MEEKER I Scott Creecy, a six-year resident of Meeker, was sworn into office on Tuesday night, filling the vacancy left on the board when board member Regas Halandras, who was termed out on the board, ran unopposed for Meeker mayor.
There was no election earlier this month because there were four candidates for the four open seats on the town board. Halandras ran unopposed for mayor as incumbent mayor Mandi Etheridge was termed out as mayor and could not run for another term.
Creecy is executive chef at the Elk Creek Ranch. He moved to Meeker from Atlanta, where he was opening team trainer for Ted’s Montana Grill. Prior to that, he had been cooking in his home town of Raleigh, N.C.
“When the Elk Creek Ranch started off, the chef was a friend of my wife,” Creecy said. “He asked me to come, and I did so with the understanding that I would be here about three months.
“I came for three months and haven’t left yet,” he said. “I think that’s pretty good. I got married, bought a home and had a child — not something that you often get in a big city.”
Creecy and his wife, Jessica, who is originally from Georgia, have a son in 3-year-old Henry, who was born in Steamboat Springs.
Creecy has more than 20 years of cooking experience, and he also attended North Carolina State University, where he studied political science.
Why did Creecy choose to run for Meeker Town Council?
“I really like Meeker and was trying to come up with ways to repay the community,” he said. “This is the one place I thought I could make a difference and become more involved in my community. I don’t have any kind of hidden agenda and I don’t see any serious problems with the town or town board, and, hopefully, I can help out and be an asset to the town.”
Regarding the future of Meeker, Creecy said, “I would like to see it grow some — to boost the economy in town. Developing the dirt-ready sites on the way out to the hospital would be great and it would be nice to see some more businesses move into the downtown area.”
Asked what he liked most about Meeker, Creecy said, “I love the sense of community here; this is one place you feel like you could knock on your neighbor’s door and ask to borrow a cup of sugar.
Creecy was elected to serve a four-year term on the town board.