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By Tim Hunt
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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...
(More)About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in addition to writing editorials for more than 15 years. I have served as a director of many non-profits in the Valley and the broader Bay Area and currently serve as chair of Teen Esteem and on the advisory board of Shepherd?s Gate. I also served as founding chair of Heart for Africa and have travelled to Africa seven times to serve on mission trips. My wife, Betty Gail, has taught at Amador Valley High (from where we both graduated) since 1981. She and I both graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, as did both of my parents and my three siblings. Given that Cal tradition, our daughter went south to the University of Southern California and graduated with a degree in international relations. Since graduation, she has taken three mission trips and will be serving in the Philippines for nine months starting in September.
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Former Mayor Ken Mercer dies at 71
Uploaded: Jan 14, 2014
Kenneth R. Mercer, Pleasanton's first directly elected mayor, died early this morning at ValleyCare Medical Center in Pleasanton. He was 71.
Mercer served on the City Council from 1976 to 1990, spending the last four years as the city's directly elected mayor. During his City Council tenure, the city approved Stoneridge mall, Hacienda Business Park, major retail and automotive centers along I-580 as well as several apartment complexes. He also guided the community through the budget cuts that followed the 1978 passage of Proposition 13 that slashed property taxes.
His commitment to economic growth and vitality for the city grew out of the experience of having to lay off employees and shut off half of the street lights in the city.
He spent much of his working career as a manager with Pacific Bell. After retiring, he worked in the title insurance industry and then joined ValleyCare to lead its foundation for several years before retiring for the final time.
Arrangements for services are pending.
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