance to the current council member in charge of the water department, Judy Garr.
At Wednesday night's brief caucus, Jay County Democratic chairman Tim Southworth introduced the nominee, noting that Rife was the only person to submit a letter of interest for the position.
Southworth then asked Dunkirk precinct committee leaders, Pam Bunch and Ann Wilmore, to cast vote. Both voted to seat Rife.
He was immediately sworn into office by Dunkirk Mayor Ron Hunt. Hunt, also a Democrat, congratulated Rife and welcomed him to the council.
"I know that Dunkirk is faced with some very serious issues which I'm concerned about as a longtime resident," Rife said.
He added that as a council member, his deliberations and decisions would be "based on what's good for Dunkirk."
Rife and his wife, Gay Ann, have three grown children, Charles Jr. and Jeremy Rife and Jeanette Castillo.
Rife said he also completed some classes at Ball State University. He began his work career at the Armstrong-Cork (currently Saint-Gobain Containers) glass plant in Dunkirk, earning a spot as a journeyman mold-maker.
He later sold insurance and then moved away from Dunkirk to work for Owens-Illinois Glass in Muncie and Toledo, Ohio. Rife later returned to Dunkirk, accepting a job in management at Kerr Glass where he stayed until taking a position involving managing mechanical services and engineering at the Indiana Glass plant in Dunkirk.
As a hobby, Rife has been active with radio-controlled aircraft. He is a member of the Crown City Prop Twisters club in Dunkirk which is affiliated with the Academy of Model Aeronautics and National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie.
In addition he recently started Heritage Video Service, taking old and new family photographs and converting them to DVD formats.
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