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September 21, 2023
Mary Gutwa receives key to the city of keene
During the city council meeting on Sept. 21, 2023 , Mayor Parrish welcomed a special guest, Mary Gutwa and presented her with a key to the city. Mary Gutwa is the mother to Thomas Gutwa, currently serving as Place 2 Councilmember. Mary was born in Kisii Central, Kenya and lives in Mariba, Kenya where she is the village elder, also known as chancellor.
This was Mary's first visit to the United States where she had been residing for hte past 5 months with her son, his wife, and their two children.
While visiting, Mary continued her community service and crocheted approximately 50 infant hats and donated them to the Dorcas Outreach Program of the Cleburne Seventh-day Adventist church. They will now be distributed to local hospitals. She has also attended many local events including Keene's 4th of July parade and Memorial Day celebration soaking up our American culture.
Mary had a special prayer for the city during this meeting and imparted a message to encourage all council members to "work together" for the good of the city.
Mary has promised to continue praying for Keene after her return to Kenya, as well as for her son, Thomas Gutwa, that she proudly declared was following in her footsteps. Thomas Gutwa is currently campaigning for a second term on the Keene City Council.
We thank you, Mary, for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers and being a shining example for our city! You are welcome to use your "key" to return for another visit any time!
About Us
City Government
Keene operates under a council-manager form of government. The Keene city council currently includes a mayor and six (6) council members. The mayor and 3 council members are elected at-large and 3 council members elected from wards. The mayor is Lisa Parrish. The city council members are Ray Johnson, Thomas Gutwa, Rob Foster, James Belz, Gwen Beeson, and Owen Larson. The city manager is Bernie Parker.
In addition to handling legislative matters, adopting the city's operating budget and appointment volunteers to serve on boards, the Keene city council appoints the city attorney, city secretary, and municipal court judge, as well as the city manager who oversees the city's daily operations. In short, the city council is the final authority on all of the many policy decisions that determine the scope and functions of the Keene city government.
Keene is a full-service city with a team of 54 employees offering services through the police, paid fire department and ambulance service, planning and development, public works (water, sewer, and roads), finance and administration departments, and community center.
A few key projects underway include well rehab on S. College, sewer project on Lewis Lane, and multiple housing developments that will bring an influx of 1000+ homes into the city limits in the next few years. Recently completed was a sidewalk project on 4th Street and Eastern near Keene ISD campus.
First Woman Mayor
On Nov. 17, 2022 Keene elected Lisa Parrish as the first woman mayor in the city's history. Prior to her election in November 2022, Parrish served as Place 1 on the city council from 2018-2022. Parrish will serve a two-year term ending November 2024.
Parrish holds a M.S. in Education and 20+ years' experience as a small business owner operating a licensed childcare home and 20 years of corporate experience as CEO, CFO, and secretary for two different entities. Parrish established the annual celebration of National Police Week in Keene in 2015 and has been an active Christmas volunteer for the residents of Town Hall Estates Nursing Home collecting donations and encouraging community support.
Parrish's slogan as the "leader who listens" is seen by her public service in the best interest of citizens, as someone approachable who goes the extra mile to resolve citizen's complaints and concerns.
Written in the city charter, the mayor is recognized as the official head of the city by the court for the purpose of serving civil process, by the governor for the purpose of enforcing military law, and all ceremonial purposes. The mayor presides at all council meetings and occupies the highest elected office in the municipal government. The mayor signs all official documents such as ordinances, resolutions. conveyances, grant agreements, official plats, contracts, and bonds.
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ROBERT COOPER
Robert G. Cooper passed away peacefully on December 21, 2022, at his home in Keene, Texas. He was born on February 24, 1930, in St. Louis, Missouri, during the depression, the only son of an only son. He was 92 years old at the time of his passing. He attended public school through the 6th grade, then church school through the 10th grade, and became a charter member of Sunnydale Academy. He graduated as president of his class in 1948. He went on to Union College where he prepared to teach elementary school, and graduated in 1952. He met and married Vivian B. Rabun in Elgin, Texas, after a year of teaching there. Together they raised their daughter, Terri, and their son, Stanley.
Cooper taught for 10 years in Texas to include Elgin, Austin, San Antonio, Waco and Keene. The family left Keene in 1961 for Loma Linda where he worked in the library there for 5 years while he pursued his M.S. in Library Science. They returned to Keene in 1966 where he became library director of the Findley Memorial Library, which went through several expansions due to the school's growth. He helped plan and move into the new Chan Chun Centennial Library before retiring in 1996. He was the Library Director for SWAU for 30 years. He also set up the Keene Adventist Elementary School library.
In the 90's he started cataloging books for SDA elementary schools even before retirement. He has cataloged books for some 20 schools to include Abilene, Austin, Burleson, Cypress, Elgin, Ft. Worth, Jefferson, Joshua, Keene, Lewisville, McAllen, Mesquite, Richardson, San Marcos, Santa Anna, Waco, Weatherford, and Ukiah Jr. Academy in California. He also volunteered one day a week each at KAES, CTA, and SWAU, and two days a week at Keene City Hall.
Cooper had also served as councilman for Ward III from 1983-1985, 1992-2008, 2014-2022, and as mayor pro-tempore for one of those years. He was dedicated to serving the city and helping however he could which included being an archivist for the city. He also adamantly supported his city by attending the parades and cheering everyone one. He was well respected by those he worked with.
He was always trying to help those who needed it but did not want to be recognized for his efforts. He was not one who liked to be in the spotlight.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian B. Cooper, who passed away in May of 2020. He is survived by his daughter, Terri Culver, her husband Jim, their daughter Angela Culver and her husband, Jedidiah Esparza, and by his son, Stanley Cooper, Ph.D. He is also survived by a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Betty and Earl Hold, as well as 3 nieces and a nephew as well as their families.
A memorial service was held at the Keene SDA Church on February 19 at 3PM.
