BLYTHE - After 16 years serving on the Blythe City Council, 12 as the city's mayor, Robert Crain will open the Council meeting for the final time on Dec. 8.
Crain was 28 years old when he was first elected in 1993 and 32 when chosen mayor on Dec. 2 1997. Prior to that he had earned a Bachelor's degree from Cal State San Bernardino and had been president of the local Kiwanis Club for a pair of years. He also spent two years as president of the Blythe Area Chamber of Commerce, which proved to be a stepping-stone for Crain's career in politics.
"I started when I was 28 years old and didn't have a clue," said Crain. "I learned a lot, though. When I became mayor it was exciting and challenging. We had just built the complex on Broadway that included City Hall and the new courts building. The police department was also being remodeled and expanded to where it's at now."
Crain oversaw many city projects during the course of his tenure on the council, including the redevelopment of Hobsonway. Prior to the Hobsonway project the street would flood when it rained, a problem that no longer exists thanks to an updated drainage system.
"Businesses don't flood when it does rain twice a year, which was a big problem then," he said.
The water production facility on Chanslorway was another project the city fulfilled while under Crain's leadership. City officials were able to secure a million dollar grant and an interest-free loan from the state in financing the project. The city also upgraded and expanded its water treatment facility on S. Broadway, which had been red flagged by the regional water quality board because it wasn't meeting discharge requirements.
Another achievement Crain was proud of was building the road up to Palo Verde College on the mesa. Crain's father, John O. Crain, was president of the Palo Verde College Board when Crain became mayor.
"It made for a lot of lively discussion around the house," Crain said. "He felt the city should pay for stuff and the city thought they should pay for it."
The college's administration building is named for Crain's father, who is now deceased.
"I regret that my dad didn't live to see what he had started," Crain said. "That up there is one of the crown jewels that will service this community for the next 50 years and it continues to grow, recently adding a gymnasium and a performing arts center."
Crain also cited the Blythe Energy project, which was built under his watch, as being a major revenue earner for the city and the Palo Verde Valley. The plant, he said, brought redevelopment money that went toward building sewer and water infrastructure to Balszberg as well as neighboring Mesa Verde.
"The plant has meant close to $30 million in Redevelopment Agency money so far," he said.
As for city aesthetics, Crain said that during his time in office the city was able to remove 288 dilapidated structures and that by working with the County Redevelopment Agency, the city would begin to remove structures from East Blythe in the near future.
He said there were a number of things he enjoyed while a member of the council; the biggest was the relationships he had with city employees and the relationships and friendships he forged with elected officials on the county, state and federal level.
And it was the "little wins" that brought him the most satisfaction.
"When someone would get so frustrated with a problem that might not have necessarily been a city problem, but they didn't know where to turn and would ask if I could help," he said. "When you're mayor people expect you to take care of the big things but it's the little things that are important to the individuals that may not seem important to you and me. When I can help them work through a problem, there is a lot of satisfaction in helping them. I didn't solve all of the problems and sometimes the answer wasn't what they wanted, but I was able to at least help them in getting an answer."
Crain said the position carried a lot of responsibility and said that his successor had better be willing to spend a great deal of time resolving city issues.
"You better be willing to give up time away from work and family," he said. "On average, I spent probably 20 hours a week in various committee meetings, meeting with developers, meeting with builders, meeting with residents, whomever."
What he learned from his experience was that one person could make a difference. He related a story of how one hot July day when the temperature stood at 121 degrees, he noticed a local woman walking home from the store with groceries and a gallon of milk.
"I thought that by the time she gets home, that milk is going to be very curdled," he said. "At this particular point the taxi was gone and I caught myself saying, "somebody needs to do something, then duh, that's you buddy."
The incident became the driving force for Crain to bring fixed route bus service back to the city, a service that now carries 100,000 riders annually.
Crain noted there were a number of failures that occurred during his years as the city's top elected official, most notably the loss of Walmart.
Despite approval of the project by the city, a pair of lawsuits, one fronted by Bob Standage of Standage Tire and the other led by Albertsons' cashier Lynette Phillips, put the project in the courts where they lingered for well over a year. As the cases crawled though the system, the economy bottomed out and Walmart eventually backed out of building a store in Blythe.
Crain said that the combination of delays with the court and the current economy just killed the deal for right now.
"Everything was signed, sealed and done," Crain said. "We were ready to go, same thing with Walmart. Despite the rumors going around, the city did everything right with the issue of Walmart, That project was an approved project, they agreed to the terms and conditions and it was understood what Walmart was going to do and what the city was going to do. Then the economy began to turn for the worse."
