Page 4A — MONDAY, March 24, 2008
a p r i l 8 e l ec t ion / ci t y co u nci l c a ndid a t e s
today
Karen Baxter
First Ward
Karen Baxter focuses on ‘doing good’
She’s running for City Council to make sure ‘someone is listening.’
By JENN HERSEIM
T
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
he clutter in Karen Baxter’s house
is a testament to the myriad proj-
ects competing for her time. Doz-
ens of random items — including
an Elmo lunchbox, spatulas and a
wrought-iron basket — cover the
kitchen table. Newspaper clippings
about taxes and other city govern-
ment issues are spread out on a footstool. Her
grandchildren’s huge play dome — constructed
entirely of recycled newspaper — dominates the
room.
Baxter is hurrying to establish some order in
the house before a visitor arrives. But she’d be
quick to drop the effort if anyone called needing
her help.
“I’m torn between housework, what I should
do and people,” Baxter said. “Usually people win
out.”
Looking around, it appeared people had won
out again on this recent Monday when a report-
er dropped by to discuss Baxter’s bid for the
First Ward seat on the City Council. It was a
half-hour into the interview before Baxter aban-
doned her hand-held Swiffer cleaner because
it was obstructing her hand gestures as she
explained one of her favorite hobbies — free
garage sales.
“I buy things on sale and give them away at
garage sales,” Baxter said, picking up a “Buns
of Steel” videotape and three spatulas from the
table. “Everyone in my family thought at one
point that they would have buns of steel, then
abandoned the plan.”
Once the weather improves, Baxter plans to
have another garage giveaway. All the stuff
— the lunchbox, a nail polish gift set and tons
of toys — must go, she said. Next to the table,
a flier she uses to advertise the giveaways says
she’s blessed with more than enough and is will-
ing to give things to anyone who needs them.
As neighbors attest, she’s even willing to look
for certain items if they’re not already in her
collection.
“If someone didn’t find something they need-
ed,” said Baxter’s oldest daughter, Mindy Dun-
can, “she would get your contact information
and try to find the item for you.”
Baxter, who works as a licensed practical
nurse at a retirement home, said she is running
for the First Ward seat to give residents a candi-
date who, starting on day one, will have her ears
tuned in to residents’ needs.
“They think no one’s listening, so what’s the
point?” Baxter said. “The point is someone is
listening.”
Baxter certainly seems in touch. Not many
people have a large color-coded map of the First
Ward, like the ones used by police, decorating
their kitchen walls. But maybe they would if
they had the same sort of passion for the First
Ward that Baxter demonstrates.
“Those are visual expressions of things I
value,” Baxter said of the ward map and a
nearby picture of her Scottish family name on
a plaque.
Her friend and campaign “sounding board,”
Maria Cole, who lives down the street from
Baxter, said Baxter’s open mind and affinity for
research make her stand out among her three
opponents for a three-year term on the council.
“Instead of having to jump into things, she
will take the time to understand things before
she makes a decision,” Cole said. “She’s also
smartDECISION08 Columbia Missourian
tUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
John Clark Paul Sturtz Almeta Crayton Laura Nauser
First Ward First Ward First Ward Fifth Ward
KAREN BAXTER
PERSONAL: Age 58. Divorced. She is the mother
of three adult children and has five grandchildren.
OCCUPATION: Licensed practical nurse at Can-
dlelight Lodge, an assisted living community.
EDUCATION: Attended Central Methodist Univer-
sity and nursing school in Mexico, Mo.
BACKGROUND: Former vice president of the
Ridgeway Neighborhood Association; has lived
in the First Ward for 10 years. She has worked
as a secretary for the city and for State Farm
Insurance. She has also worked for The Shelter,
at Lenoir Retirement Community as a licensed
practical nurse, as an animal control officer and
part-time police dispatcher in Centralia, and at
Bass Pro Shops as a porter.
