Race is on for Ames mayor
October 15, 1997
Ted Tedesco and Larry Curtis will face off in one of their first debates for the mayor’s seat of Ames Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Ramada Inn Sports Grill (formerly Johnny Orr’s Sports Grill).
The debate is being hosted by the Ames Jaycees. Susan Koehler, who serves on the Jaycees board of directors, will facilitate the debate.
Tedesco and Curtis will each speak for five minutes. The debate will then be opened for questions for about 10 minutes.
“If it’s going good, we won’t stop it,” Scott Sackville, member of Ames Jaycees, said. “I can’t believe 10 minutes will be enough.”
The Jaycees sponsored a debate between school board candidates during their last election, which Sackville said went well and lasted about 20 minutes.
“I don’t think the school board candidates were as fiery as the mayoral candidates may be,” Sackville said.
Koehler said topics for the debate will be left up to the candidates and the audience.
“They were both very, very accommodating and willing to participate,” Koehler said.
The Jaycees contacted the two candidates a few weeks ago, she said, to invite them to the debate. She said both agreed to the date and confirmation letters were sent.
Tedesco said he and Curtis recognize the importance of attending debates and making public appearances. “Any time we can explain our differences or what we see as the future for the city is good for the voters,” he said.
Tedesco said he did not know what he would talk about during his five-minute opener, but said he would discuss whatever is of interest to people attending.
“We’ll talk about creating a partnership between the citizens and their city government, about planning the future of Ames so that we’ll have a city of opportunity and also what I perceive the mayor’s role should be,” he said.
Curtis was not able to be reached for comment.
Meet the mayor
Larry Curtis
Ames Mayor Larry Curtis was born in Norman, Okla..
He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1968.
Curtiss earned a master’s degree and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa in 1973.
He served for 19 months in the First Air Cavalry Artillery Division in a helicopter/air mobile unit.
Fourteen of those months were spent in Vietnam.
Curtis also serves as an adjunct professor in business law at ISU and practices law with a law firm located in Ames.
He served on the Ames City Council from 1978 to 1990.
On Jan. 2, 1990, Curtiss was officially sworn in as the mayor of Ames.
Curtis and his wife, Pamela, have two children, Alexandra and Cha.d, Both of his children attend classes at ISU.
An avid golfer, Curtis has had seven holes-in-one during his golfing excursions.
He also played in baseball and track when he was in high school.
Curtis is a past president of the Iowa League of Cities Board of Directors and belongs to the Story County Bar Association, American Business Law Association and National League of Cities Board of Directors.
Meet the challenger
Ted Tedesco
Ted Tedesco was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and moved to Ames to attend Iowa State University.
Tedesco began a career in business in Ames in 1958.
He is currently president of Knapp-Tedesco Insurance Agency.
Tedesco served on the Ames Planning and Zoning Commission from 1988 until he was elected to the Ames City Council in 1993.
He is currently a Member at Large on the Ames City Council.
Tedesco was co-chairman of the successful bond issue campaign which converted the old Ames Central Junior High School site into the current Ames City Hall.
Tedesco and his wife, Joanne, have two married daughters. They have three grandsons.
Tedesco is president of the Ames Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
He sits on the board of directors for the Ames-Story County Cy-clone Club and he is a member of the Ames Noon Rotary.
Tedesco is also a past board member of the Ames Economic Development Commission.
He is the past president of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Ames Jaycees.
Tedesco has also served as an elder and deacon of Northminister Presbyterian Church.
