HORSESHOE BEND — Craig Huckaby made a plan and stuck with it. His work paid off in November, when he was elected mayor of Horseshoe Bend.
Huckaby received 464 votes, defeating Marty McKnight, who garnered 304 votes.
Huckaby will be sworn in at midnight Monday, along with other county elected officials, at the Izard County Courthouse in Melbourne.
“It’s very humbling to have been elected mayor,” said Huckaby, who moved from California to Horseshoe Bend in 2005 with his wife, Jodie.
“I am more of a statesman than a politician. I am concerned about the community. … I love Horseshoe Bend. Being elected mayor is the result of a two-year concentrated effort,” he said. … I have taken it very seriously. I prepped and planned everything I did. This was the first time I had ever run for any kind of office.”
Bob Barnes, who has served as mayor for the past 12 years, chose not to run again this year.
“Bob has been extremely supportive during this transition time,” Huckaby said. “All of the city employees are supportive, too.
“The mayor’s race was a two-man race. Marty and I know each other. … We both ran a good race. … It was up to the voters.”
Barnes said he believes Huckaby will do a good job.
“I am leaving the city in good shape,” Barnes said. “I’m leaving it in good hands.”
Michelle Grabowski, recorder-treasurer for 17 years at Horseshoe Bend, said she also believes the city is in good shape.
“Craig is the first mayor who will be coming into office in a long time and finding the city is such good shape,” she said.
Huckaby, 61, campaigned with the slogan “Progress With Traditions.”
His printed mission statement consisted of five elements:
• Ensure the safety and welfare of the citizens of Horseshoe Bend.
• Improve existing infrastructure.
• Coordinate with county, state and federal individuals and agencies for municipal resources.
• Foster, develop and support relationships with citizens, local businesses and community organizations.
• Advance progress while maintaining our community’s precious lifestyle and traditions.
“My mission statement all flows together,” he said.
Huckaby said he hopes fulfilling his campaign platform “will project an image of Horseshoe Bend as a safe, progressive, forward-thinking, leadership-active, community-driven city with small-town traditions, values and beliefs … a community in which to raise a family, retire comfortably or start a successful business.”
Huckaby was born in Whittier, California, but he does have Arkansas roots.
“My great-grandfather was born in Clarksville in the 1800s, and my grandmother lived in Russellville in the early 1900s,” he said. “During the Depression, they moved to California with my father, who was born in Oklahoma.”
Huckaby and his wife raised horses in California and were looking for a place to move that was on the water.
“The lakes and ponds are what attracted us to this area,” he said.
“My wife was visiting my sister in St. Louis, and they decided just to drive down here and take a look. They stayed at the conference center and just loved it. We had been looking for a place to move. She called me and said, ‘I think we might have found what we’ve been looking for,’” Huckaby said.
“I flew up here myself and liked everything about this area. Coming from California … everything is so crowded, so expensive out there,” he said.
“Horseshoe Bend is a perfect location. We have an airport. We have two golf courses, a 700-acre lake — Crown Lake — and two smaller lakes, Diamond Lake and Pioneer Lake. We have fishing, water skiing, … but the people are what make this place so wonderful,” Huckaby said.
“To think there is a Fourth of July parade where you can sit on the curb and wave your American flag. … That’s what sold us. We are a small town, but we have a grocery, city hall and a bank …. We even have a Dollar General Store. And everybody knows everybody,” he said.
“We have a mayor-city-council form of government. We have four wards with two representatives from each ward. Our population is about 2,100-2,200,” Huckaby said.”
“Horseshoe Bend started as a retirement community, but our population is changing. We are getting some younger families now …,” he said.
“While we do not have a school here, we partner with the local school district, Izard County Consolidated. The superintendent is super supportive of Horseshoe Bend. A lot of students in the district live here,” he said.
“I want to start a youth council,” Huckaby said. “I want them to become involved in the community. …
“We have probably at least 20 volunteer organizations that are active in the community. I want to dive into it and … work with all of them. I want to make sure every club knows how important it is to this community.”
Huckaby will have a new office at City Hall.
“The former mayor and I have different leadership styles, so I want my office to reflect my style,” he said. “I will be a full-time mayor and have set office hours. My door will always be open. When I am not in the office, I will be out and about in the community … visiting with business owners.
“The city is running well. Good people are in place. … I just want to fine-tune it. I just have a little different view of things. It all will work out. … Take care of the city. … That’s the bottom line.”
The Huckabys bought their house in 2003 but did not move until 2005.
“When we moved here, we knew nobody …,” he said. “I taught at Ozarka College for a while. Jodie taught first grade at ICC for seven years. Jodie has one son, Christopher Wane, 28. He is married to Katlyn, and they have a 3-year-old son, Connor, and live in Seattle, Washington.”
Huckaby has worked at [Horseshoe Bend] animal control and as a Horseshoe Bend police officer, lake patrol officer and dispatcher. He is currently a firefighter, first responder and hazardous-materials technician for the city. He has served as president and vice president of the Horseshoe Bend Boating and Fishing Club.
Huckaby has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in exercise physiology and athletic training from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. He did postgraduate work at California State University, Northridge, in Los Angeles.
“I completed postgraduate studies in the area of individuals with disabilities and received my California [Education] Specialist Credential,” he said. “I worked 20 years as a teacher, coach and special-education specialist. I was chosen as Special Education Teacher of the Year in 2005 at the Linda Verde Center in Lancaster, California, which serves Los Angeles County children who are severely handicapped.”
Huckaby was also involved with motorsports race
management and race officiating. He worked for [the United States Hot Rod Association] Monster Truck Series, [the Pittsburg Plate Glass] Indy Car World Series, Penske motorsports, the International Speedway Corp., NASCAR and the Rolex Sports Car Series.
“My responsibilities included technical inspection, pit-lane official, suite supervisor and race supervisor,” he said.
Huckaby still has a love for cars.
“I have a 1969 antique muscle car — an AMC AMX,” he said. “It’s a two-seater. I do drive it, … mostly in parades.”
The Huckabys own Wet Creek Farms, where they train and show world grand-champion Missouri Fox Trotter horses.
When Huckaby is not at work, he enjoys vacationing with his wife in the Caribbean, golfing and participating in motorsports.
“And you can find me many evenings fly-fishing off the dock in our backyard,” he said, laughing. “We have 40 acres with a pond about 10 minutes outside of town. I’m what you might call ‘a gentleman farmer.’”