ONLINE
Go to ColumbiaMissourian.com to read Baxter’s
answers to a Missourian questionnaire, to see a
video report on Baxter and to see other stories
related to the First Ward race.
First Ward City Council candidate Karen
Baxter sits in her car, a Suzuki Aerio RX,
near her home at 117 Fourth Ave. She says
she won’t change her car, whether or not
she is elected on April 8.
BEN DILLON/Missourian
caring and loving; that doesn’t get counted as eccentric and less bound by convention.” one was willing to take the job. Naturally, Bax-
much as it ought to. It should. We’re talking It was a drive down West Broadway that ter became the town’s dogcatcher.
about people’s lives and how we get to live well served as the catalyst for Baxter’s conversion “She got a lot of flak for that,” Duncan said.
together.” into a neighborhood force. “People would get pretty angry when you took
After Baxter moved to her home on Fourth “I saw an elderly woman standing in the lane their dogs.”
Avenue, she attended the first meeting of the of traffic, and I knew immediately because of
Years later, Baxter wants to take her activism
Ridgeway Neighborhood Association and took my background in nursing that she was a con-
to a new level. That’s why she’s running for City
an on-and-off role as the group’s vice presi- fused person,” Baxter said. “I thought, ‘What
dent. should I do?’ There I was, there she was, and I Council.
The neighborhood group actually met in Bax- could drive on by or stop.” “It gives you a better platform,” Baxter said.
ter’s living room for about a year, said Pat Kel- She chose to stop and help the woman get “If I’m just Karen Baxter sitting here on Fourth
Avenue with these ideas, who will listen to
ley, a member of the association. Although Kel- home. From that point on, her willingness to
me?”
ley supports John Clark for the First Ward seat, take a risk for her neighbors skyrocketed.
she’s also a fan of neighborhood involvement, so “Everything I did in my life was for myself,” Her No. 1 priority is listening to First Ward
she’s happy to have someone like Baxter run- Baxter said of her life before she moved. “But residents. Although she has said she’s pro-busi-
ning for City Council. there’s more to life than just living for your- ness, she wants to let the community set the
“She’s really been steadfast with staying in self.” agenda.
the neighborhood and paying attention to what’s Nichols said her mother might be most capa- “I want to find out what is of concern to the
going on in her block,” Kelley said. ble of representing a ward as diverse as the neighborhood,” Baxter said.
Before moving to Ridgeway, First Ward.
Duncan said her mother would bring an
Baxter served food to home- “In First Ward there are
less people every Friday at FIRST WARD ZONES some ‘have’ people and a lot of understanding of the people who live in the
First Ward to the council.
the Loaves and Fishes soup The First Ward’s boundaries ‘have nots,’” Nichols said. “She
kitchen, which is run by the include Columbia’s three doesn’t have a ‘business head- “Not just the poor people, because First Ward
has not only poor people in it, there are a lot of
Catholic Workers Community. college campuses, a variety of strong’ background, but she’s
But it left her less than satis- elementary and junior high just a regular person with a very wealthy people who live on the fringes.
fied. She could help people and regular job. She’s a working Her niche is being able to interact with a vari-
schools and downtown
offer support, but her home on part of the community. She ety of people,” Duncan said. “Even our family
businesses. The issues
Clinkscales was too far if she doesn’t have a lot of money, is diverse.”
wanted to invite anyone over affecting the race and she deals with a lot of Baxter’s family is biracial. Her son-in-law is
for the area’s
for a free meal. struggles that people have in a contractor. Her daughter goes to night school
The solution: Baxter picked City Council
MAP AREA
the First Ward: home repairs, and works. Baxter herself has lived with insur-
up her things and moved to the representatives 70 taxes, utility bills. But she’s
include both ance and without. All that, she said, has shaped
people who needed her. also for business.”
her opinions and given her a wide range of
“She wanted to make a dif- community and Baxter said most of the prob-
perspectives.