Crain said the developer agreed to give Walmart the land but that Walmart's answer was that in the current economic climate, even free land was too expensive to build on.
Crain was equally incensed at the failure to build a casino on Hwy. 95 south of the I-10, which he said fell victim to politics between Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California legislature.
"That one had a minimum guaranteed revenue to the city of $790,000," Crain said. "The pact would have needed to have been made between the (Colorado River Indian) Tribe and the state of California and with the bickering going on between the governor's office and the legislature, it was just not really able to move anywhere."
Crain said he was grateful to have worked with so many of his fellow council members over the years and that as he exits next Tuesday, he can't wait to take some time off and relax.
"I want to unwind a little bit and spend a little time on the patio at Starbucks," he said. "I'll be back and involved - I really don't know yet what but as far as doing something that's fun, I may go back to the Chamber of Commerce and work on one of the committees there. The Chamber is one that's asked to do so much with so little. This is going to give me an opportunity to step back and relax a little bit and enjoy life; work a little more on my business and do what I love. It's been a hell of a ride and stealing a quote from the great Bob Hope, 'thanks for the memories.' "
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Article comment by:
Lew Erskine
So, on average the city bus has 274 passengers per day?
Posted: Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
You can't blame the economy for Walmart not coming to Blythe! Parker is in the same country right people? This town has been drying up for the last 35 years, there were three major chain grocery stores at one time! now only one that is ripping off the people with twice as high prices as the same stores in other nearby towns. Which is true with tires, gas, anything you can buy in Blythe is almost half price out of town. It is worth the trip to save.
Posted: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Article comment by:
Larry Beynon
You did a hell of a good job Robert.Don't go to far away,I know they will need more of your help in the coming years.
Posted: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Congratulations to the new Mayor! Maybe the city will be more progressive now and bring in new businesses.
How about that survey last spring that suggested new ways to improve the city. WAY TO GO!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Cover up!
Well hopefully, (deleted) wont have as much pull at Blythe PD now that Crain is out of power. Covering up a D.U.I traffic collision for the (deleted) is not a very role model like thing to do (deleted). Shame on you (deleted) and for the love of god loose some weight and gain some common sense please.
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Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
You can do it!
Come on Marty! Freedom of speech, post my article's. Silly goose
Posted: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Outstanding! Perhaps we can now address the vacant buildings and the decline in business in Blythe! Oh, and perhaps some beautification funding can extend beyond the Crain Insurance vista as well!!
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
'Nuf Said
Ex Mayor Crain will hopefully take time now to pay attention to his health. I hope he takes this in the positive tone of which it is intended.
I am optimistic that the new mayor and council will move this city forward! Thanks, Mayor Crain, but it is too long overdue for fresh ideas and progressive concepts that will promote Blythe, and get things moving in this town!
Posted: Saturday, December 05, 2009
Article comment by:
C.F. Dunbar
The City should buy the land that Walmart was gonna be on and hook up a deal with Disney to put in a WaterPark! It could be open from April thru October. In January the parking lot could be used as a Flea Market and syphon off some of Quartzite's biz. As long as no one tries to sell any Tires or Green Meat, there shouldn't be a lot to gripe about.
Posted: Saturday, December 05, 2009
Article comment by:
I~AM~THE~BRAIN
Schultz... I agree! But I gotta tell you, you took a heck of a chnce there.. I mean, actually displaying a sense of humor.
Posted: Saturday, December 05, 2009
Article comment by:
genii pig
No name: I'm gonna take a wild guess here! You're trying to be to coherent literary styling what a blending of Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso stylings would be to the visual art world! Right??? If so, well done!! I ean, is this one of those things where you have to take the 1st letter of every 17th word and string them together to get an actual point or something?? Actually, I think you should get a copyright or something on that last sentence. I bet it took archeologists less time to find King Tut's Tomb than it will take Anthropologists to decipher that 'literary cornfield-maze'.
Posted: Saturday, December 05, 2009
Article comment by:
Lori Kronenberger
It's "Good Riddance" not Good Riddens." No wonder he wouldn't talk to you!
Posted: Friday, December 04, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
THANX ROBERT!!
Posted: Friday, December 04, 2009
Article comment by:
Old Man River
Wow ! Good Riddens, sounds like sour grapes to me. I am sure if Mr, Crain counted up all his time on comitties and chairing comunty events he is way out of pocket.He loves this town and still does
Posted: Friday, December 04, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
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