Advance mayor spends more time on streets than in office

ADVANCE, Mo. -- During the five years Carl "Pete" Ritter has been mayor of Advance, he has spent little time in city hall.

"I like to drive around and see what improvements need to be made in the city," the former educator and coach said. "I'm not one for sitting in an office."

Ritter's predecessor, James J. Harnes, occupied the mayor's post for 14 years. When an accident forced Harnes to give up the office, he asked Ritter to run for the position. Ritter had served on the city council in previous years.

"Mayor Harnes left the city in good condition, and we've continued that tradition," Ritter said. "We've paid off several debts, so now the city is debt-free, except for the bond on the lagoon, and the Department of Natural Resources won't let us pay that bond off."

Ritter is particularly proud of the park improvements that have been made in the last five years. The ballparks in Westfield Park have been redesigned so children no longer run across traffic to go to the concession stands. A new concession stand was built, and the old concession stand was used to expand the restrooms. The city and the Advance School District cooperate on the upkeep of the ballparks.

"A good ballpark brings people and revenue into the city," Ritter said. "We keep up the pavilions in both parks so families can picnic there. Our city workers are proud of the parks. We plan to get more playground equipment installed."

Mabrey Park has flowering trees planted to replace old, diseased trees that had to be cut. With its military memorial, the park in the center of town has become a venue for the annual Memorial Day ceremony. Ritter was instrumental in getting a new marble sign for the park several years ago.

Ritter also made an effort to clean up some of the city's eyesores, and aldermen passed ordinances to regulate tall grass.

The mayor and board encouraged businesses to locate in Advance; most recently, a new Subway is moving into the Lakeville Plaza on Highway 25, where My Daddy's Cheesecake was.

"Advance is one of two cities in this area that have grown in the last two years," Ritter said. "It's a good place to live. It has a low crime rate, low rates on sewer and water, and the town is beautiful, clean and nice. In the last year, we've had two new apartment houses built, so that's 12 new rentals. City hall is always getting calls asking about places to rent.

"For our seniors, there's the new Advance Assisted Living Center, which is a really nice facility. We also have Cross Trials Medical and Dental Facility," he said.

South of Advance, behind the Assisted Living Center, work has begun on a new subdivision just outside the city limits. The mayor said once the subdivision has installed sewer and water, it will apply to be annexed into the city.

Several years ago, the mayor welcomed El Mexicano Restaurant to Advance, and Ritter has been a supporter for one of the few places Advance has to eat.

"When Armando Sanchez and his wife, Monica, asked me if I thought a Mexican restaurant would go over in Advance, I told him that if you keep your place clean and serve good food, you'll be successful. That has proved to be the case," Ritter said.

"As mayor of the city, I don't want the citizens to feel as if they can't come to me, but I wish they would go to the aldermen first," Ritter said. "Call city hall if you don't know who your alderman is. That's the professional way. If you come to me, I still have to go back to the council."

In the meantime, the mayor probably can be seen driving around the parks or sitting on his front porch with his son, Bubby.