ference there,” said Dorcas commercial 63 lems in the First Ward, such
In a ward where residents stand up at candi-
Nichols, another of Baxter’s interests. as crime and poverty, can be
date forums to say they are being ignored and
daughters. “It’s different to solved by the people who live
then are shushed because they run over their
say, ‘I want to make a differ- 70 there and by encouraging new
ence, but I’m going to live in a businesses. time limits, Baxter said she will listen to people
PROVIDENCE ROAD
comfortable house in my safe “I believe we have the poten- and even knock on their doors to get their opin-
CLINKSCALES ROAD
neighborhood.’ Her goal was tial to solve our own prob-
COLLEGE AVENUE
ions.
to interact with people there lems,” Baxter said. “We just People in her neighborhood are used to seeing
and be really a part of that have to change the way we
Baxter at their door.
community.” BROADWAY think.” “Even before she put her name on the side of
That involvement captured Baxter draws inspiration
her car, people around here knew who she was,”
the attention of Mayor Darwin from family and friends. Her
Hindman when he was search- words echo a type of idealism Cole said.
ing for someone to serve on
N
and motivation illustrated by If Baxter is recognizable around her block,
a committee to look into a 0.6 MILE the countless quotes she tapes however, she might still be unfamiliar to the
nuisance party and property to the inside of her front door. larger First Ward.
ordinance. He asked Baxter Commercial Her favorite, which is at eye Linda Rootes, president of the North-Central
to represent the First Ward on Residential level as one exits the house, is Columbia Neighborhood Association, worked on
the eight-member panel. Office by John Wesley. a task force a couple of years ago with Baxter.
“She’s smart and an original Multipurpose “Do all the good you can, She said Baxter worked well on the task force
thinker,” Hindman said. “She by all the means you can, in
but hasn’t become involved in North-Central
seemed like she would be an Source: CITY OF COLUMBIA all the ways you can, in all issues.
independent, good and produc- MISSOURIAN the places you can, to all the “What I know of her has not inspired me to
tive member.” people you can, as long as ever
vote for her,” Rootes said. “There’s kind of a
Hindman praised Baxter for her work on the you can.”
nuisance ordinance and said she is quite capa- Baxter rattles this quote off with one breath, void there. She hasn’t reached out to our neigh-
ble of dealing with the many issues that come straight from her heart, both in private and at borhood association.”
before City Council. candidate forums. As the former vice president Baxter’s starting mission months ago was
to change that by becoming more visible. The
For someone who says the only title she needs of the Ridgeway association and a volunteer at
is “Grandma Karen,” Baxter shouldn’t be taken the soup kitchen, she’s found many ways to do most extreme tactic was to transform her yel-
low Suzuki station wagon into a mobile ad.
lightly. From her door she’s seen police raid good in her neighborhood.
her neighbor’s house, and she once yelled at a Her job experience is as eclectic as her vol- “Elect Karen Baxter, First Ward City Council”
was permanently painted on the side.
young drug dealer doing business in her front unteer service. She’s a nurse now, but she’s also
yard. Duncan said her mother’s lifestyle hasn’t been a police dispatcher, a secretary, a custo- Baxter said that nothing will change on April
always been this way. dian at Bass Pro Shops and even a dogcatcher. 8. Whether she’s elected or not, she’ll remain
“My mom was housewifey; she never would The last item on her resume demonstrates committed to solving the problems of the First
have done any of this,” said Duncan. “I guess her willingness to fill any need she sees. When Ward.
when she got divorced, the way she looked at a large dog chased Baxter’s daughter down the “People ask me what I’m going to do with my
life and her options changed. She used to be street while they were living in Centralia, Bax- car if I don’t win,” Baxter said. “I tell them I’m
an Avon lady; she would decorate the house. ter asked authorities what they were doing about not going to do anything. I’ll keep ‘Karen Bax-
Now she’s getting over 50, and she can be more loose animals. Not much, they said, because no ter, First Ward’ on there.”