PORTERVILLE CA. - 32 years ago when Jerry Waller moved from Lakewood California to Porterville, he knew that Porterville was the place where he wanted to “Live the Good Life” and eventually retire. Viewing the area as safe and sound and a good place to finish raising his family, Jerry also determined to smooth out some of the areas rough edges and to fine-tune the local emergency departments … just a little more.
So … one of Mr. Waller’s first “Fix-Um-Up-Ventures” was to help develop a local volunteer fire department in Tulare County. And by 1992, Mr. Waller was honored as the Volunteer Fireman of the Year for his efforts there and as Chief of the Springville Division.
Still, he had concerns about emergency preparedness for this area ! In our conversation at last nights dinner mixer, Mr. Waller disclosed to the Post that when he first moved into the area, he needed to know if Porterville had or was working on an emergency preparedness plan, especially if the area sustained an earthquake.
He told the Post that the city manager at the time - Guy Huffacker – had no emergency plan that the city had available for the public. Concerned, Mr. Waller then contacted the city manager from Lakewood and obtained a copy of their successful plan. Next, he made sure that Porterville’s city manager had a copy so they could begin to develop an emergency preparedness plan. To this day, Mr. Waller told the Post, no one from the city, including this city council, has ever gotten back to him regarding his submission.
Mr. Waller did tell the Post that he was studying the current expansion and building plan that city is currently moving forward on. Being a past board member of California’s contractor’s licensing board, Mr. Waller explained, gives him a special insight and outlook for city and an added partner that the city attorney would greatly appreciate.
Continuing to make the city fiscally responsible is one of Jerry Waller priorities. Saying that “Measure H” has helped Porterville support it’s police and fire departments, where other city’s are now having to cut back.
Porterville, under Mayor West’s administration, did the city a big favor by passing Measure H and the Post hopes that the next council will begin the process of establishing an emergency preparedness plan ASAP.
“At one time, Mr. Waller told the Post concerning Measure H money, we had about 6 million dollars in that account and we want to make sure that money is spent exactly where it’s suppose to go and not anywhere else.”
In our exclusive one-to-one interview with Mr. Waller, he shared his past involvement with many youth organizations, and being the commissioner of the Parks and Recreation for Lakewood. As important, city council candidate Jerry Waller told the Post he’s tired of all the increased gang activity in Porterville and will use his past experiences with working with youth to the council and develop better plans to make Porterville a safer community.
When asked about his faith and belief in GOD, Mr. Waller told the Post that he is a believer and prays daily. He also shared with the Post that he does have faith in the people of Porterville to vote for whom GOD wants in this office and to vote whether to include on the city logo “In GOD we Trust”.
Caroline Johnson, Jerry Waller’s fiancée, told the Post that she’s a Christian with Pentecostal roots and has been praying for the city and the council for sometime.
Since she has that much faith in her fiancée, the Post will recommend that our Christian leaders and Prayer Groups in the Porterville area do the same.
THIS IS OUR PRAYER : Dear LORD, we know that Porterville needs leaders that will listen to you and the people. And we know that your GRACE covers a multitude of sins. So we first ask that you forgive us as a Christian community for not taking the time to listen to you, and we ask you to forgive us for not taking the time to pray for our leaders. Please show us again, LORD, where we have missed the mark. Please show us, how to pray and listen. And please show us to forgive each other. We need you now to forgive us and help us. As well, LORD, we ask that those who had made campaign promise’s in the past – keep those promises … to the people and not to their political friends. Next, LORD, we ask that you remove those in office who did not walk in good faith and to forgive them. Finally LORD, we ask that you grant us more time to prepare for your coming and to prepare our community for any future disaster. In JESUS Name !
To contact Mr. Jerry Waller – (209) 784-6774
