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R-99-5 A RESOLUTION HONORING JACK PARKER BARNES FORMER MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH. WHEREAS, Jack Parker Barnes was bom in Norfolk, Virginia in 1920 and attended public schools in Norfolk and Southampton County; and WHEREAS, he was a graduate of the Leadership School of the United Stares Navy, the Instructor Leadership Institute of the University of Virginia, the Purdue University School of Insurance, and the Real Estate Institute; and WHEREAS, he came to .Portsmouth at an early age, and his life thereafter became inextricably connected with the life of the City; and WHEREAS, he contributed to Portsmouth in many ways over a prolonged period of time, including service on Portsmouth City Council over a thirty-year period commencing in 1960 and continuing until 1990, service as Vice Mayor from 1962 to 1968, and service as Mayor fi:om 1968 to 1974; and WHEREAS, his vision for Portsmouth changed the entire face of the city, including the following major initiatives: redevelopment of the entire downtown area to replace a collection of run-down bars, tattoo parlors, and rotting piers and warehouses with the present Seawall, the Civic Center, City Hall, attractive streets and walkways, and modem office and apartment buildings and shops; being in the very forefront of preservation and restoration of the city's historic Olde Towne area through the active pursuit and wise investment of federal grants; direct election of the Mayor by the people; creation of the Pokey Smokey Railroad at City Park; creation of the Miss Portsmouth Pageant as a qualifying event for the Miss America Pageant; obtaining #1 High Street for the City from the Seaboard Airline Railroad Company; and WHEREAS, his philosophy of public service was that the citizens of Portsmouth always come first, and that govenment exists to serve the people and to better their lives, and he lived out this philosophy through his patience, his kindness, his compassion, and his constant willingness to listen to citizens and to act on their legitimate concerns; and WHEREAS, he was also a strong supporter of city employees, who were always important to him, and in whose honor he helped establish the Employee of the Year Award, a tradition which still continues: and WHEREAS, his endeavors on behalf of Portsmouth were not limited to his service on City Council but also included helping to found the Merrimac Kiwanis Club, the Portsmouth Jaycees, the Portsmouth Sports Club, and Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club; and