Before getting down to business Monday night, Mayor Bill Bell and City Council 
members honored outgoing Councilman Farad Ali.
Bell remarked on Ali's sense of humor and "booming voice" that "added levity to the council at very important times." To which Ali (right) responded,
"Can I leave now?"
Ali, after serving one four-year term, opted not to run for re-election this year. Just-elected Councilman Steve Schewel took over Ali's accustomed seat between Councilwoman Diane Catotti and City Attorney Patrick Baker.
For his part, Ali remarked on his council colleagues' qualities and quirks: Cora Cole-McFadden's concern for children; Catotti's thorough preparation; Mike Woodard's seeming omnipresence; Eugene Brown for "always showing me there's an argument to an argument."
Howard Clement, whom Ali called the council's "dean" – having held his seat since 1983 – missed the meeting. As for Bell, Ali said, "We didn't always know where he was coming from because we always thought he was playing poker."
Wrapping up, he said, "God bless America, God bless Durham and God bless you, Steve Schewel!"
Comments
City Council
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 01:33 — realsonicI think we have a pretty functional council right now, which is a positive for Durham. I wonder how many people remember that former councilman and gadfly Frank Hyman was a commited opponent to reducing the size of the council a few years ago. I think it's obvious that the current council size has been more effective than the bloated version we had before the reduction. I don't expect Frank to acknowledge this any time soon, but he does build a decent garden.