Four seeking election to Park Hills Council – Daily Journal Online

The contested races include a two-year term for Ward 2 between candidates Stacey Easter and incumbent David W. Easter, as well as a two-year term for Ward 4 between candidates Ginger Pizarro and incumbent Steve Weinhold.

A council position for Ward 1 and another in Ward 3 are also up for election. No candidates officially filed to run, although the seats could go to write-in candidates. Current Ward 1 Council member Michael Adam Bowers filed as a write-in candidate for his ward. Adam Kell filed as a write-in candidate for Ward 3. Those elected through write-in votes serve one-year terms. 

Positions on the city council are two-year terms, and one representative from each of the city’s four wards is elected or re-elected each year.

Ward 2

David Easter, 65, has lived in Park Hills for 35 years and has been married to his wife, Betty, since 1985.

He graduated from Mineral Area College (MAC) in 1975, and then Southeast Missouri State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in English, speech and drama.

After college, David student-taught at Central High School under his mentor, Glenn Hill. He taught from 1977-1994, during which he opened Not Just Comix in downtown Park Hills, which has remained open for 28 years.

The Ward 2 incumbent said he seeks re-election because he wants to continue working for positive change in the community. He said he’s also motivated to safeguard and support the common interests of the citizens of Park Hills and to voice opposing viewpoints when appropriate.

Easter said he aims to keep citizens as safe as possible by supporting proper measures for the city’s law enforcement, fire department, and utility department.

Regarding what makes him qualified for the council position, David cited his terms as mayor of Park Hills from 2009-2017 and his three terms as Ward 2 council member.

David is a member of Farmington Masonic Lodge #132 and is a charter member of both the Downtown Park Hills Association (DPHA) and the Old Number 9 Garden Club. He also served as president of the DPHA from 2006-2020.

Stacey Easter, 41, lives in Park Hills with her husband, Tony. She has a son, Hunter, and a stepdaughter, Alexis.

Stacey graduated from West County High School before attending MAC and Central Methodist University. She has been working in the school portrait business for more than 20 years under Don Bess Studio Inc. and Lifetouch National School Studios.

“I think being a citizen of Park Hills itself has motivated me to run for this position,” she said when asked why she is seeking election. “My own ambition to always want to help and do things to the best of my abilities motivated me to give more to my community.”

Stacey said she feels she is qualified to represent Ward 2 because she is a logical thinker, trustworthy, and always looking out for the greater good.

“I’ve successfully managed a business in Park Hills, and have contributed countless hours of volunteer work to get a better understanding of how things work,” said Stacey. “I’m eager to learn and see what I can contribute.”

Along with seeking election to the city council, Stacey explained that she currently serves as the president leading the bond issue for Central R-3 Schools, which will also be put to the vote Tuesday.

Ward 4

Steve Weinhold, 46, lives in Park Hills with his wife, Krystal. Together, the couple has three children: Madison, 2, Nathan, 14 and Michael “Big Mike,” 17.

Weinhold has an Aviation Administration background from Utah Valley University. He is a retired police officer and a commercial pilot. The Ward 4 incumbent said he is currently working on opening a full-fledged recycling, sorting, and processing center in the area.

When asked why he is seeking re-election, Weinhold said he’s running for a second term to again be the voice of the people for Ward 4.

“There is still so much to do in working with the council and the mayor on getting the infrastructure repaired, working on reducing our overall expenses, and continuing to bring ideas that will help prosper and grow our community,” said Weinhold.

Weinhold said that he feels he is qualified for the council seat because he is a concerned citizen who has the motivation to put himself out there and try to get things done.

“I am a business owner and have many years of working with budgets and leading others successfully in short-term and long-term goals,” he said. “As a pilot, I learned how to be very detail-oriented and to make sure that the decisions that I make are well-informed, thought out, and successfully implemented.”

Along with serving as Ward 4 council member, Weinhold serves as president of the Old Number 9 Garden Club.

Ginger Pizarro, 44, lives in Park Hills with her husband. The two have been together for 18 years. She has three adult children and one stepchild, as well as five grandchildren.

Pizarro grew up in Bismarck and graduated from MAC with an associate degree in computer networking.

Pizarro has worked in marketing and management for several years and holds the branch director position at Kindred at Home in Farmington. She worked at the Daily Journal for ten years and served as the company’s advertising director.

Pizarro said her ties to the community motivated her to run for a position representing Ward 4.

“I know a lot of the people in my ward, and I do have a pulse on the community” she explained. “I was also on the chamber board for many years, so I’ve heard the issues in our community, both from the folks who live in the community and from the business owners’ aspect.

“I feel like by having a pulse between the two, I would be able to voice those concerns from both ends — a business owner’s standpoint and from the folks that live in my ward,” Pizarro said.

She said her years spent on the chamber board had given her an insight into how the city operates, and she has come to understand a lot of the behind-the-scenes workings of the local government.

“I want to be able to help people,” she said on her motivation for seeking election. “Not just to help get things accomplished for them but also be able to advocate for the city with these people and explain why rules are the way they are.”

Pizarro is active in several community groups, including the Cruisin’ for a Cause Committee and St. Francois County’s Senior Resource Team. She is a local business owner and serves as a chamber ambassador for the Park Hills – Leadington Chamber of Commerce.