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I don't want to be a shameless self-promoter, but this website
is about my candidacy for the open District 5 Pineville City
Council seat. As such I find myself in the news from time to time.
This page will chronicle "Nathan sightings" in the news. :)
- June 19 - Several people said they saw me on the KALB
TV5 news 10:00 PM edition and again the next day. Lori and I and
our neighbors were returning home from a double date when we
came upon a horrific accident on Hwy 28E in front of AutoZone.
We stopped to see if we could help since my neighbor's wife is a
nurse. I was able to pray with one of the people involved and
helped get the driver of the pickup truck out of his truck.
Apparently the TV camera filmed us carrying him from the truck.
This is not related to the campaign but I've been asked about it
quite a bit so I thought I'd include it.
- June 22 - Jim Leggett mentioned my candidacy in his
Sunday, Town Talk
editorial. I hadn't "officially announced" but he called
attention to my resigning from the Town Talk Advisory Council in
order to run for the District 5 seat. He likened it to Joe
McPherson resigning from the same council before his successful
bid for LA Senator. I took it as a positive sign!
- June 27 - I issued a Press
Release on Friday, June 27 to local media announcing my
candidacy. The press release can be found
below.
- July 1 - Cenla.com
ran my press release in its entirety on their website as the
featured item. The didn't include my picture and they also
attributed the story to "natanmartin.net" (note the
misspelling). But I've gotten some nice feedback for being
featured on Cenla's premier website.
- July 9 - The Town Talk ran a story on my candidacy on
page C3 using the material from my press release. The changed
one quote (they quoted me as saying "I know the city employees
on a first name basis" when I actually said "I know MANY OF the
city employees on a first name basis") but over all it was a
good story. They had one glaring mistake. They used a "pull
quote" but attributed it to "Earl Humprhies, professional
golfer". Bill Sumrall from the Town Talk called to apologize and
said they would run another (smaller) article the next day to
make up for the mistake.
- July 10 - The Town Talk ran another (smaller) story
with a picture of me on page C3. They used a picture of me
that's about 4 years old, even though I provided them with a
brand new picture taken about 2 weeks ago. Oh well, at least
they spelled my name right!
- September 15 - I was interviewed on the morning show
at KSYL, AM970. It was a light, fluffy interview. Not much
substance but fun with the hosts Dave and Lolly.
- September 21 - The Town Talk recommended me for the
District 5 City Council seat. Their Editorial Board made recommendations
in all races affecting Central Louisiana. Thank you Town Talk.
- September 25 - The Town
explained its recommendation of my election and said some
very nice things about me. Thank you again, Town Talk.
- September 28 - The Town Talk is hosting a neat
interactive overview of the races and candidates. You can look
at candidates positions and compare them side-by-side. They
included candidate positions for the
Pineville City Council District 5 Special Election. You can
also go directly to
my profile.
On June 27, 2003 I issued a press release regarding my
announcement as a candidate for the open District 5 seat on the
Pineville City Council. Below is a copy of that press release.
June 27, 2003 PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Nathan Martin, 641-0987, 640-4300
Martin Announces Candidacy for Pineville
City Council, District 5
Pineville, LA – Pineville businessman Nathan
Martin has announced his candidacy for the open District 5 seat on
the Pineville City Council. Citing his long involvement with city
government as webmaster of
Pineville.net and his administrative experience, both in the
non-profit sector and as a business owner, Martin said his campaign
would focus on the pressing issues of District 5. Martin, an
ordained minister and Main Street business owner, says completing
the vision of Randy King, who passed away in February after serving
just 8 months of his term was important to him. “I helped Randy in
his campaign and I know what his vision was for the district. I want
to continue that vision and provide energetic leadership for the
fastest growing district in Pineville.”
The father of three daughters, Joi, Faith and
Hope, Martin has been married for 15 years to Lori Chapman Martin
and says that his family is a primary catalyst for his involvement
in community affairs. “I have been very active in leadership
positions with both our public school system, as well as in city
government, which gives me a distinct advantage in relating to
citizens and their needs,” said Martin. “From Parent-Teacher
organizations to special council committees, it's all about
interacting and understanding people.”
Martin has regularly attended Pineville City
Council meetings for many years and has worked as the webmaster for
Pineville.net since its
inception. He says this has given him a unique view into the inner
workings of the city. “I know many of the city employees on a first
name basis and am very familiar with the operations of each
department. Pineville has a great group of public servants and I
want to help them do their job of serving Pineville’s citizens even
better,” he said.
Martin’s knowledge of website design and
maintenance has led him to create a site for his campaign for the
District 5 council seat. Martin created
www.NathanMartin.net to introduce himself to the citizens of the
district, and allow them to ask questions of his campaign. “I
understand that technology allows us to communicate in ways not
previously used in a political campaign. I hope interested voters
will visit my site to find out more about why I’m running for this
office”.
Well known for his involvement in the religious
community, Martin stresses his ability to work “across the lines”.
After four years as a missionary in southern Mexico, Martin returned
to his hometown of Pineville in 1990 to serve as associate pastor of
Christian Challenge.
He served on the board of directors of the Shepherd Center and has
been a past president of two local ministers’ groups. He was called
upon by the mayors of Alexandria and Pineville to serve on the
September 11 Commemoration Service Committee and has helped organize
many interdenominational gatherings such as the National Day of
Prayer activities.
Martin is co-owner (with his brother André) of
Precision Woodworks,
a cabinet shop on Main Street. Owning a business in downtown
Pineville motivated him to want to see the downtown area thrive. He
currently serves as a Commissioner on the Pineville Downtown
Development District, which seeks to stimulate economic development
as well as historic preservation in the “Old Town” district of
Pineville. “I’m interested in improving all of Pineville, not just
District 5. However, District 5 does have some unique issues. It is
the largest geographic district and the most highly populated. It is
the fastest growing district with new apartment complexes and
subdivisions opening up left and right. We’ve got to address the
critical areas of water and sewer infrastructure to manage our
growth. We need to make sure that our growth doesn’t outpace our
ability to continue providing services with excellence.”
High on Martin’s list of priorities is the
completion of the Susek Drive project. “This has been in the works
for a long time and I want to make sure it gets to and stays on the
front burner. This is a crucial project for District 5.” He’s also
concerned with fire protection in his district. “We need to make
sure we’re providing adequate fire protection to residents on the
eastern side of our city. I want to work with the Mayor and Fire
Chief to investigate the possibility of relocating or building a new
fire station to better serve residents near Hwy 28 East.”
Martin stresses that he intends to keep the
election issues-focused and not personality driven. “I have the
deepest respect for Mrs. Broussard, the only other announced
candidate at this time. I’ve supported her in the past and I spoke
with her privately before making this decision public. I’m not
running against her, I’m running for the open District 5 City
Council seat. If elected, I will work hard for the citizens of
Pineville with energy, enthusiasm and integrity. All I ask is the
opportunity to serve.”
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