Journal Staff Report

Friends, colleagues and acquaintances of former Mayor Roger Smith, who died in the spring of 1995, gathered Wednesday for the dedication of a street named in his honor.

Smith Avenue runs along the east side of Parque de Vida, and several of Smith’s friends commented that it was an appropriate site for a street commemorating the popular mayor and city councilman, who promoted community and park development.

Smith was actively involved in planning for Parque de Vida and the donation of the Carpenter Natural Area to the city, noted former Mayor Billy Smart, who was a councilman with Smith.

"He would be so delighted to see all this happening in the park," Smart said.

Susan Keck, who worked with Smith for six years when she was Cortez’s city manager, said the street’s location was appropriate because it is close to all the things Smith loved -- the parks, the swimming pool, his home and office -- as well as the "ducks-crossing" sign Smith had put up on Mildred Avenue.

Keck remembered Smith as "a free spirit and definitely an unconventional mayor" with "a strong sense of right and wrong tempered by his sense of humor."

"He was a wit and a practical joker without parallel in this community," agreed former Mayor Jerry Wiltgen.

Smart, who was one of Smith’s golfing partners, recalled the time they went to the city golf course and Smart noticed a plaque bolted into a stump that read "Billy Smart Memorial Stump."

"Of course, he’d put epoxy on the screws so I couldn’t get it off," Smart said.

But others spoke of Smith’s serious side as well.

Shirley Bauer, a longtime friend, said Smith had "a very, very big heart and a very big ornery streak."

"He was very dedicated," she said. "He took his position on the council and as mayor very seriously."

Helen McClellan, a former councilwoman, echoed those sentiments.

"He could be very serious," she said. "He was dedicated and knowledgeable. It’s a great loss to the city of Cortez."